![[Biotechnology Center for Agriculture & the Environment]](http://njaes.rutgers.edu/_common/images/subheads/biotech.gif "[Biotechnology Center for Agriculture & the Environment]"){kind=small}
August 2008
Professor Eric Lam (Plant Biology and Pathology) has been appointed by Dean Goodman to serve as director of the Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and the Environment during a transition period of 2 years, during which an international search is planned to recruit a new director for the center. In addition, Dr. Lam will focus on opportunities to expand the center's mission in SEBS and promote greater interactions with the university community, with input from center faculty and SEBS leadership.
Dr. Lam joined the Department of Plant Biology and Pathology in 1989. In addition to his appointment in the Biotech Center, he also serves on the advisory board for the newly established Rutgers Energy Institute. His research interests include the study of mechanisms that control programmed cell death and stress tolerance in plants, the regulation of global gene expression via chromatin organization, and more recently, the application of genetic engineering approaches in higher plants to facilitate cellulosic fermentation of plant biomass. Dr. Lam is author on over 130 publications in journals including Science and Nature and has been awarded 5 patents relating to biotechnology methods. In addition to actively translating advances from basic research to applications in the field, he is also developing close ties in education and research with partners in Brazil, Germany, and China.