Cellular and Molecular Biology Training Program

John is a student in the Biochemistry, Molecular and Structural Biology Graduate Program, where he works in the laboratory of Dr. James Bowie.  He joined the CMB training program in 2016.  He received a B.S. degree in 2015 from the University of California, Berkeley.

Mentor: Dr. Jim Bowie

Single-molecule manipulation of membrane proteins in a lipid bilayer-like environment.

At the junction of chemistry, physics, and biology, membrane protein folding is a fundamental phenomenon that requires novel approaches for study. By using magnetic tweezers to manipulate single molecules in a reconstituted lipid/detergent bilayer (bicelle), we can examine the folding and unfolding behavior of otherwise difficult to study proteins.