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Areas of Expertise (4)
Leaf Expert
Molecular Physiology
Molecular Biology
Genetics
Education (3)
University of Kentucky: Ph.D., Plant Physiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry 2011
Western Carolina University: M.S., Biology 2005
Western Carolina University: B.S., Biology 1997
Links (2)
Languages (1)
- English
Media Appearances (3)
Harris taking on another ‘Biking for Biology’ fundraising ride
WCU Stories online
2019-11-07
Darby Harris, an instructor in Western Carolina University’s Department of Biology, will be pushing pedals on his road bike once again to raise money for WCU’s Student Biology Club.
Harris rides bike on Cullowhee Mountain during biology fundraiser
WCU Stories online
2018-10-16
Darby Harris, an instructor in Western Carolina University’s Department of Biology, rode three laps up and down Cullowhee Mountain on his bicycle recently to raise money for WCU’s Student Biology Club.
Darby Harris: A cycler’s journey
The Western Carolin Journalistt online
2016-05-11
“Mountains, little traffic, WCU is perfect!” This was the reaction that Darby Harris had the first time he visited Western Carolina University his senior year in high school. He knew that choosing the right college for him meant choosing the right place to cycle. It was in this moment during our interview that I realized just how much cycling had impacted his life and major life decisions.
Patents (1)
Plants and plant products useful for biofuel manufacture and feedstock, and methods of producing same
US8383888B1
2013 A method of processing plant cellulose includes providing plant cellulose that is from a plant expressing a CESA polypeptide variant having at least one amino acid mutation in its carboxy-terminal transmembrane region; and saccharifying the plant cellulose to produce fermentable sugars. The method can also include fermenting the fermentable sugars to produce alcohol. A method of producing a plant having beneficial saccharification properties includes introducing into a plant a polynucleotide encoding a CESA polypeptide variant having at least one amino acid mutation in its carboxy-terminal transmembrane region; and expressing in the plant the CESA polypeptide variant, wherein plant cellulose of the plant expressing the CESA polypeptide variant has beneficial saccharification properties as compared to a wild-type plant.
Articles (3)
The Use of Small Molecules to Dissect Cell Wall Biosynthesis and Manipulate the Cortical Cytoskeleton
Plant Chemical Biology - Chapter 5.12014 Plant cell walls are composed of highly glycosylated proteins and polysaccharides, including pectin, hemicelluloses, and cellulose, which form a complex and dynamic extracellular matrix that modulates cell expansion. The primary cell wall polysaccharide is cellulose, and it stands as the most abundant biopolymer in the world. Although genetic screens have identified a handful of genes that participate in cellulose biosynthesis, the complexity of events contributing to activation of the CesA at the plasma membrane, its motility and interaction with other polymers and proteins suggest that the list of players is far from complete. This chapter examines the use of chemical genetics to dissect and extend our understanding of cellulose biosynthesis in plants.
The Synthesis, Regulation and Modification of Lignocellulosic Biomass as a Resource for Biofuels and Bioproducts
Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts2013 Most of the plant biomass is cell wall and therefore represents a renewable carbon source that could be exploited by humans for bioenergy and bioproducts. A thorough understanding of the type of cell wall being harvested and the molecules available will be crucial in developing the most efficient conversion processes. Herein, we review the structure, function, and biosynthesis of lignocellulosic biomass, paying particular attention to the most important bioresources present in the plant cell wall: cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. We also provide an update on key improvements being made to lignocellulosic biomass with respect to utilization as a second-generation biofuel and as a resource for bioproducts.
Functional expression of an Arabidopsis CESA3ixr1-2 in tobacco improves lignocellulosic biomass suitability for biofuel production
Conference: American Society of Plant Biologists meeting2012
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