Preceptor

• James Letts

College

• UC Davis College of Biological Sciences

Research

• I study the bacterial electron transport chain. The electron transport chain is a powerful series of membrane-bound proteins that generate a proton motive force between cellular compartments. This force is ultimately utilized by ATP synthase to create the vast majority of cellular ATP. I aim to alter the amino acid sequence of the native bacterial Electron Transport Chain to disrupt its native assembly into larger ordered structures termed Supercomplexes using genetic manipulation. Subsequently, I will investigate the effect of Supercomplex disruption with structural and kinetic characterization.