Education
B.S. - 1976 Washington State University, Agronomy
M.S. - 1979 Washington State University, Nutrition
Ph.D. - 1984 University of California, Davis, Nutrition

Professional Activities
Member of American Chemical Society, Institute of Food Technologists, American Association Cereal Chemists; advisory board member for Comm. Agr. Food Chem.

Research Interests
My laboratory is interested in the general area of enzyme technology, with particular emphasis on projects related to the enzymatic processing of polysaccharides. We typically focus on glycan hydrolases. Our studies aim to advance the current knowledge of how these enzymes function, to determine novel methods by which their specificity may be regulated, and to find applications for the production of value added products. Current projects relate to the enzymatic saccharification of cellulose, the conversion of biomass polysaccharides to ethanol, and the application of polysaccharide debranching enzymes in the food industry.

Representative Publications
Chung, Y.D., Bakalinsky, A. and Penner, M.H. (1997) "Analysis of biomass cellulose in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation processes." Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 66, 249-262.

Esteghlalian, A. Hashimoto, A.G., Fenske, J.J. and Penner, M.H. (1997) "Modeling and optimization of the dilute-sulfuric acid pretreatment of corn stover, poplar and switchgrass." Bioresource Technol. 59, 129-136.

Thammasouk, K., Tandjo, D. and Penner, M.H. (1997). "Influence of extractives on the analysis of herbaceous biomass." J.Agric.FoodChem 45, 437-443.

Penner, M.H., Hashimoto, A.G., Esteghlalian, A.R. and Fenske, J.R. (1996). "Dilute acid hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials" in Agriculture as a Renewable Resource (G. Fuller, edt.), American Chemical Society Press, 12-31.

Page updated 08/03/06