Jeff Watson, Ph.D.

Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry

Stock photo of Dr. Jeff Watson

Contact Information

  • Fall 2024
    Tuesdays: 10-11 a.m.
    Wednesdays: 1-3 p.m.
    Thursdays: 1-2 p.m.

  • (509) 313-5929

Education & Curriculum Vitae

Ph.D. Structural Biology, Purdue University

Courses Taught

Chem 101: General Chemistry

Chem 101L: General Chemistry Lab

Chem 230L: Organic Chemistry Lab

Chem 240: Intro to Bioanalytical Chemistry

Chem 240L: Intro to Bioanalytical Chemistry Lab

Chem 440: Biochemistry


The Watson lab studies the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase and its role in the physiology and pathogenesis of the bacterium Burkholderia cenocepacia, an opportunistic lung pathogen that is naturally resistant to most known antibiotics and a major cause of fatality in cystic fibrosis patients.  There are many unusual aspects of this enzyme, from its fundamental biochemistry to its evolutionary history, that suggest it may be a highly regulated enzyme in the bacterium and therefore maybe a new target for future antibiotics.  We employ protein chemistry, spectroscopy, molecular biology and bioinformatics techniques to understand the molecular mechanisms by which this unusual enzyme performs its function.