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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Renewable Product Technology Research » People » Christopher Skory

Christopher D Skory (Chris)

Research Leader

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Renewable Product Technology

1815 N University St

Peoria, Illinois 61604

Office 309 681 6275

Dr. Skory received his PhD in 1992 at Michigan State University where he spent several years studying the genes involved in production of aflatoxin, a fungal toxin produced by several species of Aspergillus. His early work on developing genetic methods for Aspergillus, and identifying and characterizing several of these genes significantly advanced our understanding of mycotoxin research. He then moved to Peoria, Illinois where his research at the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR) focused on production of enzymes used to convert agricultural biomass to fermentable sugars. This work included the cloning and study of several of these types of enzymes for expression in yeast and plant systems. He is most known for his work on genetic modification of the fungus Rhizopus for increased production of organic acids for industrial applications. This research has emphasized the development of molecular biology methods (e.g., transformation, site-specific integration and gene replacement, RNAi), genome sequence analysis, and metabolic/transport mechanisms in Rhizopus. More recently, he has been involved in production of water-insoluble glucan polymers and novel oligosaccharides by lactic acid bacteria; and genetic modification of fungus Aureobasidium for improved synthesis of an antibacterial compound called liamocin.

Click here for Dr. Skory's recent accomplishment

Dr. Skory's  Google Scholar page