News: Honours projects - Stephen Bell
Deciphering & exploiting bacterial cholesterol metabolism to combat disease
![Deciphering & exploiting bacterial cholesterol metabolism to combat disease](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2019-05/bell-cholesterol.png?h=803a5d8b&itok=RnXjwT5a)
Honours project: Address the fundamental science behind the use of the steroid cholesterol as a source of energy by bacteria.
[Read more about Deciphering & exploiting bacterial cholesterol metabolism to combat disease]
Synthetic biology applications of enzymes
Honours project: Use approaches to generate enzyme catalyst based systems to develop greener and sustainable processes for the production of useful and high value chemicals.
Deciphering the catalytic potential & the electron transfer pathways of microorganisms
![Electron transfer pathways](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2019-05/bell-electron-transfer-pathways-2.png?h=b3a32e4e&itok=_eCbBz59)
Honours project: Study new enzymes and the associated ferredoxins from bacteria found in interesting environments (or genes from metagenomes) or which carry out novel reactions.
Synthesis using Nature’s catalysts; enzymes
![Stephen Bell Biocatalyst 2](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2019-05/stephen-ball-biocatalysis2.png?h=4bf7da95&itok=pv-5gDNK)
Honours project: Projects in this area involve the isolation and study new enzymes from bacteria of interest or taking existing enzymes and adapting them for chemical synthesis.
[Read more about Synthesis using Nature’s catalysts; enzymes]
Understanding the mechanism of enzyme catalysed reactions of importance in drug metabolism
![Stephen Bell - Mechanism of enzyme catalysed reactions of importance in drug metabolism](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2019-05/stephen-bell-mechanism-enzyme1.png?h=d69a50e9&itok=JJReL70d)
Honours project: Learn about the mechanism by which the major family of enzymes involved in drug metabolism catalyse oxidative transformations.