Our Research

Our research areas are bioinorganic chemistry, biophysical chemistry, and environmental chemistry. We study the involvement of inorganic elements such as iron, cobalt, copper, and zinc in biological processes. Biological molecules are compared with synthetic analogues using spectroscopic methods, particularly resonance Raman spectroscopy, which allows analysis of light scattered from a sample that is illuminated in an absorption band. The resonance Raman spectrum contains vibrational modes of the light-absorbing part of the molecule and provides a means of monitoring structural features of specific sites in complex biological systems.

Environmental chemistry is a new area of work in our group. In collaboration with scientists at Scripps (B. Tebo) , UC Berkeley (G. Sposito) and SSRL (J. Barger) , we are aimed at addressing the bioinorganic and environmental chemistry of manganese oxides.

Another recent addition to our scientific endeavors is solar energy research. In collaboration with U. of Washington research groups C. Luscombe (Materials Science and Engineering) and D. Baker (Biochemistry), we are developing new devices to capture sunlight and convert its energy into generating hydrogen fuel. This project forms the basis for our participation in the University of Washington’s CLEAN (Clean, Low-cost Energy through Advanced Nanomaterials) initiative.

This site aims to provide some information on the ongoing research. It will guide you to various projects that we are working on, and will introduce you to various lab members as well. We hope you will enjoy visiting!