Charles T. Anderson

　　Assistant Professor of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA

　　Member PI, Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation

　　Cell walls embody most of the carbon captured by plants during photosynthesis, and contain interacting networks of polymers that are assembled, rearranged, and degraded by plants during development, resulting in the formation of lignocellulosic biomass that is highly resistant to degradation, but is a promising source of renewable materials and bioenergy. Along with our collaborators, we have developed and applied new molecular labeling and microscopy-based imaging methods to track the formation and fates of polysaccharides, such as pectins, and polyphenolics, such as lignins, in plant cell walls. Using these approaches, we have uncovered new insights into how plants target polysaccharides to their cell walls, and how lignin is deposited during the transition from primary to secondary wall formation. This information should enhance efforts to use plants in agriculture and forestry to build renewable bioeconomies.