Prof. Schuster has received an NSF CAREER award, entitled “Surfactant Proteins that Stabilize Biomolecular Condensates: From Biophysics to Biomaterials for Biomanufacturing,” to support his lab’s research as well as associated educational/outreach efforts.
The first goal of this project is to examine surfactant-like proteins that may be important in determining the structure and function of intracellular assemblies called biomolecular condensates. The project's next stage is to harness these proteins for biomaterials engineering — specifically, immobilized enzyme biomaterials for “greener” synthesis of pharmaceuticals via biocatalysis. The research program is coupled with an educational plan featuring undergraduate research opportunities and a new course module on social, environmental, and ethical considerations in biochemical engineering.
The award is for approximately $650,000 over five years.