Faculty & Staff

 Nancy Kravit's CV

 Contact Information

My Research

I am bioprospecting for microorganisms that cleave ether bonds between lignin and hemicellulose. My laboratory isolates and characterizes the microorganisms and the enzymes responsible for the etherase activities. We are planning to scale up production and design new pretreatments for lignocellulosic feedstocks, especially from softwoods.

In Other Words

I search for new enzymes that can break apart wood structure into its major components. My laboratory then designs environmentally friendly, efficient methods based on the new enzymes to use wood for paper, biofuels, and chemicals.