People
Principal Investigator
Christopher T. Nomura, Ph.D.
Christopher (Chris) Nomura was born in East L.A. and grew up in Southern California, spending time between East and South Central Los Angeles. He got his B.A. with honor in Biology from UC Santa Cruz where he studied elephant seal immunology and physiology in the laboratory of Dr. C. Leo Ortiz. He received his Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University where he studied cyanobacterial physiology and electron transport proteins in the lab of Dr. Donald A. Bryant. Chris did his post-doctoral work in Japan in the Polymer Chemistry Laboratory at The RIKEN Institute under the supervision of Dr. Yoshiharu Doi. Chris is currently an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at SUNY-ESF.
The Group
Hoa Nguyen Alumni
Hoa is a Biochemistry alumna from SUNY-ESF. Her research involved protein engineering of Escherichia coli through cloning, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and transformation to produce recombinant bacteria strains that will produce polyhydroxyalkanoates. Currently, she is working towards her Doctor of Pharmacy degree.
Greg Boyd Alumni
Gregory D. Boyd graduated in December 2007 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biotechnology. During the 2.5 years he spent here at SUNY-ESF he has made many contributions to the college. One of his biggest accomplishments is the Biodiesel Demonstration facility he had set up and operated. Since the project began the school is now fueling their fleet vehicles on B20 produced on campus. His hobbies include adventuring of any sort...
Qin Wang Student
Qin is a Biochemistry graduate student. The goal of her study is to find which genes are involved in PHA synthesis in Pseudomonas putida grown on different carbon sources. Her work is focusing on comparing the differences of the gene expression levels of P. putida grown on different carbon sources, and also comparing the expression levels of genes involved in PHA synthesis when grown under various conditions using quantitative RT-PCR.
Matthew Martino Student
Matthew is majoring in Chemistry at SUNY-ESF (Natural and Synthetic Polymers option) and minoring in Entrepreneurship at Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management. He has been involved in growth experiments examining PHA production from waste carbon sources, most notably biodiesel waste glycerol. Currently, he is creating of knockout strain of Pseudomonas putida KT2440, lacking the PHA depolymerase gene named phaZ, for his senior thesis project
Erica Hansen Student
Erica is a senior Biochemistry major. She is in her second year of research in the lab, and is currently working on mutating the fabH gene in E. coli to increase the production of PHA. Outside of the lab Erica loves watching SU basketball and is hoping that they make the NCAA tournament this year.
Jingnan Lu Student
Jingnan is currently a junior Biochemistry/Polymer chemistry major. She is working on a secret project for the application of biodegradable polymers that is currently being used for a patent application (not filed so we cannot talk about it yet). Her other project involves chemical modification of unsaturated side chains in poly(3-hydroxyalkenoates) from Pseudomonas putida. Jingnan has a wide variety of interests such as reading forensic science, singing, playing piano, performing in musicals, playing cards, playing GO, making coffee drinks, swimming, collecting foreign coins and stamps, complaining, and making people laugh.
Jackie Mueller Student
Jackie is a Biochemistry major in her last semester at SUNY ESF. She is currently working on protein engineering to generate recombinant forms of Escherichia coli that produce polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biodegradable polyesters. She keeps herself busy outside the lab through dancing tap, jazz, modern, and hip-hop with Orange Pulse, swimming, TAing and tutoring chemistry, working in a student dining hall, cooking, and traveling the world.
Ben Murphy Student
Ben is a Biochemistry and Natural Products major who is interested in optimizing the cost of PHA production using genetically modified bacteria coupled with an alternative carbon source. Hobbies include: Exercise, football, socializing, people watching, meditation, reading on psychology, religion, and sales.
Dan Nicholson Collaborator
Dan is a quasi-Graduate Student in Bioprocess Engineering and a part-time Research Support Technician in the Chemistry Department. His research interests are Biofuels, alternative chemical feedstocks, and the re-engineering of biowaste into useful products.
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