Richard Dixon (chemist)

Richard A. Dixon is a plant biochemist and plant molecular biologist known for his research on plant natural product biosynthesis and metabolic engineering. He has made significant contributions to the understanding of the phenylpropanoid pathway and its role in plant defense, development, and human health.

Dixon's research has focused on identifying and characterizing the enzymes and genes involved in the biosynthesis of flavonoids, isoflavonoids, and lignin, important classes of plant natural products. He has also explored the regulation of these pathways in response to environmental stresses and developmental cues.

A key aspect of his work involves applying metabolic engineering approaches to manipulate plant metabolism for various purposes, including improving crop nutritional value, enhancing disease resistance, and producing valuable pharmaceutical compounds. This often includes the heterologous expression of plant genes in microbial systems or engineering plant metabolic pathways within plant hosts to produce novel or enhanced products.

Dixon has held professorships at several universities, including the University of North Texas and the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation. He has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to plant biochemistry and molecular biology. His research has been published in leading scientific journals and he is a highly cited author in his field.