His scientific interests center around the manifold aspects of metal ion binding to large nucleic acids. Presently, most of the research in his lab is focused on the structural and catalytic role of metal ions in nucleic acids, especially group II intron ribozymes. Riboswitches, which are gene regulatory elements occurring mostly in bacteria, as well as specific structural motives like three-way junctions and quadruplex structures, are a further focus of his research. His group applies a broad combination of tools, including (bio)chemical syntheses, single molecule fluorescence (smFRET), and NMR spectroscopy.