My group works to apply supramolecular chemistry in biological settings. We create transmembrane channels that can selectively transport water or ions across membranes; we create molecular cages formed from peptides, which can bind and transport biologically relevant cargo; we use high-affinity host-guest chemistry for supramolecular therapeutics, including antibody drug conjugates. We create screen libraries to…
We engineer biology at its most basic: genes. What if life’s genetic material were reimagined? What if evolution were given a broader chemical palette than DNA, RNA and proteins? We are developing methods for test-tube evolution using synthetic “Xeno-Nucleic Acids” (XNA). Navigating the diverse XNA structure space allows us to discover, engineer and build synthetic…
computational design of membrane receptors and peptides for cellular reprogramming, design of protein-protein interfaces in signaling complexes
Engineered transporters with designed substrate specificity Engineered control of biosynthetic pathways