Christopher T. Nomura
Assistant Professor

318 Jahn Laboratory
470-6854
ctnomura@esf.edu

• Ph.D. 2001, Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University. Postdoctoral Associate, RIKEN Institute, Japan 2001-2006.

Christopher T. Nomura's research interests center on using molecular techniques to improve the supply of precursors for biobased products. Examples include using protein and metabolic engineering techniques to generate recombinant bacterial strains to enhance production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biodegradable polymers from renewable resources such as sugars and plant oils. Current and previous studies have used rational design of fatty acid biosynthetic enzymes based on x-ray crystal structures to alter their substrate specificity to provide monomers for PHA biosynthesis. Other research interests include genomic and microarray studies, in vitro evolution for enzyme improvement, microbial physiology, biodegradable polymer production, and polymer characterization studies.

• Dr. Nomura’s Research Group Page

Representative Publications

• Lee, W.-H., Loo, C.-Y., Nomura, C.T., and K. Sudesh. (2008). Biosynthesis of polyhydroxyalkannoate copolymers from mixtures of plant oils and hydroxyvalerate precursors. Biores Technol. 99(15), 6844-6851.
• Nomura, C.T., Tanaka, T., Eguen, T.E., Appah, A.S., Matsumoto, K., Taguchi, S., Ortiz, C.L., and Y. Doi. (2008). FabG mediates monomer supply for short-chain-length-medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (SCL-MCL PHA) copolymer production from both related and non-related carbon sources in Escherichia coli LS5218. Biotechnol Prog. 24(2), 342-351.
• Sato, S., Nomura, C.T., Abe, H., Doi, Y., and T. Tsuge. (2007). Poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] formation in Escherichia coli from glucose through an enoyl-CoA hydratase-mediated pathway. J Biosci Bioeng 103(1), 38-44.
• Nomura, C.T. and S. Taguchi. (2007). PHA synthase engineering towards super-biocatalysts for custom-made biopolymers. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 73(5), 969-979.
• Nomura, C.T. and Y. Doi. (2006). Metabolic engineering of recombinant Escherichia coli for short-chain-length-medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis. In Degradable Polymers and Materials: Principles and Practice American Chemical Society; Khemani, K. and C. Scholz, Eds.; Oxford University Press, New York, NY, pp 32-48.
• Nomura, C.T., Taguchi, K., Gan, Z., Kuwabara, K., Tanaka, T., Takase, K., and Y. Doi. (2005). Expression of 3-ketoacyl-ACP reductase (fabG) enhances polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer production from glucose in recombinant Escherichia coli JM109. Appl Environ Microbiol. 71(8), 4297-4306.
• Nomura, C.T., Tanaka, T., Kuwabara, K., Abe, H., Takase, K., Taguchi, K., and Y. Doi. (2005). Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for short-chain-length-medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis. Polym Prepr (Am Chem Soc, Div Polym Chem). 46. 278-279.
• Nomura, C.T., Tanaka, T., Gan, Z., Kuwabara, K., Abe, H., Takase, K., Taguchi, K., and Y. Doi. (2004). Effective enhancement of short-chain-length-medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer production by coexpression of genetically engineered 3-ketoacyl-acyl-carrier-protein synthase III (fabH) and polyhydroxyalkanoate synthesis genes. Biomacromolecules. 5(4), 1457-1464.
• Nomura, C.T., Taguchi, K., Taguchi, S., and Y. Doi. (2004). Coexpression of genetically engineered 3-ketoacyl-ACP synthase III (fabH) and polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase (phaC) genes leads to short-chain-length-medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer production from glucose in Escherichia coli JM109. Appl Environ Microbiol. 70(2), 999-1007.

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