Daniel is a Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry PhD candidate in the Budin lab at the University of California – San Diego. Daniel holds a B.S. in Biomolecular Engineering from UC Santa Cruz and a M.S. in Chemistry from UC San Diego. His research focuses on how organisms optimize the lipid composition of their cellular membranes to allow for essential processes including fission, fusion, and trafficking while maintaining discrete compartmentalization. Daniel investigates how cells sense and regulate membrane curvature under changing physical conditions through changes in lipid chemistry. From the fluid membranes of deep-sea organisms to those of the human brain, his work seeks to uncover universal principles linking lipid metabolism to membrane mechanics and cell function. Daniel is interested in how deep-sea life adapts to crushing hydrostatic pressure and how discoveries in fundamental research can then translate into our understanding of human health and disease.
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