Philip John

Professor Philip John is a distinguished academic affiliated with the University of Reading, specializing in plant biochemistry, natural product chemistry, and agricultural biotechnology. His research focuses on metabolic pathways in crops, indigo reduction mechanisms, and the impact of environmental factors (e.g., UV light) on plant quality parameters. He has contributed to advancements in understanding traditional dyeing processes like woad vat biotechnology and modern applications in food science and electrochemistry.

John has authored or co-authored over 25 peer-reviewed articles, including works on flavonoid content in lettuce, anthraquinone-catalyzed indigo reduction, and microwave-activated glucose electrochemistry. His contributions extend to book chapters on indigo extraction, agricultural aspects of natural colorants, and the evolutionary origins of ethylene biosynthesis in plants.

His interdisciplinary work bridges plant science, chemistry, and engineering, with notable contributions to metabolic engineering of crops and historical biotechnological processes. John’s research emphasizes practical applications in agriculture, food quality, and sustainable dye production.