Lab Members

Principal Investigator

David Lynn, Ph.D.

David G. Lynn has contributed scholarship in the areas of molecular recognition, synthetic biology, and chemical evolution, and has developed chemical and physical methods for the analysis of supramolecular self-assemblies, signal transduction in cellular development and pathogenesis, molecular skeletons for storing and reading information, and the evolution of biological order. After a fellowship at Columbia University and teaching at the University of Virginia and Cornell University, he served as a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Chicago until 2000 before moving to accept the A. G. Candler Professorship in Chemistry and Biology at Emory University. In 2002, Lynn was awarded one of 20 inaugural Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professorships, and in 2011 he was awarded the Emory Scholar-Teacher Award for pioneering science/arts creations communicating science and appointed as an AAAS Fellow for scholarship. He received the ACS Herty Metal in 2013 and served as Chair of the Department of Chemistry from 2006-15. He has now ridden his bicycle following different paths across the state of Georgia each year for the past 15 years for inspiration and personal health.

Graduate Researchers

Alexis Blake

“I am a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate who is currently working on building peptides with catalytic function and understanding the rules that guide the co-assembly of infectious proteins with biologically-relevant molecules. Outside of the lab, I enjoy cooking, spending time with family, and rewatching 90’s cartoons.

Ansley Felix

“I am a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate, and my research focuses on understanding small molecule interactions between plants and bacteria. I am also interested in undergraduate education and mentorship. Outside of the lab, I like to read, play video games, crochet, and go on adventures with my husband and two dogs.

Undergraduate Researchers

Ethan Veinbachs

“I’m a senior undergraduate studying the effects of modifications of Aβ-42 congeners. I am also looking further into the rules governing various peptide co-assemblies and their applications in relation to Alzheimer’s and the evolution of emergent function. Besides chemistry, I like playing tennis, listening to Frank Ocean, long walks on the beach, and going to Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concerts.”

Johnny Bui

“I’m Johnny, a chemistry major in the Class of 2024! I currently work on a project involving the co-cultivation of Pseudomonas and Agrobacterium to grow a biofilm that can be used in more studies involving the rhizosphere and plants like sorghum and corn. I love biochemistry and molecular biology and have a research background in working with yeast and bacteria and their associated techniques. Outside the lab, I love reading, playing guitar, and playing video games with friends! If I have enough time, I also love hiking around Georgia.”

Michelle Lee

“I’m Michelle, a senior chemistry major. I am currently studying the effects of C-terminus modifications on coding for supramolecular chirality in peptide assemblies. I work with CD, TEM, Cryo-EM, and X-ray crystallography techniques and have a previous background in organic synthesis. Outside the lab, I enjoy fencing and rock climbing, and I have two cats that I love to spend time with.”

Sophie Barthel

Hello! I’m a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Chemistry and Economics. I’m currently working alongside Ansley to investigate the role of bimolecular condensates and self-perpetuating assemblies in the origin of primitive metabolism and biological complexity. Over the next few years, I hope to dive deeper into the pharmaceutical and environmental applications of plant-microbe dynamic chemical systems. Outside of academics, I enjoy reading, rock climbing, working as a barista, and playing Celtic fiddle tunes on the violin.