Professor
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Debra Mohnen is Distinguished Research Professor at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, USA. She studies pectin synthesis, structure, function and roles in wall architecture and plant cell expansion. She was awarded the Bruce Stone Award in 2008 and elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2013. Her research on synthesis of homogalacturonan and rhamnogalacturonan led to the discovery of the GAUT and RGGAT families of glycosyltransferases and of pectin as a family of heteroglycans and glycoconjugates. Since 2007 part of her research focuses on improving plant biomass yield, sustainability and composition for production biofuel and biomaterials. As Focus Area Lead of Plant Biomass Formation and Modification in the BioEnergy Science Center she directed research aimed at overcoming biomass recalcitrance. Since 2017 she serves as Research Domain Lead for Integration in the Center for Bioenergy Innovation.
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
4:00 PM – 4:20 PM EDT