Norman G. Lewis

Norman G. Lewis is a Regents Professor at the Institute of Biological Chemistry (IBC) within Washington State University's College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS). He holds the Arthur M. and Kate Eisig-Tode Distinguished Professorship and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His research focuses on phenylpropanoid metabolism, particularly lignin and suberin biosynthesis in vascular plants, and their roles in structural reinforcement and defense mechanisms. Lewis leads a multidisciplinary team investigating Arabidopsis metabolic pathways, leveraging NSF funding (Grant #0117260) to map enzyme functions and regulatory networks.

Education: Ph.D. 1977, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Research emphasizes radical-radical coupling mechanisms, stress responses (e.g., microgravity), and applications in bioenergy. His lab has produced over 200 peer-reviewed publications, including landmark studies on dirigent proteins and lignin configuration. Graduate students and postdocs under his mentorship include Sung-Jin Kim, Fiona Cochrane, and Dianzhong Zhang. Collaborations span proteomics, metabolomics, and field trials of transgenic poplars for specialty chemical production.

Key achievements include defining phenylpropanoid pathway networks, elucidating lignin heterogeneity, and developing [13C] labeling techniques. Awards include the NSF grant for Arabidopsis enzyme network research. Ongoing projects explore lignan diversity, metabolic engineering for biofuels, and space agriculture applications through ISS experiments.