Professor Richard A. GROSS

He is currently a Full Professor and a Constellation Chaired Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).  His research focuses on developing next-generation biobased chemicals and materials by processes that are safe and environmentally friendly. He combines competencies in green organic transformations and the use of enzyme catalysts that provide mild and selective approaches to synthesis, material science, regenerative medicine, colloids and advanced materials.  Current research targets include: Engineering bacterial cellulose thickness/porosity for advanced material applications, metabolic engineering of bacterial poly(g-glutamic acid) to engineer structural features, biocomposites; amphiphilic polymers for delivery of fragrants/drugs/flavors; protease-catalyzed routes to polypeptides, bioresorbable hydrogels for regenerative medicine; enzyme catalysts for polymer recycling/modification; molecular editing of glycolipids to develop therapeutics. He has about 600 publications in peer reviewed journals, been cited about 21,000 times (h-index 76, i10-index 276); edited 7-books and has 26 patents (granted or filed). He was the recipient of the 2003 Presidential Green Chemistry Award in the academic category. In 2010 he was the Turner Alfrey Visiting Professor and in 2014 he became a Fellow of the ACS Polymer Division. He founded SyntheZyme LLC in 2009 and serves as its Chief Technology officer. He directs an Industrial University Cooperative Research Center at RPI entitled Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing of Macromolecules (CBBM) and is the 2017 recipient of the lifetime achievement award by the Bioenvironmental Polymer Society (BEPS).