Research Interests

Redox Potentials of Biological Systems

The oxidation reactions performed by biological Monooxygenase enzymes, selectively converting a C-H into a C-OH bond using a single turnover, is very complex and the mechanism of catalysis is not fully understood. As a collaboration with the laboratory of Prof. Steven Lippard, I am working with Michael Mavros to calculate the redox potentials of the resting states of two such enzymes, Methane Monooxygenase and Toluene Monooxygenase, using crystal structures obtained for their oxidized and reduced forms. Additionally, we are examining the effect coordinating waters in the active site have on redox potentials. Here we are extending methods used to calculate redox potentials of transition metal catalysts to biological systems.


Page last modified on March 02, 2013, at 05:33 PM