• Department Links ▼
  
  • Chemistry Home
  • Department Directory
  • Courses
  • Research
  • Mission and Objectives
  • Chemistry at ESF: An Informal History
• Undergraduate Programs ▼
  
  • Undergraduate Program Overview
  • Options:
  • Biochemistry and Organic Natural Product Chemistry
  • Natural and Synthetic Polymer Chemistry
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Chemistry Awards
• Graduate Programs ▼
  
  • Graduate Program Overview
  • Current Graduate Students
  • Programs of Study:
  • Biochemistry
  • Chemical Ecology (with EFB)
  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Organic Chemistry of Natural Products
  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Degree Requirements:
  • MS and PhD Degree Requirements
  • MPS Program Information and Degree Requirements
  • Prospective Students:
  • Admission Information
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Current Students:
  • Helpful Information
  • Chemistry Awards
  • Meet Your Fellow Students
• Careers and Alumni ▼
  
  • Employment & Career Resources
  • Internships in Chemistry

Christopher T. Nomura
Associate Professor

318 Jahn Lab
1 Forestry Dr.
Syracuse, New York 13210

Phone: (315) 470-6854/470-6843
Email: 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

• Wang, Q. and C.T. Nomura (2010). Monitoring differences in gene expression levels and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production in Pseudomonas putida KT2440 grown on different carbon sources.  J Biosci Bioeng. 110 (6). 653-659.
• Wang, Q., Mueller, A.P., Ring, C.-L., Matsumoto, K., Taguchi, S., and C.T. Nomura (2010). Quick and efficient method for genetic transformation of biopolymer producing bacteria.  J Chem Technol Biotechnol. 85. 775-778.
• Zhu, C.,Nomura, C.T., Perrota, J.,Stipanovic, A.J., and J.P. Nakas. (2010). Production and characterization of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate fromBurkholderia cepaciaATCC17759. Biotechnol Prog.2. 424-430.
• Lu, J., Tappel, R.C., andC.T. Nomura. (2009). Mini-Review: Biosynthesis of poly(hydroxyalkanoates).Polym Rev. 49(3).226-248
• Matsumoto, K., Murata, T., Nagao, R.,Nomura, C.T., Arai, S., Arai, Y., Takase, K., Nakashita, H., Taguchi, S., and H. Shimada (2009).Production of short-chain-length/medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) copolymer in the plastid of Arabidopsis thaliana using an engineered 3-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase III. Biomacromolecules.10(4), 686-690.
• Nomura, C.T. and S. Taguchi. (2007).  PHA synthase engineering towards super-biocatalysts for custom-made biopolymers.  Appl Microbiol Biotechnol.  73(5), 969-979.

Prospective students are strongly encouraged to contact members of the faculty directly.

If you want more information about the graduate program, please follow this link to a brief form