[2] His major work has focused on the study of domestication and evolution of crop species (including Asian and African rice, date palms, barley, Brassica oleracea and maize).
After finishing his undergraduate work he moved to New York City and studied at Columbia University, where he obtained an MA in Chemistry (1986) in the laboratory of Jacqueline Barton.
His work since joining the NYU faculty has focused on the study of the evolution of domesticated species, particularly rice and date palms, as well as the evolutionary genomics and systems biology of plant environmental adaptation.
As the New York University Dean of Science (2012-2019), Purugganan oversaw an increase in the NYU science faculty by 20%, and the establishment of several new programs, including the Center for Quantum Phenomena, the Laboratory of Molecular Nanoscience, the joint NYU-Max Planck Center for Language, Music and Emotion, and the NYU Chemical Biology Initiative.
This period also led to close collaborative ties and joint faculty hires between NYU and the New York Genome Center and the Simons Foundation Flatiron Institute.
Said in the middle of a severe economic crisis and widening poverty, Virata and his quote were harshly criticized by numerous opinion makers as an example of the disconnect between the Marcos government and ordinary Filipinos.
Purugganan is married to Alessandra Pena, a New Yorker with Spanish and Dominican roots who works as a consultant to UN organizations, international NGOs and foundations.