This page is no longer being updated and remains online for informational and historical purposes only. The information is accurate as of the last page update.
For questions about page contents, contact the Communications Division.
“I came to Lafayette because this was a place that emphasized teaching, but I could still do meaningful research,” says H. David Husic, associate professor and head of chemistry, sitting in his bright and airy office in the new Hugel Science Center. “I enjoyed teaching and could see myself teaching as part of my career. At the same time, having done significant research as a Ph.D. and post-doc, I wanted to continue that aspect.”
A biochemist, Husic has concentrated for the last 15 years on research into the mechanism by which organisms take up carbon dioxide at the molecular level in photosynthesis. He is studying how the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and a variety of other aquatic photosynthetic organisms have developed systems that allow them to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide more effectively than most terrestrial plants.
“Most plants are limited by their ability to absorb carbon dioxide and the relatively low levels of carbon dioxide that are present in the atmosphere,” says Husic. “Some algae are able to concentrate carbon dioxide inside cells to a level that is greater than the concentration in the environment. We want to know how they do this. If we can understand how this works in algae, then it might someday be feasible to incorporate into crop plants.” He adds this would also be useful in the nutritional supplement industry to improve algae food supplements, and in biotechnology processes in which algae are used to produce organic products or for chemical synthesis.
Husic spent the fall semester on sabbatical working with a molecular biologist at another university who studies the same organism, but from the genetic perspective. “It’s important to have interactions and collaborations with other scientists outside your institution,” he says. “So much of science is ‘bigger picture’ science that few individual can tackle on their own.”
“Students are involved in every aspect of my research,” adds Husic, who has worked with 35 students on research projects in the last 15 years. “I have worked with students through EXCEL, independent study, and senior theses. It’s important for students to learn the basic principles of research. I also incorporate elements of my research into my teaching.”
“Dr. Husic was one of my professors that really made a difference in my studies at Lafayette,” says Kathy Gelato ’01, who worked with Husic on his research and is now a Ph.D. student in biochemistry at the University of California at Davis. “As a professor he challenged his students and gave us a good background in biochemistry. His classes prepared me well for graduate school. In the lab, he was very patient and treated me and the other students more as colleagues than undergrads. He was a very positive influence on my decision to go to graduate school. I am happy to have had the opportunity to work with and learn from him.”
Publications: Husic, D. Ghoshal and A. Goyal, “Dissolved inorganic carbon concentration mechanism in Chlamydomonas moewusii,” Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, forthcoming; Husic and D.W. Husic, “The Oxidative Photosynthetic Carbon Cycle-An update and perspective for the future,” Reviews in Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology, forthcoming; Husic, J. Karlsson, et. al., “A novel alpha-type carbonic anhydrase associated with the thylakoid membrane in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is required for growth at ambient CO2,” EMBO Journal 17, 1208-1216, 1998.
Honors: Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Lecture Award, 1992.
Achievements: Head of chemistry, 1997-present; National Science Foundation grants, 1989, 1992, 1995; EXCEL research assistantships 1987-1999.
Contact: (610) 330-5222; husich@lafayette.edu
Prof. David Husic (left) works in the lab with Kathy Gelato '01, now a doctoral student at U.C.-Davis.