Dr. Goacher publishes research article
Dr. Robyn Goacher, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Niagara University, with collaborators from the University of British Columbia, recently published a research article entitled “ToF-SIMS imaging reveals that p-hydroxybenzoate groups specifically decorate the lignin of fibres in the xylem of poplar and willow”. Their work appears in Holzforschung, a top-rated international journal dedicated to the ‘biology, chemistry, physics and technology of wood and wood components’. In their study, imaging mass spectrometry was used for the first time to show that ester-linked –pHB units appear predominantly in the cell walls of wood fibres. These –pHB groups have industrial potential as ‘clip-offs” in lignin engineering and biotechnology for a bio-based economy. This research was partially funded by a Niagara University Research Council summer award to Dr Goacher and by NU’s Academic Center for Integrated Sciences.