Scion proudly welcomes Professor John Ralph as its newest Emeritus Scientist.

Having retired from his full-time role as a Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, John joins Scion to advance the bioeconomy through his pioneering work in sustainable forestry and lignin research. His efforts will bolster New Zealand’s leadership in fossil-free resource innovation.

John’s 43-year career began at New Zealand Forest Research Institute (now Scion) in1974 and centres on what he calls the “unrivaled role of chemistry in unlocking lignin’s secrets.” A plant cell wall science innovator, he has developed advanced NMR methods and redesigned lignins for better biomass processing.

His work earned him the 2024 Marcus Wallenberg Prize from the King of Sweden for advancing lignin understanding. The Marcus Wallenberg Prize is a prestigious international award often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Forestry.”

He has advised global bioenergy leaders, including the U.S. Department of Energy’s Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and the British Royal Society.

John holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry from Canterbury University, New Zealand (1976), and a Ph.D. in Chemistry and Forestry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1982).

His current research at Scion’s NMR Suite explores lignin biosynthesis and valorization, enhancing biofuel and bioproduct efficiency, supported by collaborators like the U.S. Department of Energy and Swiss National Fund. In his recent visit to Rotorua, John explored our newly upgraded NMR facility and toured the campus to engage with key members of our science team, including Stefan Hill, Florian Graichen, and Marie Joo Le Guen.

John was clearly impressed by the new suite, describing it as "one of the most beautiful labs" he’s seen for NMR. His passion for advanced analytical chemistry shone through and he encouraged everyone with an interest in chemistry to engage with the new facility,  "anyone who knows any chemistry should have NMR as part of their arsenal."

John now joins Scion as an Emeritus Scientist, following a career as Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Distinguished Professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology.