We are a young research group in the Department of Chemistry at UC Berkeley that uses inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, and chemical biology approaches to address new and interesting problems at the frontiers of science. Our program has two major emphases: neuroscience and energy research. In the neuroscience arena, we are creating sensors for real-time molecular imaging of chemistry in brain systems, and our efforts in energy research are directed at developing new metal catalysts for renewable energy cycles. The signature of our program is the ability to make new molecules and use them for a targeted function. This make-and-measure philosophy allows students and postdocs in the group to take their own projects from start to finish. We synthesize a variety of molecular systems ranging from small-molecule organic and lanthanide coordination complexes for live cell and tissue imaging to inorganic and organometallic transition-metal complexes for catalytic applications. In turn, we apply a host of spectroscopic, structural, and biological techniques to evaluate the properties and capabilities of newly synthesized molecules, including steady-state and time-resolved absorption and emission measurements, X-ray crystallography, paramagnetic NMR, EPR, GC-, LC- and ICP-MS, electrochemistry, cell culture, and confocal and two-photon microscopy. For more information on specific projects, click on one of the icons above.