Zoe Semersky
Integrated Program in Biochemistry
Advisor
Biography
Current Research
Discovery and Characterization of Novel Nickel-Utilizing Enzymes
The growing need for sustainable and efficient industrial catalysis has fueled interest in biocatalysis, with enzymes offering a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional catalysts. Nickel, a group 10 transition metal, shares properties with palladium and platinum—both widely used in industrial C–H activation—but remains underexplored in biology due to the limited scope of known nickel enzymes. Informed by a custom bioinformatics-driven genome mining approach, I discover and characterize novel nickel-utilizing enzymes to unlock new possibilities for sustainable metalloenzyme biocatalysis.