Our research program lies at the interface of chemistry and biology, and involves the use of chemical, biochemical and genetic approaches to characterize both the chemistry and molecular biology of a given system. The question that our group is interested in studying is membrane biogenesis, i.e. how a biological membrane is assembled. Membrane lipid bilayers form the basis for life, physically defining cells and organelles, and modulating the chemical environments within these compartments for optimal metabolism and growth. Despite these fundamental roles, however, our understanding of membrane biogenesis has remained rudimentary; we do not know how a cell makes more of itself