The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which was founded in 1848 and is the world’s largest general scientific society, has announced their 2022 class of Fellows, among them Scott Baker a JBEI fungal biotechnology scientist and Functional and Systems Biology group lead at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. This lifetime honor, which follows a nomination and review process, recognizes scientists, engineers, and innovators for their distinguished achievements toward the advancement or applications of science.
Baker, who previously co-led development of the ongoing Fungal Genomics Program at the Joint Genome Institute (JGI), was elected for his significant contributions to fungal biotechnology, genomics, and genetics—particularly with respect to metabolite production, enzyme secretion, and cell morphology. His research involves developing techniques for increasing and improving biomanufacturing of fungal enzymes that break down lignin, an important step toward the production of low-cost carbon neutral biofuels.