The Rajakovich Lab aims to discover and characterize novel enzymes and metabolic activities in bacteria, archaea, and host-associated microbiomes. We are interested in the unique metabolic strategies that microbes use to adapt to and influence their environments. Current focus areas include the human gut microbiota and chemistry in anaerobic environments. We use an interdisciplinary approach combining enzymology, microbiology, chemistry, and bioinformatics to link genes, enzymes, and biochemical functions and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying those functions. Our goals are to illuminate the impact of microbes on the natural world and to manipulate and engineer microbial enzymes to improve human and environmental health.