Nathan Ennist
Assistant Professor
Molecular & Structural Biochemistry and Physics & Astronomy
De Novo Protein Design, Computational Protein Engineering
Polk Hall 152
nmennist@ncsu.edu WebsiteBio
Research Interests
My research focuses on the de novo design of proteins for high-efficiency photosynthesis. By integrating physics-based computational methods with machine learning, our group engineers novel light-responsive enzymes and electron-transfer proteins from the ground up. We use spectroscopy, biological redox chemistry, and structural biology to evaluate the architecture and function of proteins designed for light harvesting and charge separation. These designs are validated through functional testing in vitro and in vivo in photosynthetic bacteria and plants, with the goal of developing robust, artificial biological systems for sustainable solar energy conversion.
Education
B.S./B.A. Chemistry/Physics Emory University 2009
Ph.D. Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics University of Pennsylvania 2017
Post-doctoral Fellow w/ David Baker University of Washington
Publications
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Probing the molecular determinants of emission enhancement in
RNA aptamer–metal complex systems , Photochemistry and Photobiology (2026) - The past, present and future of de novo protein design , Nature (2026)