Office Location: Mudd 757
Area of Specialization: Physical Organic Chemistry
I am a current student in the Flowers lab. My research is focused on mechanistic studies into samarium (II) mediated reductions by using stopped flow spectrophotometry to monitor reaction kinetics. In my free time I enjoy traveling.
Office Location: Mudd 632
Area of Specialization: Biochemistry
The primary focus of my research is the study of the secondary structure of a membrane protein commonly found in plant seed lipid droplets called oleosin. This protein is known to stabilize the structures of lipid droplets. To study the structure, I utilize NMR spectroscopy to determine the local conformations of oleosin. These local arrangements are then used to construct a three-dimensional model of oleosin. With this information, we hope to gain insight into the function of oleosin and how it stabilizes lipid droplets. Outside of the lab, I am a recreational scuba instructor and active public safety diver.
Office Location: Mudd 567
Area of Specialization: Inorganic Chemistry
My research focuses on identifying the mechanism of Supercapacitive Swing Adsorption (SSA) for carbon dioxide capture. Using in-situ spectroscopic techniques and titration of charged electrodes, I aim to study the underlying processes that drive SSA. This understanding will enable improvements in CO₂ sorption capacity and make the technology more practical and scalable.
Office Location: Mudd 648
Area of Specialization: Biochemistry
I am a graduate student in Damien Thévenin’s lab. Previously published work focused on an immunotherapy using a fusion of a pH-sensitive peptide and a nanobody to target cancer cells in their acidic environment. The targeted cancer cells displayed the nanobody on their surface such that they were subsequently destroyed by natural killer cells, while sparing healthy cells at a neutral pH. Current work is aimed at expressing and purifying the transmembrane and intracellular domains of a class of membrane proteins and reconstituting them in nanodiscs as a lipid membrane mimic. Further experiments will be conducted in order to understand the structure and activity of the reconstituted proteins. In my free time, I enjoy music, playing the guitar, ukulele, and piano, crocheting, reading, and walking on nature trails.
Office Location: Sinclair 304
Area of Specialization: Spectroscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy
I am interested in exploring the role of atomic force microscopy (AFM) variants to decipher the chemical, electrical, and mechanical properties of materials such as macromolecules, heterogeneous materials, and nanostructures.
Office Location: Mudd 657
Area of Specialization: Bioanalytical Chemistry
I am currently a graduate student working under Dr. Nathan Wittenberg. My research focuses on the chemistry of lipid bilayers, specifically outer membrane vesicles of gram-negative bacteria and their role in antibiotic resistance (an increasing dire issue). By understanding how bacteria defend against antimicrobial peptides using analytical methods, I hope to pave the way for the discovery and testing of new antibiotics. My outside interest is in theology.
Office Location: Mudd 423
Area of Specialization: Organometallic Chemistry
I am motivated by exploring the role of chemistry in the environment and collaborating with others. My research interests are in the catalyst development for recycling inert high-global-warming-potential hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants.
Office Location: Mudd 657
Area of Specialization: Bioanalytical Chemistry and Biomembrame
I am a 5th-year Ph.D. Candidate at Wittenberg's lab, where I use cell membrane model systems to study the molecular factors that underlie Myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) interaction, specifically, I explore the role played by cholesterol and/or lipid rafts on MAG-Gangliosides interaction.
Office Location: Mudd 643
Area of Specialization: Biochemistry
Reactive oxygen species, as well as exposure to ionizing radiation and environmental
stresses are among the main sources that lead to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs).
DSBs are considered the most toxic form of DNA damage and rely upon four major
repair pathways. Physiologically relevant DSBs often have chemical modifications that
make them difficult to repair by direct ligation or the non-homologous end-joining
(NHEJ) repair pathway. My research focuses on designing reporter systems and using
fluorescence- and luminescence-based functional assays to measure repair efficiency
and accuracy of complex DSBs in cells, as well as how break complexity influences
repair pathway choice.
