What is your favourite enzyme, and why?

RuBisCO- it is the most abundant protein on the planet! It is responsible for carbon dioxide fixation and is found in plants, algae and cyanobacteria.

 

What is your favourite book?

Contact by Carl Sagan. It’s about a scientist and space exploration, but it also touches on the frontiers of human knowledge, how we know what we think we know, religion, etc.

 

What is the most recent book you’ve read?

A collection of sci-fi called the Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer. It’s cool, creepy and beautifully written.

 

What is your favourite amino acid, and why?

Tryptophan because it has a non-degenerate codon that is easy to remember (UGG). It is also pretty rare in proteins.

 

What are some of your hobbies?

Riding bicycles, racing bicycles. I took twenty years off but took it up again four years ago. Also spending time with my kids and family!

 

What is your dream vacation?

Bikes & warm weather!

 

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

My current project, which has to do with lateral gene transfer. We are trying to demonstrate that it happens in eukaryotes. It is well known to occur in bacteria, but has not been demonstrated experimentally in eukaryotes.

 

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

Once I touched a hot plate to see if it was turned on! I was wearing two pairs of latex gloves, and the latex melted to my palm. I was in the middle of labeling DNA probes using P32 isotope so I had to continue with the one hand (while the other was in an ice bath). 

 

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

Turn off your phone. People have an inability to concentrate and focus on one thing and it’s become a serious problem. You need to be able to focus.