Steve is a Ph.D. candidate studying chemical biology in the lab of Catherine Drennan. In the Drennan Lab, he studies the biochemistry of microbes found in oxygen-free environments that are able to grow on carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. These chemical reactions are mediated by large protein assemblies, and Steve investigates how the dynamics of these proteins and the complexes that they form help to accomplish challenging carbon-carbon bond forming chemistry. A better understanding of how these proteins work would advance our ability to engineer these systems for carbon capture technologies.
Steve grew up in upstate New York before obtaining his B.A. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Boston University. As an undergraduate, he worked in the lab of Karen Allen where he conducted research on the use of metal-sequestering peptides for bioremediation applications. As an NIH Biotechnology Training Program trainee, he conducted research at Draper Laboratory on rapid medical diagnostics. Outside of work, Steve enjoys cooking, hiking, and playing sports, particularly hockey. He has also served as the President of the Chemistry Graduate Student Committee and as a Coordinator for the Graduate Student Council ski trip.