Eastern red cedar is an invasive species causing ecological and economic damage across Oklahoma. This research develops an economic decision-support model to transform cedar into valuable products by optimizing supply chains, reducing risk for investors, and supporting sustainable industry development that benefits the state economy.

This research designs simplified, custom-built proteins to understand how natural proteins work and to create new biocatalysts. By choosing a desired function and designing the amino-acid sequence and structure from scratch, the project aims to develop clean, efficient protein-based alternatives to environmentally harmful industrial chemistry.