Behind the Lens: Damien Sheppard

Keeping a lab going is no small feat – it requires the dedication of many to keep operations running. In the Plant Research Laboratory’s Kerfeld lab, Damien Sheppard is one of those dedicated people keeping the lights on. 

Damien first began his time at Kerfeld lab almost eight years ago - with luck bringing him to the MSU-DOE PRL doors all the way back in January 2018. While having earned a degree in biochemistry, he is currently focusing on more molecular work and synthetic biology. His role at PRL has become more specialized over the years, helping around the building with day-to-day tasks as the operations manager for the Center of Catalysis in Biometric Confinement. 

When asked what initially sparked his interest in biochemistry, Damien answered, “I guess to some degree I enjoy the science, but I like people a little bit more than science. This fits well for my position because I interact with a lot of the scientists and help them out with problems as they arise.” 

Organizing events, purchasing things for scientists around the building, and talking to people online to troubleshoot equipment are some highlights for Damien while working around PRL. He also wants to submit a small personal ad for Adam Goetschy and Jake Hicks, two big influences who help him keep everything running in working order. 

Currently, Damien is working on photoprotection experiments involving cyanobacteria for a Department of Energy grant. The Kerfeld lab has always had a photoprotection component in place; however, with some exciting new research arising, he is being kept very busy. Damien has worked on the photoprotection side of things for a while now, and just last year he published a new paper on photoquenching, which also happens to be the first paper he has published as a first author. It details the predominant mode of photoprotection behind photosynthetic organisms, known as nonphotochemical quenching, or NPQ. The research looks at how the mechanism dissipates excess energy absorbed by light harvesting complexes, such as the phycobilisome, in cyanobacteria. 

Outside of work, Damien said he, “enjoys lots of biking and running. Not so much swimming though.” There was an emphasis on that last part. 

In his off hours, Damien is pursuing a Master’s degree in Biomedical Lab Operations at MSU. 

Damien is a wonderful help around PRL, and without his commitment and efforts it would be impossible for the workflow to run as smoothly as it does.  

“Cheryl Kerfeld helped shape and mentor me a lot,” Damien said. “When I first got here, I started washing dishes and then progressed to writing papers, so there was a lot of growth in there that she was integral for.”