I am interested in studying photosynthetic organisms that are the primary producers in our biosphere. During recent years, my research group has focused on cyanobacteria, prokaryotic organisms that perform oxygenic photosynthesis and are the progenitors of chloroplasts in plants and algae. Our investigations span multiple disciplines. We study energy transducing molecular machines such as Photosystem II, the unique membrane protein complex that catalyzes splitting of water to molecular oxygen. We also deploy cutting edge tools of synthetic and systems biology to understand the inner workings of cyanobacterial cells that are emerging as attractive biocatalysts for sustainable, carbon neutral production of food, feed and fuels.
Between 2007 and 2020, I have served as the founding director of the International Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability (InCEES) at Washington University. In this role, I helped catalyze formation of teams of researchers and teachers to address the great energy, environmental and sustainability challenges facing our planet. See https://incees.wustl.edu for more information on InCEES.