John W. Peters

John W. Peters is a Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Oklahoma. His research focuses on biological electron transfer reactions, particularly nitrogen fixation and energy homeostasis in microorganisms. Peters holds a B.S. from the University of Oklahoma (1989), a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech (1995), and completed postdoctoral work at the California Institute of Technology (1995-1997).

• Key research areas: Nitrogenase enzyme mechanisms, biohybrid catalysis, microbial energy systems
• Notable contributions: Engineering nitrogen-fixing bacteria, photochemical nitrogen reduction using CdS-nitrogenase hybrids, and understanding electron bifurcation

His lab employs structural biology, spectroscopy, and bioinformatics to study redox reactions critical to agriculture and energy. Recent work explores quantum dot-mediated nitrogenase activation and metabolic engineering strategies to improve biofuel production.

Over 40 scientific awards include the Cozzarelli Prize (2020), AAAS Fellowship (2017), and Camille Dreyfus Teacher/Scholar Award (2001). His work has been funded by NIH, NSF, and industry collaborations.