Hiroshi Maeda

Professor

maeda2@wisc.edu

608-262-5833

Birge Hall

Lab Page

Research

Evolutionary Biology, Genetics/Genomics, Molecular Biology, Physiology

Google Scholar

The Maeda laboratory brings together diverse researchers and ideas to investigate the evolutionary diversification and regulatory mechanisms of nitrogen metabolic network and biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids, essential human nutrients and precursors of numerous plant natural products. Utilizing evolutionary biochemistry and molecular genetic approaches the group has identified enzyme variants and mutations that can alter metabolic connectivity and regulation at the interface of primary and specialized metabolism in various plants. These basic discoveries are being utilized to conduct synthetic biology for sustainable production of various aromatic chemicals directly from CO2 using sunlight energy in plant hosts.

A diagram composed of a circle of images of different plants and various chemical structures. The diagram is meant to explain the main focus of the Maeda lab at UW-Madison, who studies and improves how plants utilize atmospheric CO2 and inorganic nitrogen (N) to produce diverse plant natural products, including aromatic chemicals. — The Maeda lab studies and improves how plants utilize atmospheric CO2 and inorganic nitrogen (N) to produce diverse plant natural products, including aromatic chemicals.

A simple diagram of a plant with two leaves, depicting Co2 and Nitrogen being taken into the plant so it can produce various other products.

Education

PhD. Cell and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, 2006