Frank Raushel

Frank Raushel is a Distinguished Professor and Powell Chair of Science at Texas A&M University, affiliated with the Department of Chemistry and the College of Science. His research focuses on enzyme catalysis, particularly phosphotriesterase and enzymes involved in lignin degradation and human gut microbiome carbohydrate metabolism. He employs techniques like X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and recombinant DNA methods to study enzyme structure-function relationships.

Education: B.A. from St. Thomas College (1972), Ph.D. from University of Wisconsin-Madison (1976), postdoctoral work at Pennsylvania State University (1976–1980).

Research interests include:

• Enzymatic detoxification of organophosphate nerve agents
• Mechanisms of enzyme-catalyzed reactions
• Biosynthesis of capsular polysaccharides in pathogens like Campylobacter jejuni
• Discovery of novel enzymes in the human gut microbiome

Key achievements include engineering phosphotriesterase variants for detoxifying chemical warfare agents and elucidating enzyme structures critical for bacterial pathogenesis. Awards include Fellowships from AAAS and the American Chemical Society, and the Distinguished Achievement Award from Texas A&M.

Laboratory work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to enzyme engineering, with ongoing projects on metabolic pathway discovery and enzyme specificity modulation through epistasis studies.