Chris Petzold ’97

Chemistry

Biography

I am a staff scientist with Berkeley Lab’s Biological Systems and Engineering Division. After obtaining my BS in Chemistry at Taylor, I moved on to pursue my PhD in Chemistry from Purdue University with an emphasis in gas-phase ion chemistry and mass spectrometric methods development. After graduating from Purdue, I performed my post-doctoral work at UC-Berkeley focusing on the application of mass spectrometry to glycomics and lipidomics research. In 2005 I joined Prof. Jay Keasling’s research group as part of the team using synthetic biology to help reduce the cost of artemisinin, an anti-malarial drug, through a semi-synthetic fermentation process. As director of JBEI’s Functional Genomics Research Group, my focus is on developing mass spectrometric solutions to problems facing biofuel production. Recent work has focused on applying quantitative proteomics to metabolic engineering efforts. This work furthers rational design and optimization of novel metabolic pathways for a wide variety of applications.

What were some of your most valuable experiences at Taylor?

My most valuable experiences were in independent research with Dr. Burden, which resulted in a publication, and my lab class experiences that helped me identify the type of chemistry that I wanted to do in the future.

How did your classes or interactions with professors at Taylor impact your growth?

My interactions with my Taylor professors helped me develop as a person and taught me how to conduct ethically-sound, impactful research and communicate it to the world.

How can Taylor graduates use their unique Taylor education and its liberal arts foundational core as an asset in your discipline?

Having a well-rounded liberal arts education helps Taylor graduates make ethical decisions when difficult questions arise in their work. Understanding the broader implications of scientific research is crucial to improving society.

What advice or encouragement could you provide for Taylor students in your vocational discipline?

I would advise current Taylor students to take advantage of research opportunities regardless of how small and to take advantage of their access to the Taylor chemistry professors because it is rare to have such resources.