Joseph Jez

Joseph Jez is the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor and Spencer T. Olin Professor in Biology at Washington University. His research focuses on understanding how environmental changes re-model biochemical pathways in plants, combining x-ray crystallography, enzymology, molecular biology, proteomics, and plant biology. He leads the Jez Lab, which explores metabolic regulation, plant hormone responses, and metabolic pathways in C. elegans.

Education: PhD in Biology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Research interests include plant metabolic pathways, environmental adaptation, and biotechnological applications of plant systems. His work bridges structural biology with functional studies to engineer systems addressing agricultural challenges.

Articles published since 2012 highlight advancements in plant hormone signaling (auxin, jasmonate), metabolic engineering for stress tolerance, and structural insights into enzymes critical for plant defense and growth. The lab’s interdisciplinary approach integrates structural, biochemical, and genetic methodologies.

Notable contributions include developing phytochelatin-based detoxification systems and engineering Camelina sativa for polyhydroxybutyrate production. Current efforts explore sustainable agricultural solutions through systems biology and synthetic biology.

Labs/Teams: Jez Lab at Washington University, collaborating with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.