People

David Taylor, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

David is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Biosciences. He started as an Assistant Professor at UT Austin in September 2016. He earned his Ph.D. at Yale University and performed postdoctoral training at UC Berkeley with Eva Nogales and Jennifer Doudna. He has a passion for RNPs. He loves the Warriors, Syracuse basketball, teaching, and ‘starting’ projects that other lab members actually finish.

• Mail

Kaoling Guan, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Researcher

Kaoling joined the Taylor Lab as a postdoctoral researcher in April of 2023. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Giessen, Germany at the end of 2022. During his Ph.D., he studied plant phytochrome structure and function by using X-ray crystallography and other biochemical approaches. In Taylor lab, Kaoling is interested in learning Cryo-EM and applying it to understand working mechanisms of novel biomacromolecular machines. Kaoling likes playing basketball in his free time.

Matt Hooper

Graduate Student

Matt joined the Taylor Lab as a graduate student in January 2022. He earned a B.S. in Neuroscience with a certificate in Business from The University of Texas at Austin in 2019. After graduating, Matt spent 2 years working as a Research & Development scientist at the biotechnology company, PerkinElmer, before returning to UT. Currently, he is interested in understanding the structural and functional mechanisms of naturally occurring and engineered CRISPR-Cas systems. Outside of lab, Matt enjoys writing music, playing video games, and all forms of true crime media. 

Rodrigo Fregoso Ocampo

Graduate Student

Rodrigo joined the Taylor Lab as a graduate student in January 2023. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry from UC Berkeley in 2020. After graduating, Rodrigo spent two years working on the characterization of novel CRISPR systems at Metagenomi Inc before moving to Austin to pursue a PhD. He is interested in obtaining structural and kinetic insights into the mechanisms of novel cas9 and cas12 systems. Outside of lab, Rodrigo enjoys watching a good football game, hiking, playing badminton, and going to a heavy metal concert every once in a while.

Carlos Arguello

Graduate Student

Carlos joined the Taylor lab as a graduate student in January 2025. He earned a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin in 2024. There, he studied and engineered retron reverse transcriptases in Ilya Finkelstein’s lab. Now, he is interested in determining the molecular mechanisms of novel bacterial immune systems through structural and kinetic methods. In his free time, he likes to see live music, watch movies, and lift weights.

Adam Franco

Undergraduate Researcher

Adam joined the Taylor Lab in Spring 2023. He has a BSA in Biology with a minor in Healthcare Reform and Innovation. His focus is centered on the characterization of a DNA-binding protein. Outside the lab, he enjoys running, traveling, and watching sports. Adam has aspirations to attend medical school after graduation.

Amrutha Mummidi

Undergraduate Researcher

Amrutha joined the Taylor Lab in Fall 2024. She is a sophomore at UT Austin pursuing a major in Journalism and Health Reform & Innovation on the Pre-Medical track. Amrutha is passionate about the intersection of journalism and healthcare, and is dedicated to exploring how effective communication can drive positive change in the medical field. Outside the lab, she spends her time dancing, painting, or rewatching episodes of New Girl. A fun fact about Amrutha is that she has her own radio show! Amrutha has aspirations to attend medical school after graduation.Amrutha joined the Taylor Lab in Fall 2024. She is a sophomore at UT Austin pursuing a major in Journalism and Health Reform & Innovation on the Pre-Medical track. Amrutha is passionate about the intersection of journalism and healthcare, and is dedicated to exploring how effective communication can drive positive change in the medical field. Outside the lab, she spends her time dancing, painting, or rewatching episodes of New Girl. A fun fact about Amrutha is that she has her own radio show! Amrutha has aspirations to attend medical school after graduation.

Susannah Lynn-Macrae

Beckman Scholar / Undergraduate Researcher

Susannah joined the Taylor Lab as a Beckman Scholar in May 2025. She is pursuing a BSA in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and a minor in French at The University of Texas at Austin. Previously, she studied the genetics of neurodevelopmental disorders in the Golzio Lab at the Institute of Genetics, Molecular and Cellular Biology (IGBMC) in Strasbourg, France. Her current research focuses on the biochemical and structural characterization of CRISPR enzymes and other bacterial immunity effectors. Outside the lab, Susannah works as an EMT at music festivals, concerts, and sporting events around Austin and enjoys bouldering and running in her spare time.