Curriculum Vitae
Education
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion
2020 – 2024 • Humboldt Postdoctoral Research Fellow • Research with DeBeer Research Group
The University of Texas at Austin
2014 – 2020 • Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry • Research with Rose Research Group
Austin College
2010 – 2014 • B.A. in Chemistry (minor in Mathematics)
Skills, Experience, & Certifications
Skills
Laboratory & Experimental Skills
Chemical Synthesis: Air-free synthesis, Schlenk techniques, ion separation, purification, & crystallization
Protein handling and sample preparation (SEC, buffer exchange)
Work at synchrotron radiation sources: SSRL, CHESS, ESRF, Diamond, PETRA III, BESSY II
X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS, XANES, EXAFS)
X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES, HERFD-XAS, resonant XES)
EPR, NMR, IR, UV-vis spectroscopies; X-ray Diffraction (XRD); Mass Spectrometry
Laboratory Safety Officer; Chemical Ordering & Shipping; Glovebox Maintenance
Data Handling, Processing, and Visualization
Data processing in Python (Jupyter, Larch, VS Code, Spyder)
Data processing in MATLAB (EasySpin)
ChimeraX, PyMOL, CSD Conquest, ChemCraft, Demeter (Athena/Artemis)
Writing, Presentation, Figure Production, and General Office Skills
Web of Science, SciFinder, CSD Conquest
Proposal writing (beamtimes, fellowships)
Writing manuscripts (see Publications) and beamtime reports
Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Google Docs, Sheets, Forms, Sites (Website Creation)
Languages
English (Native)
German (B1)
Research Experience
Postdoctoral: Bioinorganic spectroscopy techniques including X-ray Absorption and Emission Spectroscopies (XANES, EXAFS, HERFD, RIXS) and EPR. Applications to characterizing dynamic chemical and biological systems involving catalysis at transition metal centers.
Doctorate (Ph.D.): Synthesis, separation/isolation, and characterization (prominently by X-ray diffraction) of charged and neutral inorganic iron-carbide and iron-sulfide clusters. Laboratory Safety Officer. Chemical Ordering & Shipping. Glovebox maintenance.
Bachelors (B.A.): Inorganic synthesis of Platinum complexes for use in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell technology
Collaborative Work: During the Ph.D., I collaborated on projects with the Lindahl (Texas A&M) & DeBeer (MPI CEC) research groups, using Mössbauer and X-ray Absorption/Emission Spectroscopies on our synthetic clusters, which allowed us to postulate the stabilizing role of the carbide in these clusters and draw comparisons to the possible role of the carbide in the nitrogenase cofactor. My postdoctoral work involved significant collaboration with the Eijsink (NMBU), Decroos (AMU CNRS) and several other groups to express LPMO mutants for spectroscopically studies to elucidate the roles of specific residues and to understand substrate binding.
Teamwork/Leadership: Throughout the Postdoctoral research, I worked within or led small teams (2–6 people) in high-stress, time-sensitive beamtime experiments.
Certifications
Teaching Certificate in First-Year Interdisciplinary Instruction • The University of Texas at Austin - School of Undergraduate Studies • Issued Jan 2018
CRLA Master Certified Tutor, Level III • Austin College Academic Skills Center • Issued May 2014
Accomplishments
Honors and Awards
Humboldt Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers • December 2021 • Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Description: "With this Research Fellowship the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation enables highly-qualified scientists and scholars from abroad who are just embarking on their academic careers and who completed their doctorates less than four years ago to spend extended periods of research in Germany."
BASF Endowed Fellowship • May 2019 • UT Austin Dept. of Chemistry & Graduate Fellowship Committee
Description: "This award is offered only to our best graduate students and is awarded for your excellent research and academic achievements."
Faraday Teaching Award• Oct. 2017 • UT Austin Dept. of Chemistry & Graduate Fellowship Committee
Description: "This honor is awarded for your exemplary performance as a Teaching Assistant for the Department of Chemistry."
Undergraduate Award in Inorganic Chemistry • 2014 • American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Inorganic Chemistry (DIC)
Description: "Because of your demonstrated excellence in inorganic chemistry at the undergraduate level.”
The Bradshaw Frederick Armendt Fellowship in Chemistry • 2013 • Austin College
Description: "Established in spring 1995 by Mr. and Mrs. Joe Dennis and other alumni of the College in memory of Dr. Armendt, Austin College professor of chemistry from 1920 to 1937."
Publications
Munzone, A.; Pujol, M.; Tamhankar, A.; Joseph, C.; Mazurenko, I.; Réglier, M; Jannuzzi, S. A. V; Royant, A.; Sicoli, G.; DeBeer, S.; Orio, M.; Simaan, A. J.; Decroos, C. Integrated Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of Copper Active Site Properties of a Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenase from Serratia marcescens. Inorg. Chem. 2024, 63 (24), 11063. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.4c00602
Hall, K. R.; Joseph, C.; Ayuso-Fernández, I.; Tamhankar, A.; Rieder, L.; Skaali, R.; Golten, O.; Neese, F.; Røhr, Å. K.; Jannuzzi, S. A. V.; DeBeer, S.; Eijsink, V. G. H.; Sørlie, M. A Conserved Second Sphere Residue Tunes Copper Site Reactivity in Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145 (34), 18888. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c05342
Joseph, C.; Cobb, C. R.; Rose, M. J. Single-Step Insertion of Sulfides and Thiolate into Iron Carbide‐Carbonyl Clusters: Unlocking the Synthetic Door to FeMoco Analogues. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60 (7), 3433. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202011517
Joseph, C.; Shupp, J. P.; Cobb, C. R.; Rose, M. J. Construction of Synthetic Models for Nitrogenase-Relevant NifB Biogenesis Intermediates and Iron-Carbide-Sulfide Clusters. Catalysts, 2020, 10 (11), 1317. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal10111317
Thesis: Joseph, C. Old Dog, New Tricks: Repurposing Iron-Carbide-Carbonyl Clusters as Precursors for Structural Modeling of the Nitrogenase Cofactor, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.26153/tsw/13865
McGale, J.; Cutsail III, G. E.; Joseph, C.; Rose, M. J.; DeBeer, S. Spectroscopic X‑ray and Mössbauer Characterization of M6 and M5 Iron(Molybdenum)-Carbonyl Carbide Clusters: High Carbide-Iron Covalency Enhances Local Iron Site Electron Density Despite Cluster Oxidation. Inorg. Chem. 2019, 58 (19), 12918–12932. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.9b01870
Joseph, C.; Kuppuswamy, S.; Lynch, V. M.; Rose, M. J. Fe5Mo Cluster with Iron-Carbide and Molybdenum-Carbide Bonding Motifs: Structure and Selective Alkyne Reductions. Inorg. Chem. 2018, 57 (1), 20–23. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.7b02615
Joseph, C.; Nesterov, V. N.; Smucker, B. W. Crystal structure of bis(acetonitrile-κN)(4,4′-di-tert-butyl-2,2′-bipyridine-κ2N,N′)platinum(II) bis(tetrafluoridoborate) packing as head-to-head dimers. Acta Crystallogr. Sect. E Crystallogr. Commun. 2018, 74 (5), 695–697. https://doi.org/10.1107/S2056989018005923
Kuppuswamy, S.; Wofford, J. D.; Joseph, C.; Xie, Z.; Ali, A. K.; Lynch, V. M.; Lindahl, P. A.; Rose, M. J. Structures, Interconversions, and Spectroscopy of Iron Carbonyl Clusters with an Interstitial Carbide: Localized Metal Center Reduction by Overall Cluster Oxidation. Inorg. Chem. 2017, 56 (10), 5998–6012. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.7b00741
Muthiah, K. A. T.; Durgaprasad, G.; Xie, Z.-L.; Williams, O. M.; Joseph, C.; Lynch, V. M.; Rose, M. J. Mononuclear Iron(II) Dicarbonyls Derived from NNS Ligands – Structural Models Related to a “Pre‐Acyl” Active Site of Mono‐Iron (Hmd) Hydrogenase. Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2015, 2015 (10), 1675–1691. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejic.201403013
Presentations
Notable Seminars
Joseph, C. LPMO “Gatekeeper” Substitution Evaluated by Cu K-edge X-ray Absorption and EPR Spectroscopies. International Symposium on relations between Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysis (ISHHC19), 2022.
Thesis Seminar: Joseph, C. Old Dog, New Tricks: Repurposing Iron-Carbide-Carbonyl Clusters as Precursors for Structural Modeling of the Nitrogenase Cofactor. The University of Texas at Austin Department of Chemistry, 2020.
Joseph, C. Development of Preliminary Nitrogenase Mimics for Catalytic Nitrogen Fixation. ACS UT Student Chapter Seminar Series, 2016.
Notable Poster presentations
Joseph, C.; Tamhankar, A.; Golten, O.; Sengupta, K.; Sørlie, M.; Kang, L.; Jannuzzi, S. A. V.; Røhr, A. K.; Eijsink, V. G. H.; DeBeer, S. X-ray Spectroscopic Characterization of Chitin Binding by Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenase (LPMO). Gordon Research Conference: Metallocofactors, 2024.
Joseph, C.; Flöser, B.; Hall, K.; Sørlie, M.; Eijsink, V.; DeBeer, S. Effects of LPMO “Gatekeeper” Substitution at the Cu Site: Evaluation by Cu K-edge X-ray Absorption and EPR Spectroscopy. Gordon Research Conference: Metallocofactors, 2022.
Joseph, C.; Kuppuswamy, S.; Rose, M. J. Synthetic iron-molybdenum/interstitial carbide clusters as structural models of the FeMoco carbide. Gordon Research Conference: Metallocofactors, 2018.
Joseph, C.; Kuppuswamy, S.; Rose, M. J. Isolation of a synthetic nitrogenase-relevant iron-molybdenum/interstitial-carbide cluster. 254th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, 2017, INOR-154.
Joseph, C.; Muthiah, K. A. T.; Durgaprasad, G.; Rose, M. J. Biomimetic Modeling of [Fe]-Hydrogenase: Ligation of N,N,S Schiff Base Ligands in FeII Complexes. UT Austin IMPACT summer program (REU), 2013.
Joseph, C.; Smucker, B. W. Making a versatile corner for a light-harvesting supramolecular square using platinum(II) and diamine. 67th Southwest Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, 2011, SWRM-414.