Adriana A. Lopes

The paper identifies an enzyme, ICYC, that catalyzes the cyclization of an enol intermediate in the iridoid biosynthesis pathway in asterids, completing the pathway and enabling metabolic engineering of iridoid compounds.

This study identifies an oxidase/reductase pair in Kratom that catalyzes the epimerization of 3S to 3R stereocenters in monoterpene indole alkaloids, enabling access to previously inaccessible compounds.

This study shows that ipecac alkaloid biosynthesis evolved independently in two plant species using different monoterpene precursors and non-enzymatic reactions.