Owen Young

DNAzymes are catalytic sequences of DNA that are able to perform a target transformation. The Silverman lab focuses on the de novo discovery and identification of these DNAzymes through an iterative, selection-based approach. Of recent interest has been the identification of DNA sequences that are capable of catalyzing N-alkylation and N-acylation reactions, both of which are prominent in the chemical biology field. My work focuses specifically on the discovery of DNAzymes that catalyze the acylation of surface lysine residues in proteins. This project serves as a novel direction for DNAzyme exploration, and their potential use in protein modifications.