Research Themes

I investigate why biological systems work the way they do: how proteins assemble, adapt, and evolve. My work focuses on the logic behind these systems: how structure, function, and evolutionary history come together to shape biological machinery. By combining biochemical analysis with evolutionary reasoning, I uncover the principles that define complexes such as nitrogenase, metal-homeostasis networks, and ancestral respiratory chains. This approach also helps to reveal what constraints guided the evolution. Ultimately, the goal is to understand the logic of life’s design and the forces that have shaped it over deep time.

Living systems can be redesigned to perform new, useful, and sometimes unexpected functions. My work spans engineered nitrogen-fixation pathways, modified bacterial metabolisms, and microbial interactions with electrodes. The focus is on taking what biology already provides, combining it with new ideas, and building systems that did not exist before. Whether the goal is sustainable chemistry, enhanced bioelectrical output, or novel cellular behaviors, this area reflects the creative, forward-looking side of my research. It is where hypotheses turn into prototypes, and where engineering meets discovery.

I specialize in producing proteins that are difficult to work with, including membrane proteins, metalloproteins, and multi-subunit complexes. This covers construct design, expression optimization, purification strategies, and structural characterization using crystallography and related methods. The aim is to obtain reliable, high-quality material that enables both mechanistic studies and deeper structural insights across my research.

I develop assays and techniques for questions that standard methods can’t address. This includes microfluidic approaches for ion flux, NMR-based detection strategies, and custom tools for membrane transport and enzyme activity. These methods expand what can be measured and provide the precision needed to explore complex biological systems.