Maggie Horst

Hi there! I’m a postdoctoral researcher working with Bill DeGrado at the University of California San Francisco. My research uses de novo protein design to explore foundational principles in biocatalysis, mechanotransduction, and macromolecular chemistry. You can find a list of my past publications here.

During my doctoral research, I studied how mechanical forces influence chemical reactivity in macromolecules. Working with Yan Xia, I applied organic synthesis, polymer chemistry, materials characterization, and computational techniques to develop novel polymers with force-responsive motifs (mechanophores). This research helped establish design principles linking molecular structure, polymer properties, and force-coupled reaction mechanisms that will advance the development of new mechanophores.

I studied chemistry as an undergraduate at Duke University, where I researched force-responsive metallopolymers under the guidance of Katherine Franz and Stephen Craig.

Outside the lab, I enjoy birdwatching, gardening, and vegetarian cooking. I believe that a scientific understanding of the societal and material forces that have shaped our world is crucial to successfully working to improve it: this leads me to value reading broadly, critically, and in dialogue with others.