Prof. Shearer’s current research interests center on understanding how the structure and bonding of biologically relevant late first row transition metal compounds influence their reactivity. He is especially interested in understanding how the structure of cysteinate-ligated nickel-containing metalloenzymes contribute to their function, protein evolutionary mechanisms, and atypical bonding schemes in transition metal complexes. To these ends his research group prepares and investigates small metallopeptides, metalloproteins, and transition metal complexes. Owing to the highly multidisciplinary nature of this research, students in his group are exposed to a large array of chemical techniques and methods including: peptide and small molecule synthesis, spectroscopy (UV-vis/NIR, (M)CD, Raman and X-ray absorption/emission spectroscopies), and computational methods.
