Our Focus
Our projects focus on the discovery and production of natural products. We are especially interested in marine invertebrates and their chemical defenses. This work is at the interface of chemistry and biology and has applications in basic science as well as human health.
01
Discovering new molecules
We use genomics coupled to analytical chemistry to discover new molecules which have applications in human health. The genome contains the blue print for producing important molecules in biological systems. Using this blue print, we can predict the existence of such molecules. We validate these predictions using heterologous expression of biosynthetic genes in laboratory models such as yeast and plants. We use analytical techniques, especially mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance, to identify these molecules. Often times, the genetic blueprint encodes a new and exciting biochemical mechanism to make these molecules.
02
Producing molecules at scale
Leveraging the genomic blueprint for naturally occurring molecules, we use enzymes as tools to produce such molecules in the laboratory. We are especially interested in terpene cyclase and cytochrome P450 enzymes. By expressing biosynthetic genes in laboratory hosts such as yeast and bacteria, we can product complex molecules often times at gram scale. These samples can be used for biomedical testing and medicinal chemistry.
03
Understanding biochemical machinery
Biosynthetic genes encode enzymes that create exciting molecules and we can use these as tools in the laboratory. These enzymes often times behave in unexpected ways though. As organic chemists, we are fascinated by the mechanisms of these biological catalysts, which is controlled by their complex structure. This information allows us to answer fundamental scientific questions as well as discover new tools for making medicines.
04
Understanding why certain molecules exist in nature
Organisms make complex molecules for a reason, but we rarely know what this reason is. Historically, chemical ecology has attempted to answer these questions. We are especially interested in why marine animals evolved chemical defenses. We leverage molecular techniques and our understanding of biosynthesis to determine how an organism might use natural products to survive and compete.
