Neil Bruce is the Director of the Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP) and Professor of Biotechnology at the University of York. His research focuses on the biodegradation of lignocellulose in marine and terrestrial environments – particularly in the context of discovering enzymes for biorefining of lignocellulosic biomass for the production of biofuels, materials and chemicals. His group have been using a multi ‘omics approach, combining the power of extracellular proteomics and transcriptomics, to identify proteins critical for lignocellulose deconstruction from microbial communities and animals. This approach is allowing the identification of new types of lignocellulose active proteins, both broadening our fundamental understanding of this process, as well as providing novel activities for research and industrial applications. In other research he explores plant and microbial metabolism of xenobiotic compounds and characterisation of the enzymes mediating these metabolic processes. His group have discovered a diverse range of enzymes that have environmental and biotechnological applications.
Neil carried out his PhD at the University of Kent before undertaking a postdoctoral position in the Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge and a Junior Research Fellowship at Wolfson College. He was subsequently appointed to a Lectureship in Biotechnology and awarded a Fellowship at Trinity Hall before being promoted to Reader. He then moved to the University of York in 2002 to join CNAP.
Neil carried out his PhD at the University of Kent before undertaking a postdoctoral position in the Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge and a Junior Research Fellowship at Wolfson College. He was subsequently appointed to a Lectureship in Biotechnology and awarded a Fellowship at Trinity Hall before being promoted to Reader. He then moved to the University of York in 2002 to join CNAP.