April Lukowski

April Lukowski is an Assistant Professor of Marine Biology at the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Her research focuses on protein evolution, enzymology, and the biocatalytic synthesis of natural products with applications in drug discovery. She leads the Lukowski Lab, which employs techniques in enzymology, chemical analysis, and bioinformatics to explore biocatalytic potential in natural toxin biosynthesis pathways.

Education:

• B.S. in Biochemistry, Saginaw Valley State University
• PhD in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan
• Postdoctoral Studies, Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Research Interests: The lab investigates enzymatic processes underlying natural product biosynthesis, including protein evolution, biocatalysis, synthetic biology, and the detoxification of marine toxins. Key areas include enzymatic halogenation, oxidative rearrangement reactions, and the structural basis of enzyme selectivity in toxin production.

Labs/Teams: The Lukowski Lab collaborates across institutions, integrating disciplines like chemical biology and marine toxicology. It operates within the Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine at Scripps, with affiliations to the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Contact: alukowski@ucsd.edu | Lukowski Lab Website