Yang Qu

Other titles

Cannabis Health Research Chair

Research interests

Biosynthesis chemistry

I am interested in the biosynthesis and biochemistry of natural products derived from plants. Millions years of evolution has promoted the diversity of specialized metabolites in plants and the enzymes that makes them. As part of the plant defense mechanism, these specialized metabolites bear various bioactivities that may be exploited by human to our own advantage. Understanding the biosynthesis of these often complex and stereospecific organic compounds can help utilize nature’s biosynthetic power for manufacturing products of interest.

My research program primarily focuses on the biosynthesis of cannabinoids derived from the plant Cannabis sativa, which is being rapidly transformed into a medicinal plant and agricultural crop. Biosynthetic strategies, biosynthetic regulation, and cannabis plant physiology in relation to cannabinoid production are of particular interest.