Abraham (Abe) Koo, associate professor of biochemistry, is the recipient of CAFNR’s 2025 Outstanding Mid-Career Research Award.
Koo is a leading plant biochemist known for his groundbreaking research on jasmonic acid (JA), a key hormone in plant defense and stress response. His lab has uncovered major pathways in JA metabolism, identified enzymes critical to its activation and deactivation, and revealed novel regulatory mechanisms, including translational control. These findings have deepened the understanding of how plants respond to wounding, herbivory and environmental stress, with implications for crop resilience and productivity.
In addition, Koo’s work in metabolic engineering has led to the development of high-oil crop lines and a patented method to increase oil in plant biomass, addressing global food and energy needs. He has published 41 peer-reviewed papers, with over 6,700 citations and an h-index of 31. Koo’s achievements are recognized nationally and internationally, with major NSF grants, editorial positions, awards and frequent speaking invitations. His collaborative and interdisciplinary work has made significant contributions to both plant science and biotechnology. Colleagues highlight his innovation, mentorship and leadership.
“Abe is a terrific colleague and mentor,” said nominator David Braun, director of the Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG). “Abe was recognized as a Web of Science most highly cited researcher in 2019, awarded the Arthur C. Neish Young Investigator Award from the Phytochemical Society of America in 2015, and published the Top Cited Paper in the journal Phytochemistry in 2013.”
“Abe is an accomplished scientist with strong ability to attract grants and to provide service to the scientific and educational communities,” said Ruth Welti, Distinguished Professor of
Biology at Kansas State University. “His work has achieved international recognition, and Abe will undoubtedly continue to be a methodological innovator, a creative thinker and a leader in the scientific community in the years to come.”