Graeme Howe

Dr. Graeme Howe is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Queen's University, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Science and the Beaty Water Research Centre. His research focuses on enzymatic catalysis mechanisms, particularly how enzymes achieve high efficiency and selectivity, and the evolutionary origins of these catalysts. He holds a Ph.D. (2016) and B.Sc. (2011) in Chemistry from the University of Toronto, with postdoctoral research at the University of Illinois under Prof. Wilfred van der Donk.

Research interests include physical organic chemistry, enzyme engineering, genome mining for biocatalysts, and applications in bioremediation of plastics. His lab employs computational modeling, kinetic isotope effects, and structural biology to study enzyme mechanisms. Key projects involve identifying novel enzymes for nylon and PET degradation, understanding protein dynamics in catalysis, and exploring convergent evolution in natural product biosynthesis.

Dr. Howe advises a vibrant team of graduate and undergraduate students, including work on thermostable enzymes, amidases for polyurethane breakdown, and CRISPR-activated gene clusters. His academic contributions span over 20 peer-reviewed articles, with recent highlights in Journal of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Labs/Teams: The Howe Lab at Queen's University focuses on mechanistic enzymology and biocatalyst development. Cross-appointments include collaborations with the Avena Ross and Zechel labs in natural products research.