Margit Drapal

Margit Drapal is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her work focuses on metabolic biochemistry, plant biochemistry, and applied biological sciences with a strong emphasis on agricultural and biomedical applications. She holds a PhD and contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to sustainable agriculture and health.

Her research interests include cassava root metabolism, carotenoid biosynthesis, and engineering plant systems for biomedical protein production. She has collaborated on projects involving metabolic engineering in Nicotiana benthamiana and tomato plants to enhance product yields and nutritional quality.

Recent work includes studies on post-harvest physiological deterioration in cassava, metabolite profiles influencing consumer preferences in bananas, and optimizing saffron apocarotenoid production. Drapal has contributed to four major research projects, including the ENSA initiative for nutrient symbiosis in agriculture and the Newcotiana program for multipurpose crop development using new breeding techniques.

Her publications (37 total) span plant physiology, biotechnology, and applied metabolomics. She collaborates internationally with institutions in Europe and Africa, focusing on crop improvement for food security and industrial applications.