Sebastian Kenny
Role: Chair
Email: skenny@purdue.edu
Sebastian Kenny is a third-year PhD student working under Professor Chitta Das’ group at Purdue University. Kenny’s research focuses on mechanistic studies of pathogenic effector proteins that hijack the ubiquitin system to gain advantage in pathogen survival. The pathogens that he works with are namely Legionella pneumophila, Chlamydia trachomatis, and Human Papillomavirus. Kenny employs several biophysical methods including x-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, as well as several fluorescence spectroscopy techniques. Before starting his doctorate, Kenny performed undergraduate research under the tutelage of Professor Jianguo Mei, where he studied the development of water-soluble NIR contrast agents. In 2019, Kenny was named a fellow in the Purdue University NIH T32 Molecular Biophysics Training Program (MBTP) where he has been able to get a more rigorous training on the techniques he plans to use for research. Kenny’s combined knowledge of biophysical chemistry and organic synthesis puts him at an advantage in understanding proteins and how they can be modified to our advantage.