A swap of metals and a mutation ramp up the electric field strength at the active site of an enzyme, making it works an astonishing 50 times faster than its unmodified analog.
G6PD deficiency affects about 400M people worldwide and can pose serious health risks. Uncovering the causes of the most severe cases could finally lead to treatments.
Lead Scientist, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL)
Areas of research: X-ray and ultrafast science; energy sciences; X-ray microscopy and X-ray characterization of materials far from equilibrium; energy storage; battery research; 3D metal printing
Bringing ultrafast physics to structural biology has revealed the coordinated dance of molecules in unprecedented clarity, which could aid in the design of new light-responsive materials.