Maroc - TIMBERBIZ.COM.AU - A La Une - 18/Mar 23:07

New Emeritus Scientist for Scion

Professor John Ralph has joined Scion as its newest Emeritus Scientist. Having retired from his full-time role as a Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Mr Ralph joins Scion to advance the bioeconomy through his pioneering work in sustainable forestry and lignin research. Source: Timberbiz His efforts will bolster New Zealand’s leadership in fossil-free resource innovation. Mr Ralph’s 43-year career began at New Zealand Forest Research Institute (now Scion) in1974 and centres on what he calls the “unrivaled role of chemistry in unlocking lignin’s secrets.” A plant cell wall science innovator, he has developed advanced NMR methods and redesigned lignins for better biomass processing. His work earned him the 2024 Marcus Wallenberg Prize from the King of Sweden for advancing lignin understanding. The Marcus Wallenberg Prize is a prestigious international award often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Forestry.” He has advised global bioenergy leaders, including the US Department of Energy’s Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Centre and the British Royal Society. Mr Ralph holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry from Canterbury University, New Zealand (1976), and a PhD in Chemistry and Forestry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1982). His current research at Scion’s NMR Suite explores lignin biosynthesis and valorization, enhancing biofuel and bioproduct efficiency, supported by collaborators like the US Department of Energy and Swiss National Fund. On his recent visit to Rotorua, he explored our newly upgraded NMR facility and toured the campus to engage with key members of our science team, including Stefan Hill, Florian Graichen, and Marie Joo Le Guen. Mr Ralph was clearly impressed by the new suite, describing it as “one of the most beautiful labs” he’s seen for NMR. His passion for advanced analytical chemistry shone through and he encouraged everyone with an interest in chemistry to engage with the new facility, “anyone who knows any chemistry should have NMR as part of their arsenal.”