Where her research group uses de novo design and protein engineering to prepare artificial model proteins that can perform a desired function. The purpose of this effort is twofold: first, by reproducing the main properties and functions of natural proteins in a model system, one can test iteratively hypotheses on the specific contribution of each amino acid to the protein activity; second, once the key principles are elucidated, it will be possible to design novel proteins with activities beyond those of natural proteins. Methods utilized include computational modeling, solid phase synthesis, molecular biology techniques and enzymatic screening.