Schenck Lab
University of Missouri
Embedded Files
Discovering plant metabolic and chemical diversity using phylobiochemistry
Discovering plant metabolic and chemical diversity using phylobiochemistry
Plants are the best chemists on Earth and can produce hundreds of thousands of structurally diverse metabolites that serve various roles in plants but have also been co-opted by humans to serve medicinal and industrial roles. Yet, the evolution of the biochemical pathways leading to chemical diversity are not well understood.
The goals of the lab is to understand the metabolic innovations potentiating the evolution of plant chemical diversity. Then, apply these metabolic innovations to increase crop resilience or to enhance production of medicinal plant metabolites using synthetic biology platforms. To accomplish these goals, the lab uses a combination of biochemistry, analytical chemistry, comparative transcriptomics, and phylogenetic techniques to frame metabolic diversity in an evolutionary context. Read more about ongoing projects on the research page.
News:
Fall 2026: Multiple papers from the lab are up on BioRxiv investigation the association between Aze and ROS and engineering plants tolerant to proteotoxic metabolites.
Summer 2026: Makenzie awarded a Wayne Ryan fellowship.
Spring 2026: Lily awarded a USDA-NIFA predoctoral fellowship.
The Schenck Lab attends ASPB-MW meeting at the University of Missouri
Summer 2025: Lily awarded Wayne Ryan fellowship
Craig recieves NSF grant in collaboration with PI Stacey Smith - CU-Boulder to study evolution of morphological and chemical diversity across the Physalis.
Spring 2025: Will wins best Senior Biochemistry Student and Craig wins best Undergraduate Research Mentor at Mizzou.
Winter 2025: Makenzie and Will's paper about the phylogenetic distribution of non-proteogenic amino acids is accepted in a special metabolic diversity issue of Applications in Plant Sciences!
Varun's paper about a metabolic complex of ASATs involved in acylsugar biosynthesis is up on BioRxiv!
The Schenck lab takes on ASPB MW and wins multiple presentation awards, congrats Emma and Jacob!
Summer 2024: Will's paper about the mechanism of action of the toxic proline analog is accepted in The Plant Journal!
Makenzie and Will's paper about the phylogenetic distribution of non-proteogenic amino acids is up on BioRxiv!
Our collaborative paper with Eric Schaller's group at Dartmouth about the metabolic and transcriptomic response during thermogenesis in the corpse flower is accepted in PNAS nexus!
Summer 2024: Will's paper about the mode of action of the toxic proline analog is on bioRxiv!
Spring 2024: The Schenck Lab attends ASPB MW at Purdue and Will wins Best Undergraduate Poster Presentation!
Makenzie Gibson joins our group as the second PhD student
Craig receives the CAFNR Outstanding Early Career Teaching Award
Will earns a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship from ASPB, congrats!
Schenck Lab at ASPB MW meeting, Columbia, MO 2026
Where you can find us:
We are located in the Biochemistry Department Schweitzer Hall Room 213
Schenck Lab members Fall 2024
Page updated
Report abuse