Karen A. McDonald is a Distinguished Professor Emerita of Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Davis, and a leading figure in plant‑based biomanufacturing and bioprocess engineering. Her research focuses on developing plant and plant‑cell expression systems for producing high‑value recombinant proteins, including therapeutics, vaccines, and industrial enzymes. McDonald has advanced scalable bioprocesses, novel bioreactor designs, and synthetic biology tools that enable efficient, cost‑effective production of biologics. She has also contributed significantly to translational manufacturing platforms that support global health and sustainable biotechnology. A Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, McDonald has authored influential publications across biomanufacturing, plant biotechnology, and process engineering. Her work continues to shape next‑generation bioindustrial systems and the future of sustainable bioproduction.

2026 ACS Fall: CME NASA Symposium Abstract

2023 ACS Fall: CME NASA Symposium Abstract

Plant Molecular Farming To Support Human Life On The moon, Mars, and Beyond

Plants are important resources for space exploration life support – they are capable of harnessing light, producing food and oxygen, purifying water, recycling waste streams, and buoying the mental health of crew members. But plants can also be used as living molecular foundries, engineered to produce a broad range of mission-critical compounds including biomaterials, nutraceuticals, food additives, enzymes, diagnostic reagents, and biopharmaceuticals. This presentation will provide an overview of the technologies involved and potential space applications of plant molecular farming.