Ariel Furst

Anything synthetic chemicals can do, biological systems can do better. That mantra is at the heart of Ariel Furst’s research. By combining the power of biology with chemistry and materials engineering, Furst develops technologies to tackle crucial problems such as environmental remediation, sustainable agriculture, and carbon sequestration.“The best approach to solve problems is to use what biology has given us to develop a platform . . . which allows us to come to inexpensive solutions faster,” Furst says.No one else in Furst’s family is a scientist, and as a child she didn’t aspire to study science. But her grandmother, who had overcome significant hardships in life, was an inspiration. “She was exceptionally tough but is also the kindest person I have ever known and dedicated her life to helping others,” Furst says. Her first brush with chemistry came during a high school summer-research stint in Shelley D. Minteer’s laboratory at Saint Louis University. Furst used enzymes to extract electrons from ethanol for energy or, as she puts it, “basically power a cell phone using vodka.” Getting perfect grades didn’t motivate Furst as an undergraduate at the University of Chicago. Her true calling was hands-on research in the laboratory, where failure was a positive thing because it generated new ideas.Furst continued her shift toward engineering as a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology. She has since created a unique field of scientific research, says Jacqueline K. Barton, her PhD adviser. “Ariel’s work is incredibly exciting and innovative,” and she