Dae-Kyun Ro

Professor Dae-Kyun Ro is a faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary. He holds a B.S. in Agricultural Biology from Korea University (1995) and a Ph.D. in Botany from the University of British Columbia (2002). His research focuses on metabolic and chemical biology in plants and microbes, with emphasis on sesquiterpene lactones, natural rubber biosynthesis, and proanthocyanidin metabolism. Key projects include elucidating chemical diversity in Asteraceae plants and developing synthetic biology tools for metabolic pathway engineering.

Research activities involve interdisciplinary approaches combining molecular genetics, biochemical analysis, and genomics. Recent work includes CRISPR/Cas9 editing in legumes, yeast-based production of plant metabolites, and genome studies of medicinal plants like Salvia divinorum. Courses taught include Medicinal Plant Biochemistry, Plant Physiology, and Plants and People.

Publications highlight innovative contributions such as reconstructing curcumin biosynthesis in yeast, identifying rubber biosynthesis mechanisms in lettuce, and discovering novel enzymes in Salvia species. Ongoing projects emphasize sustainable production of pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals through synthetic biology.