From photosynthesis in plants, to every breath we take and every thought we think, life is animated by complex chemical reactions that pass electrons back and forth between molecules.
Dr. Shabnam Hematian, Bernard-Glickman Dean's Professor in the UNCG Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has focused her research on the metals — iron, copper, and others — that are foundational to these processes.
“The cool chemistry that happens in your body – metabolism of drugs or hormone biosynthesis – all of them are governed by a series of iron proteins,” she says.
Inspired by nature, Hematian is working to understand how light and air, along with common metals, could catalyze industrial reactions, to design more efficient and environmentally friendly technologies.