Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry Blog

I grew up on a cattle farm in Alberta. During my undergraduate studies, I developed an appetite for organic chemistry. Professors Todd Lowary and Jeffrey Stryker stand out in my memory. My master’s in organic synthesis was followed by two years in process development at Gilead Sciences. In 2018, I started my Ph.D. studies in Tokyo. I see life as an adventure where the journey matters more than the destination.

What motivates your scientific interest in integrating catalysis?

I am constantly blown away by the beauty and complexity of living systems. Somehow, life has little use for boron, fluorine, or noble metals, in spite of the rich abiotic chemistry of these elements. I am convinced that by incorporating abiotic chemistry within living systems, we can access previously unimaginable chemical transformations and develop new tools for understanding cell biology.

 

What primary research are you doing in this area?

I am working on developing organocatalysis for use within living cells. I hope my work leads to practical methods for installing post-translational modifications and activating prodrugs.

 

How do you hope this review will help and inspire future research in this area?

I aim to draw attention to recent work that sets the current tone. I also want to convince researchers in abiotic catalysis that there are many opportunities in cell biology.

 

Read the full article: Integrating abiotic chemical catalysis and enzymatic catalysis in living cells

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