Name: Roberta Lee Farrell

Position: Professor

Nationality/where you work: New Zealand and USA/ University of Waikato and North Carolina State University

Number of Seasons on the ice: 11

100 words about your scientific interest:
My general research field is in Biochemistry and Biotechnology.
My special areas of research are fundamental and applied studies on:
Enzymes; activity and production;
Wood in general and specifically cellulose, lignin and resin degradation; Fungal ecology and biocontrol Research and Products, specifically in the area of fungi that cause sapstain, and albino variants of sapstain that degrade resin extractives and exert biocontrol;
Bioremediation using fungi in soil.
Antarctic Historic Hut Wood and artefact degradation;
Antarctic terrestrial microbial biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in pristine and human-impacted sites.

100 words about what you do for ICTAR:
Event K021 contributes to ICTAR in the areas of microbial biodiversity, focusing on fungi and microbes. At ICTAR, we contribute our research and expertise on bacteria and fungi, including cold adaptation, primary and second metabolisms, DNA sequence analysis, enzyme isolation and characterization, and aerial spores expertise.

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Phone number- +647 856 4971; +64 7 838 4704; +64 21 2684803