Alford Antoine John, 4th-year PhD student in Prof. Lin's lab
"Controlling the structure of proteins is an attractive gateway towards being able to control the function of that protein. Our goal is to synthesize red-shifted azobenzene amino acids that can be incorporated into protein using amber codon suppression technique, with the aim of achieving spatiotemporal control using visible light.
I enjoy being a graduate student because I appreciate the challenge associated with learning something new, and applying accumulated knowledge into relevant applications. In addition, I have a naturally curious mind, and being a chemistry graduate student at UB gives me practical tools I need to freely satisfy my innate scientific curiosity.
I love to travel and experience different cultures in their native settings! I also spend a lot of time doing edible chemistry (cooking and baking)!"