Squire J. Booker

Squire J. Booker is an Evan Pugh University Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Pennsylvania State University, holding the Eberly Family Distinguished Chair in Science. He is also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. His research focuses on enzymology, particularly radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) enzymes involved in biosynthetic pathways, post-translational modifications, and cofactor biosynthesis. His work integrates biochemical, structural, and spectroscopic techniques to elucidate enzyme mechanisms.

Education: B.A. in Chemistry from Austin College (1987), Ph.D. in Biochemistry from MIT (1994). Postdoctoral training at Université René Descartes (Paris) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison under Prof. Perry Frey.

Research interests include the mechanisms of radical SAM enzymes, lipoyl cofactor biosynthesis, and the role of iron-sulfur clusters in catalysis. His lab has made significant contributions to understanding enzymes like lipoyl synthase and MiaB, as well as antibiotic biosynthesis pathways.

Key awards include membership in the National Academy of Sciences (2019), American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2017), and AAAS Fellow (2013), alongside prestigious grants like the PECASE and NSF CAREER awards.

Booker has mentored numerous students and postdocs, with lab members contributing to high-impact studies on enzyme mechanisms and structural biology. His lab collaborates extensively, including with groups at Penn State and beyond.

Labs/Teams: The Booker Lab at Penn State is a leader in radical enzyme research, with ongoing projects on antibiotic biosynthesis, metabolic enzymes, and protein modification pathways. Collaborations include work with Prof. Amie Boal and the Bollinger-Krebs group.