As a 2025 Schmidt Science Fellow, Connor hopes to mitigate climate change and pollution by sustainably converting plastic waste into important industrial chemicals.
Although plastic is considered non-biodegradable, a few examples of microbes that contain plastic-metabolizing enzymes have been found in nature. However, these enzymes have limitations that prevent their widespread industrial use. Connor’s research will use biomolecular engineering methods to enhance the capabilities of these enzymes and enable their practical applications.
These enzymes will be used to convert plastic waste into molecules of value to the chemical industry, thereby reducing the global burden of plastic waste.
Connor will pivot from Molecular & Cell Biology to Biomolecular Engineering