Madison Reporter

Monica Neugebauer, an assistant professor of biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has been awarded a 2024 Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering. She is one of 20 scientists to receive this honor.

Nancy Lindborg, president and CEO of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, commented on the significance of these fellowships: “These scientists and engineers are the architects of tomorrow, leading innovation with bold ideas and unyielding determination. Their work today will be the foundation for the breakthroughs of the future, inspiring the next wave of discovery and invention.”

The fellowship provides $875,000 over five years to support early-career researchers in advancing their work. Neugebauer's research focuses on identifying and engineering enzymes to enhance chemical reactions. Her work has potential applications in sustainable chemical production as well as therapeutics and diagnostics.

Neugebauer emphasized her commitment to sustainability in her research. “Some chemical reactions, including some used in industrial settings, are environmentally taxing. We can take advantage of both existing enzymatic activity and enzyme activity evolved in a lab to find more environmentally friendly ways of catalyzing these reactions,” she explained. By using enzymes to catalyze reactions that traditionally require high temperatures, Neugebauer aims to reduce energy consumption.

Her research particularly focuses on metalloenzymes—proteins containing metals—to accelerate chemical processes. With support from the Packard Fellowship, Neugebauer plans to further develop sustainable catalysts through protein evolution techniques.

Expressing gratitude for receiving the fellowship, Neugebauer stated: “I am especially grateful to be a Packard Fellow because the Packard Foundation is committed to sustainability. My group is passionate about both basic science and engineering. We’re fundamentally interested in understanding how enzymes work with an eye towards evolving enzymes that can perform chemistry more sustainably.”