His research involves studying biosystems at the nanoscale (macromolecular and sub-molecular levels). Subtle changes in the chemical structure of biomolecules can enormously impact their function: In the morning sickness drug thalidomide, the enantiomeric form (mirror image of the same exact molecule) causes severe birth defects; a single base substitution in a gene, aka a mutation, is sufficient to cause disease by producing a malfunctioning protein; subtle changes in molecular structure to DNA, such as the addition of a methyl group, are now known to regulate gene expression. Many of the mechanisms by which miniscule chemical changes affect biomolecular function are unknown to date.