Lifeboat Foundation

On a drizzly afternoon, Yan Zhao pointed to the trees visible from his campus window.

As a chemistry professor at Iowa State University, he is pioneering the creation of novel synthetic catalysts that break down cellulose, the plant fibers responsible for the trees’ height and strength.

“Cellulose is built to last – a tree doesn’t just disappear after rain,” Zhao said. “Cellulose is a huge challenge to break down.”