Norman Lewis

Manipulating Monocot (Grass) Lignin-forming Dirigent Protein Complexes for Optimal Bioenergy/Bioproducts

Lead Institution

Washington State University

Principal Investigator

Norman Lewis

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

The overall objective of this proposal is to establish the (bio)chemical basis as to why monocot (grass) lignocellulosic tissues are significantly less recalcitrant to (bio)degradation than their …

Proteomics of Arabidopsis thaliana and Poplar tree plastids: Understanding carbon allocation through the phenylpropanoid pathway

Lead Institution

Washington State University

Principal Investigator

Norman Lewis

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

In this proposal, we wish to investigate, identify, and establish the factors affecting phenylalanine (Phe) biosynthesis in plastids of vascular plants, together with that of its transport to the…

Dirigent Protein Structure and Mechanism

Lead Institution

Washington State University

Principal Investigator

Norman Lewis

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

The biochemistry of vascular plants has evolved in such a way as to rely extensively upon unique phenoxy radical coupling reactions thereby generating substances for structural support, for formation…

Proteome Response to Arogenate Dehydratase Changes in Arabidopsis and Poplar

Lead Institution

Washington State University

Principal Investigator

Norman Lewis

Project type

Exploratory Research

Arogenate dehydratases (ADTs) are a class of isoenzymes involved in the production of phenylalanine (Phe). In addition to its involvement in protein biosynthesis, Phe is the starting metabolite in…

How Dirigent Proteins Guide Assembly of Lignans and Lignin in Vascular Plants

Lead Institution

Washington State University

Principal Investigator

Norman Lewis

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Vascular plants use a class of proteins termed dirigent proteins (from Latin dirigere, to guide or steer) to direct the regio- and stereospecificity of radical-radical coupling reactions of…

Multi-Omics Evaluation of Tripartite Associations in Red Alder Roots: Integrated Transcriptomics, Proteomics, Metabolomics and Metabolite Imaging of Red Alder Symbiotic Associations in Root Tissue

Lead Institution

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Kim Hixson

This proposal presents the unique opportunity to conduct the first ever integrated multi-omics and imaging evaluation of the Alnus rubra (red alder tree)/Frankia alni (bacteria)/Alpova diplophloeus …

The Lignin Enigma: Turning the Corner

Lead Institution

Washington State University

Principal Investigator

Norman Lewis

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Lignins (Nature's second most abundant terrestrial plant substances) provide structural support for plants to stand upright, to conduct water/nutrients, and as barriers to opportunistic…

Deciphering Lignin-forming Supramolecular Protein Complexes for Facile Biomass Deconstruction

Lead Institution

Washington State University

Principal Investigator

Norman Lewis

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Our overall aim is to further identify, dissect, and exploit dirigent protein (DP) mediated supramolecular protein complexes for macromolecular lignin assembly in order to ultimately achieve facile…

Development of an Integrated Structural Mass Spectrometry Platform for Unveiling the Structure of an Unknown Protein Complex Machinery in Lignin Synthesis

Lead Institution

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Mowei Zhou

Multiple distinct Lignin-Forming Complexes (LFC) are proposed to be templates and catalysts that orchestrate lignin synthesis in plants. It is hypothesized that each LFC consists of one or more…

An Integrated Omics Guided Approach to Lignification and Gravitational Responses: The Final Frontier

Lead Institution

Washington State University

Principal Investigator

Norman Lewis

Integrated “omics” approaches are increasingly urgently needed to robustly pursue incisive hypotheses in biological systems, while concomitantly gaining better understanding of global ramifications…

Projects