ProfessorRen Dobson

Professor Ren Dobson (FRSNZ) is a leading researcher in the overlapping fields of biochemistry, structural biology, protein science, and chemical biology, specialising in enzyme mechanism and control, membrane protein transporters, biomolecular assembly, and food chemistry.  A unifying theme across his research is understanding and defining the role of molecular interactions in complex biological systems. 

 

He as published more than 178 peer‑reviewed papers and leads a multidisciplinary research programme spanning membrane transporters, transcriptional regulation, microfluidics, enzymology, precision fermentation, cellular agriculture, and food chemistry. Since establishing his UC laboratory in 2011, he has secured more than NZ$37.5M in external research funding and supports a team of ~25 researchers.

 

Ren is Director of the New Zealand Analytical Ultracentrifugation Centre and a Principal Investigator in the Biomolecular Interactions Centre. He works with a wide range of national and international collaborators across academia, Public Research Organisations (PROs), and industry, advancing fundamental understanding and enabling applications in biotechnology, food innovation, and molecular science.