Darragh Kelleher
- PhD Student
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About
Research theme: Bioscience for renewable resources and clean growth
Hi my name is Darragh and I'm a 23-year-old student from Cork, Ireland where I recently completed a BSc in Biotechnology. I have just started my PhD in the Dupree lab where I will be studying how oxygen affects the fungal biodegradation of plant biomass, specifically looking at oxygen devoid environments such as peat bogs and some wooded areas. I am keen to discover new enzymatic activities in these environments and understand how they break down various cell wall components , such as those found in sphagnum moss cell walls.
Research
Project Title:
Oxymist - Understanding how oxygen contributes to the enzymatic degradation of plant biomass.
Project Summary:
I will be studying the biodegradation of plant cell walls, specifically in low oxygen environments, such as peat bogs. We are interested to see how oxygen plays a role in the enzymatic degradation of plants such as Sphagnum moss species and hope to discover novel enzymatic pathways while doing so. Enhancing our understanding of such mechanisms could have an important role to play in improving industrial processes, such as the conversion of biomass to biofuels, and will allow us to better conserve ecosystems which serve as vital carbon sinks.
Professor Paul Dupree