What is your favourite enzyme, and why?

Alcohol dehydrogenase… it plays an important function, I suppose! Research-related, I would have to say CREBs binding protein because of its control over gene expression.

 

What is your favourite book?

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett- it’s historical fiction, but historically very accurate, a love story centred around building a cathedral.

 

What is the most recent book you’ve read?

The Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett- it’s about the Cold War.

 

What is your favourite amino acid, and why?

Isoleucine! When looking at it by NMR spectroscopy, it’s a big amino acid and interesting to assign resonances  to the chemical shifts.

 

What are some of your hobbies?

Running after my kids, running, and karate- I’ve got my black belt. I also like 3D printing things for lab.

 

What is your dream vacation?

Driving around Britain, seeing the castles and things!

 

What is the coolest project you’ve ever worked on?

Oh jeepers- I’d probably say a project from my postdoc. I was trying to design a peptide that would penetrate cells and bind specific proteins and biologically characterize it.

 

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in lab?

Probably breaking a $500 pH meter as I opened it out of the package.

 

Do you have any advice or anything else you want to say?

Roll with the punches of research. Projects may not work, and it comes in waves- work through it!