Dr. Nancy W. Y. Ho received her PhD from Purdue University's Department of Biological Sciences. After completing her studies, she remained at Purdue to conduct further research on the methods for the study of DNA. Since 1980, she has focused her efforts on using recombinant DNA techniques to improve industrial microorganisms. Her most noted work has been the development of recombinant Saccharomyces yeast, widely known as the Ho-Purdue Yeast, which can effectively produce cellulosic ethanol from all types of cellulosic plant materials - such as corn stalks, wheat straw, wood, and grasses. Her lab at Purdue University continuously improves the yeast to make it produce cellulosic ethanol even more efficiently.

Dr. Ho foresaw the need to have a global company to produce and market the yeast, as well as to provide other services for cellulosic ethanol production. Thus, Dr. Ho founded Green Tech America, Inc., in West Lafayette, Indiana, in 2006. Its immediate mission is to commercialize the best Ho-Purdue Yeast developed at Purdue for the production of low-cost renewable fuel ethanol from cellulosic biomass. It will also continue to develop and market new co-products producing derivatives of the Ho-Purdue Yeast, making industrial cellulosic ethanol production a prosperous business and making renewable transportation liquid fuel a sustainable reality. On March 23, 2011, Purdue University launched the 'Difference Makers' website (www.purdue.edu/differencemakers). Dr. Ho was honored to be one of the five difference makers in energy (http://www.purdue.edu/differencemakers/energy.html).

Accomplishments of Dr. Nancy Ho

Relevant Publications:

Casey, E., M. Sedlak, N. W. Y. Ho, and N. S. Mosier, "Effect of Acetic Acid and pH on the Cofermentation of Glucose and Xylose to Ethanol by a Genetically Engineered Strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae," Yeast Research, 10(4), 385-393 (2010).

Bera, A. K., M. Sedlak, A. Khan, and N. W. Y. Ho, "Establishment of L-arabinose Fermentation in Glucose/Xylose Co-Fermenting Recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae 424A(LNH-ST) by Genetic Engineering," Applied Genetics and Molecular Biotechnology, Published online May 7, 2010, Springer-Verlag.

Sedlak, M., and N. W. Y. Ho, "Characterization of the Effectiveness of Hexose Transporters for Transporting Xylose During Glucose and Xylose Co-Fermentation by a Recombinant Saccharomyces Yeast," Yeast, 21, 671-684 (2004).

Ho, N. W. Y., Z. Chen, and A. P. Brainard, "Genetically Engineered Saccharomyces Yeast Capable of Effective Co-fermentation of Glucose and Xylose," Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 64(5), 1852-1859 (1998).