Experience

Purissima, Inc.

• United States
• Biotechnology Research
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Scientist II (Genetic Engineering)

  • Jun 2022 - Jan 2023

  United States

• Scientist I (Genetic Engineering)

  • Apr 2021 - Jun 2022

  United States Performed independent research centering on algal strain improvement and biosynthetic pathway expansion Designed and assembled genetic cassettes for transgenic strain improvement and development Generated a mutagenesis platform for generating and screening novel enzymes variants in microalgae Utilized structural information to design mutants of target enzymes in the context of a microbial biosynthetic platform for improved activity and changes in product/substrate… Show more Performed independent research centering on algal strain improvement and biosynthetic pathway expansion Designed and assembled genetic cassettes for transgenic strain improvement and development Generated a mutagenesis platform for generating and screening novel enzymes variants in microalgae Utilized structural information to design mutants of target enzymes in the context of a microbial biosynthetic platform for improved activity and changes in product/substrate specificity. Developed methodologies for 96-well block microalgae screens from scratch Developed a prototype classical mutagenesis platform for the generation of improved production strains from scratch Developed mutants with altered product and substrate specificities that enabled access to new products that were previously unattainable Performed in depth literature searches to identify unexplored enzymes for biosynthetic pathway expansion and improvement. Engineered enzymes to have augmented conversion leading to improved production strains Helped lead discussion and research projects in a small team and gave formal research updates to the entire company Interacted directly with the CEO and the Vice President of Genetic engineering to provide research updates



Revolution Medicines

• United States
• Biotechnology
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Scientist

  • Sep 2020 - Dec 2020

  United States Performed protein expression and purification of target enzymes for crystallization Utilized high throughput screening to obtain crystal structure of important protein-small molecule complexes Analyzed crystallographic data and models Managed the protein inventory system



Stanford University

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Postdoctoral Fellow

  • Oct 2016 - Aug 2020

  Palo Alto, CA Solved the crystal structure and engineered a plant O-methyltransferase involved in benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis to produce new products de novo. Generated a yeast-based metabolic platform for de novo production of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid derivatives.



UC Irvine

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Graduate Student Researcher

  • Sep 2011 - Jul 2016

  Irvine, CA Studied protein-protein interactions in Type I iterative polyketide synthases and fatty-acid synthases. Solved the first crystal structure of a ketoreductase involved in pentangular polyphenol biosynthesis. Solved apo and hexhexanoyl-CoA-bound crystal structures of a novel long chain acyl-CoA carboxylase beta subunit. Solved the crystal structure of a NRPS/PKS hybrid condensation domain, identifying regions necessary for protein-protein recognition.

• Graduate Teaching Assistant

  • 2012 - 2016

  Irvine, CA Taught 10 quarters at University of California Irvine. Classes included Microbiology lab and lecture, Molecular Biology lecture, and Biochemistry lecture.



University of California, Santa Cruz

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Undergraduate Researcher

  • 2009 - 2009

  Santa Cruz, CA Studied the molecular basis for chromatin packaging in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.