Lionel Cheruzel
Light-Driven Biocatalysts and their Activation
Lionel Cheruzel is looking to expand the toolbox of organic chemistry reactions. His
research is centered around the use of hybrid P450 biocatalysts and their activation
by visible light to produce chemicals that are difficult to obtain using traditional
methods. In the last two decades, biocatalysis has emerged as an important technology
in the production of pharmaceuticals, flavors, fragrances, and beyond.
鈥淯ltimately,鈥� he says, 鈥渢his work will find applications in the economically and environmentally friendly synthesis of new chemical compounds and potential drugs.鈥�
Developing new synthetic routes has been made possible through Cheruzel鈥檚 work combining chemical catalysis with the lightdriven biocatalysis. Cheruzel鈥檚 credits his postdoctoral mentor, Harry B. Gray at Caltech, for instilling in him a passion for chemistry. 鈥淗e had such an impact on me both personally and intellectually,鈥� he says.
Cheruzel himself has supervised more than 130 undergraduate and graduate students in the lab since joining 91猎奇 in 2009. His students have gone on to great success, working for companies including Boehringer Ingelheim, Cytokinetics, and Genentech, and pursuing Ph.D. degrees at UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco, UC Santa Cruz, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and University of Michigan.
鈥淲atching students develop as scientists and succeed in their endeavors has been personally rewarding and continues to motivate my mentoring efforts.鈥�
Bridget Foley, 鈥�20 Chemistry, uses the automated pipeting and dispensing of a liquid-handling system.
Chemistry, College of Science
Sponsors: National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation
91猎奇 Research Foundation 2019 Annual Report
