Microbial Communication, Enzyme Evolution, and Engineering Lab

Our laboratory seeks to understand how enzymes evolve new functions and specificities in response to environmental challenges. We investigate the molecular, structural, and evolutionary mechanisms that enable enzymes to recognize diverse substrates, adapt to new ecological niches, and acquire novel catalytic activities. By combining biochemistry, molecular biology, phylogenetics, structural analysis, and protein engineering, we uncover the fundamental principles governing enzyme evolution and adaptation.

Microbial communication provides a unique model for studying these processes. We investigate enzymes that interact with and degrade signaling molecules used by microorganisms to coordinate collective behaviors such as biofilm formation, virulence, and interspecies interactions. By exploring how enzyme sequence and structure determine substrate recognition and specificity, we aim to understand how new enzymatic functions emerge and how they shape microbial ecology. Our work has revealed that some quorum-quenching enzymes exhibit remarkable substrate promiscuity, acting on signaling molecules and other biologically active compounds across different kingdoms of life.

Beyond advancing our understanding of enzyme evolution, we use protein engineering approaches to tailor enzyme activity, specificity, and stability. These studies provide a foundation for developing biocatalysts for applications in health, agriculture, and environmental sustainability.

Another major focus of our research is on enzymes that interact with natural and synthetic polymers, including plastics. We study how enzymes recognize, bind to, and function at complex polymer surfaces, and how these interactions have evolved in different environmental contexts. Our work aims to reveal the mechanisms underlying polymer degradation, from substrate recognition to catalysis, and to understand the evolutionary pathways that give rise to these activities.