Daniel J. Catanese

Daniel J Catanese serves as an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Biosciences at Rice University bringing extensive experience in both research and education His academic journey includes earning his BS in Biochemistry and Genetics from Texas A&M University and his PhD in Biochemistry from Rice University where he studied under Dr Kathleen S Matthews investigating RNA-protein interactions His postdoctoral research at Baylor College of Medicine focused on DNA topology and structure working with Dr Lynn Zechiedrich where he made significant contributions to understanding DNA supercoiling and minicircle dynamics His professional experience includes roles as Senior Staff Scientist at Baylor College of Medicine Faculty Lecturer and later Associate Teaching Professor at Rice University and instructor at the University of Phoenix He is also a co-inventor and scientific advisor for Twister Biotech Inc which manufactures DNA minicircles for research applications His current teaching focuses on experimental biosciences particularly BIOS 211 where he introduces students to scientific methodology and experimental design His excellence in teaching was recognized with the 2022 George R Brown Award for Teaching Excellence and the Teaching Award for Excellence in Inquiry-Based Learning His research has been published in prestigious journals including Nucleic Acids Research and his work on DNA supercoiling and minicircles has led to several patents His membership in the Biophysical Society and American Chemical Society reflects his ongoing commitment to both research and education in the biological sciences