WANJU, REPUBLIC OF KOREA, September 26, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Kwangho Choi has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
The silkworm has long been a treasure of the Orient, valued for spinning the precious commodity that attracted the first explorers and merchants of the western world. Since writing his dissertation on the productive creatures in 2003, Dr. Choi has worked to apply his expertise in entomology and insect physiology to develop new generations of transgenic silkworms for the Korean bioengineering community. Dr. Choi has worked for the Korean Department of Agricultural Biology at the National Institute of Agricultural Science since 2012, and is currently leading an international joint research program to study the industrial applications of silkworms.
Born in 1970 in Pusan, Republic of Korea, Dr. Choi has previously served with Industry and Energy of Korea in his military duty, and studied with Dong-A University to earn an MS in Insect Physiology. He further matriculated there to earn a PhD in Applied Entomology. His dissertation was on the silkworm Bombyx mori and the related chimeric fibroin gene.
On the merits of his doctoral work, Dr. Choi joined the National Institute of Agricultural Biology in 2002. He worked from 2009 to 2011 with the Research Policy Bureau of the South Korean Rural Development Administration as a public officer, but has since returned to his work as a research scientist.
From human proteins to supremely tough silk-based materials, scientists are utilizing the silkworm to produce an amazing variety of materials. Using gene editing tools such as the Crisper/Cas9 system, Dr. Choi is able to develop the adaptable insect and assess the risk potential inherent in all genetic engineering. He currently leads Purdue University in the U.S. and the Korean National Institute of Agricultural Science in an international effort to adapt silkworm innovations for industrial applications. In 2017, Dr. Choi released a paper detailing the application of his efforts to produce enahanced photoluminescenece in transgenic fibers, which hold the promise of utility in such products as safety materials, night optics, and the fashion industry.
In the pursuit of bioengineering, Dr. Choi was recognized with a 2016 Certificate of Commendation at the 49th Promotion of Science and Technology for the National Development of Korea,
presented by the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning of Korea. Dr. Choi has made three other contributions to the future, his children Wonjun, Wonhui, and Wonju with his wife, Kim Kiim.
About Marquis Who's Who :
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America , Marquis Who's Who has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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