Specialization:
Application of amphiphilic, conjugated oligoelectrolyte (COE) materials in biological systems for (pseudo)biocatalysis and modification of bioelectronic contacts at interfaces
Bio:
I was born and raised in the south suburbs of Denver, CO, which is situated on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. The hot, sunny Colorado summers were perfect for running, climbing, hiking, and all sorts of outdoor adventures, and the cold, snowy winters enticed me to the mountains for epic powder days at the numerous ski resorts within 2 hours' drive. I graduated CU Boulder in 2008 with a double degree in Physics (magna cum laude) and Mathematics. After college and a brief work stint in biotech (OPXBIO in Boulder), it was an easy choice to enroll in the world-class Materials program at UCSB. Apart from research, I really enjoy trail/mountain running, skiing, rock climbing, homebrewing, amazing shots of espresso, basketball, volleyball, competitive Ultimate, surfing, wine tasting in Santa Ynez, cooking great food, and making new friends.
Research:
Water soluble, amphiphilic, semiconducting COEs are synthesized in the Bazan Labs and subsequently applied in various bioelectronic systems. Such COE molecules naturally self-situate in the lipid bilayer membranes of microorganisms and facilitate trans-membrane charge transport, presumably by decreasing the insulating character of the membranes. Coupled to the naturally diverse metabolic activity of carefully-selected species, this "catalyzed" charge transport promises to augment (1) oxidation of various waste streams for energy production (reclamation), (2) reduction of CO2 or other substrates to higher-order organic compounds for energy storage (bioelectrosynthesis), and (3) synergistic multi-species electronic interactions with the goal of designing novel energy-generating and/or remediation pathways.