Daven A Sugiarto

• Single-Molecule Protein Folding Analysis Using Optical Tweezers, Contributed to confirming the foldon model of protein folding through single-molecule force spectroscopy. Investigated folding pathways of Rossmann 2x2, 2x3, RNase H, and a full β-sheet protein by mechanically unfolding and refolding protein constructs using high-resolution optical tweezers.
• Characterization of Proteasomal Degradation Mechanics, Supported the experimental preparation for the degradation process of the human proteasome by tethering GFP-tagged substrate complexes to optical traps to observe unfolding and translocation events under applied mechanical force.
• Development of a Split-GFP and Yeast Display Proteolysis Assay, Supported the construction and testing of a split-GFP and yeast surface display assay aimed at screening protein sequence libraries to identify minimal foldon units and folding intermediates for stability analysis.
• MOF-Based Protein Purification of Hen Egg White Lysozyme (HEWL), Designed and executed a protein purification workflow using HF-free MIL-101 metal-organic frameworks to selectively adsorb and remove denatured lysozyme from native conformation. Evaluated material performance using spectroscopic and batch adsorption experiments.

A Chemical Biology graduate from UC Berkeley with a strong foundation in structural biochemistry, molecular biology, and interdisciplinary research. Contributed to cutting-edge single-molecule biophysics projects at the Bustamante Lab involving the folding dynamics of proteins. Independently designed and executed a project investigating the use of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for protein separation, applying principles from inorganic chemistry to address challenges in biochemical purification

Beyond the lab, served as a biology tutor at Diablo Valley College and a volunteer tutor for under-resourced students through charity programs, helping others develop strong scientific reasoning and academic confidence.