The directed evolution of enzymes is a powerful technique for synthesizing novel materials. Recent work in this area has demonstrated the ability to generate ring-strained hydrocarbons and facilitate new-to-nature transformations without reliance on noble metals, harsh reaction conditions, or multi-step synthetic procedures. Evolved enzymes can also be used for the synthesis of polymers or monomers from bio-based feedstocks.

This opportunity is focused on the development of new enzymes for the synthesis of fuels or polymers from bio-based feedstocks or pure substrates that can be readily derived from biomass. The associate will identify promising chemical transformations, screen enzymes for activity, evolve enzymes, and demonstrate the successful transformation of substrates utilizing a variety of techniques including GC-MS, LC-MS, and NMR spectroscopy. Enzyme production will then be scaled up to facilitate the production of desired molecules at the multi-gram scale. Working in collaboration with organic chemists, these molecules will be converted to the final products and evaluated using standard analytical techniques. Proposals may also focus on de novo protein design and the utilization of metalloenzymes to facilitiate the chemical transformations described above.   

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Additional Benefits

Awardees who reside more than 50 miles from their host laboratory and remain on tenure for at least six months are eligible for paid relocation to within the vicinity of their host laboratory.

A group health insurance program is available to awardees and their qualifying dependents in the United States.