Mohammed Saddik Motawie

Mohammed Saddik Motawie serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at the University of Copenhagen, specifically within the Section for Plant Biochemistry. He leads research activities in organic synthesis within the Plant Plasticity Center, focusing on the chemical aspects of plant biochemistry and specialized metabolism.

Dr. Motawie's research spans molecular models and synthetic organic chemistry with particular emphasis on chemical synthesis and structural characterization of nucleosides, nucleotides, and carbohydrates. His work sits at the interface of organic chemistry and biology, where he develops complex oligosaccharides for biochemical studies of starch biosynthesis and degradation. He also synthesizes oligosaccharides for gene discovery in bioactive plant glycopolymer biosynthesis, with special attention to cyanogenic glucosides, hydroxynitrile glucosides, and their intermediates for elucidating biosynthetic pathways and enzymatic activities involved in producing bioactive natural products in plants.

His recent publication record demonstrates significant contributions to understanding plant specialized metabolism across diverse species. Motawie's work bridges chemical synthesis with plant molecular biology, particularly in areas related to cyanogenic glucosides, oxime biosynthesis, and the production of bioactive compounds with potential pharmaceutical applications. His research has implications for both fundamental plant science and applied biotechnology, including agricultural improvement and drug development.

Dr. Motawie's research group is highly collaborative, with extensive international partnerships reflected in his co-authorship on publications spanning multiple continents. His work on plant specialized metabolism has generated considerable attention in the scientific community, as evidenced by citations across various platforms and media coverage of his discoveries.