My research interests are focused in two areas. One is the engineering and mechanistic study of transcription factors (TF) for regulation of plant metabolic pathways. Long term goals include the creation of Master Transcription Factors (MTF) capable of controlling an entire metabolic pathway. Recent achievements in my laboratory not only demonstrate the feasibility of the MTF approach, but also shed light on synergistic effects between functional domains of TF on transactivation. We also verify the novel function of the engineered TFs using technology tools such as RNAi and transgenic plants. In addition, I am interested in protein- and metabolic-engineering for the improvement of bioenergy production. My laboratory applies directed enzyme evolution technologies to enhance the performance of hydrolases for biomass conversion and to modify the substrate specificities of these enzymes. Additional research efforts include the redirection of microbial metabolic pathways for the improvement of hydrogen production. My current research is supported by the US Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy, The Kentucky Office of Energy Policy and Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center, University of Kentucky.
