Christoph Benning

Biosketch

Christoph Benning, PhD is a Michigan State University Distinguished Professor and Research Foundation Professor. He is a former Director of the Michigan State University-Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory and former Editor-in-Chief of The Plant Journal. He earned his Diploma in Biology from the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg, Germany, and his PhD in Genetics from Michigan State University. He was an Independent Group Leader at the Institut für Genbiologische Forschung Berlin GmbH and received his Habilitation at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. He joined the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Michigan State University in 1998. He is a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors, Member of the National Academy of Sciences, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Fellow of the American Society of Plant Biologists. He received the Terry Galliard Medal from the International Community of Plant Lipid Researchers for his career achievements.

Research Interests

Dr. Benning’s research interests focus on different aspects of lipid metabolism in photosynthetic organisms. His lab discovered and studies proteins involved in the biosynthesis of polar lipids of the photosynthetic membrane, their specific roles in photosynthesis, the exchange of membrane lipid precursors between the ER and the chloroplast envelope membranes through contact sites, and proteins involved in lipid turnover as adaptation to abiotic stresses. He identified a key transcription factor governing the biosynthesis of storage lipids in plant embryos and demonstrated its use for the enhancement of oil crops. He applies genomic and genetic approaches to identify key regulatory factors and enzymes required for triacylglycerol biosynthesis, lipid droplet formation, and lipid turnover in microalgae. Along with the development of synthetic biology tools in microalgae, his findings on basic lipid metabolism in plants and algae are furthering the development of novel biofuel feed stocks.