معرفی
Joseph Cotruvo is a Professor of Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University. His research focuses on understanding metal selectivity in biological systems, particularly lanthanides and transition metals, with applications in biotechnology, environmental science, and disease mechanisms. He leads the Cotruvo Lab, which develops biochemical and chemical biology tools to study metal ion acquisition, trafficking, and utilization in bacteria and human pathogens.
Education: Ph.D., Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2012); A.B., Chemistry, Princeton University (2006).
Research interests include lanthanide-dependent enzymology, protein engineering for rare earth element separations, and transition metal roles in neurodegenerative diseases. The lab designs fluorescent sensors, genetically encodable tools, and protein-based systems for metal detection and recovery. Recent work emphasizes actinide/lanthanide speciation, biohydrometallurgy, and biomolecular mechanisms of metal ion transport.
Notable achievements include the discovery of lanmodulin—a highly selective lanthanide-binding protein—and its application in rare earth element recovery. His lab pioneered protein-based approaches for high-purity rare earth separations and developed manganese(II) fluorescent sensors. Research also explores iron-responsive riboswitches and copper-regulated lipid metabolism.
- Awards: Faculty Scholar Medal (2025), Blavatnik Finalist (2024), Eli Lilly Award (2024), Sloan Fellowship (2021), DOE Early Career Award (2020).
- Grants: NSF CAREER Award, Charles E. Kaufman Foundation, Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund.
- Labs/Teams: Cotruvo Lab (Penn State); collaborations with National Synchrotron Light Source, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Future work targets scalable rare earth recovery systems, actinide-biomolecule interactions, and transition metal roles in infectious diseases.
