**About the Special Issue Editor**

**Nilgun E. Tumer** is a Distinguished Professor at the Department of Plant Biology at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. She obtained her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Purdue University and trained with Dr. Robert Haselkorn at the University of Chicago. Before coming to Rutgers, she worked at Monsanto Company as a group leader in virus resistance. The major focus of her laboratory is to understand the basic mechanism of toxicity of ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs), such as ricin and Shiga toxins (Stxs) and trichothecene mycotoxins produced by *Fusarium graminearum*. Dr. Tumer's lab pioneered yeas<sup>t</sup> as a powerful model to study the mode of action of RIPs. Her research played a central role in defining the ribosomal targets of RIPs by investigating the interactions of ricin and Stxs with ribosomes using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) with Biacore instruments. They developed the protocols for screening fragment and small molecule libraries to identify inhibitors for ricin and Stxs. Dr. Tumer has published 120 papers and has 15 issued patents. She directs the Core Facility at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), which provides a wide array of services to the Rutgers community.
