Shah Lab
Enzymes and Microbiomes

I enjoy working with enzymes that catalyze interesting chemical reactions. Enzymes come in many different forms, shapes and with unique chemical transformation abilities. The fundamental understanding of the basic nature of enzyme catalyzed reaction can open up many possibilities. At our lab, we take two approaches to study enzymes. One is in the context of an enzyme as a stand-alone entity, which includes understanding the substrate specificity, product specificity, cofactor specificity, kinetics and reaction mechanism. The other approach is to understand enzyme in the context of a metabolic pathway and as a metabolite signal modulator (MSM). Our lab is trying to understand metabolic modulations as signals for microbial communication, host-microbe communication and tumor progression. We are also exploring different ways of achieving metabolic modulation either by inhibiting or activating enzyme catalyzed reactions. Such metabolic modulations can be used as tools for engineering beneficial microbiome and combating different types of tumors. 

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At ASU, I teach Modern Concepts in Biochemistry (BCH371 and BCH372). These courses cover the fundamental aspects of Biochemistry and some recent developments in the field of Biochemistry. In addition to these courses, I also teach an Intro to Environmental Science (BIO130/ENV130). 

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