- Graduate Summer Work
Biography
Min Wang is a Ph.D. student in Chemistry at Washington State University. She earned her B.S. in Biotechnology from Shandong Normal University and her M.S. in Microbiology from Shandong University before joining WSU in 2023. Her research lies at the interface of structural biology, biochemistry, and enzymology, with a particular focus on plant protein structure and function.
In the Kang laboratory, Min studies cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in the phenylpropanoid pathway in Sorghum bicolor, with the goal of understanding how these enzymes contribute to lignin and flavonoid biosynthesis. Her work combines protein expression and purification, enzyme kinetics, spectroscopic characterization, and X-ray crystallography to investigate structure–function relationships in plant metabolic enzymes. Through this research, she hopes to provide molecular insights that may support future advances in plant biology, biomass utilization, and agricultural sustainability.
Beyond research, Min is also committed to teaching and scientific communication. As a teaching assistant, she enjoys helping students build confidence in chemistry through laboratory instruction and discussion. She values collaboration, curiosity, and careful experimental design, and she is passionate about sharing science with both academic and broader communities.
Outside the lab, Min enjoys learning new skills, creating science communication materials, and exploring ways to connect research with real-world applications.