Ph.D.,  Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, USA (2014)

M.S.,   Food Science and Technology, Korea University, Korea (2009)

B.S.,    Food Science and Technology, Korea University, Korea (2007)

Principal Researcher                                                     Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (2025.03~present)

Assistant/Associate professor                                    University of Science and Technology (UST) (2021.03~present)

Senior Researcher                                                          Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (2018.08~2025.02)

Post Doc. (Presidential Post Doc. Fellowship)        Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (2014~2018)

Research Assistant                                                        Laboratory of Renewable Resources Engineering (Prof. Michael Ladisch), Purdue Univ. (2010~2014)

Research Assistant                                                        Food Bioengineering Laboratory (Prof. Kyoung Heon Kim), Korea Univ. (2007~2009)

Link to Google Scholar Citations of  Dr. Ja Kyong Ko

Hyun-Joong Kim, Yoonmi Choi, Jiwoo Han, *Ja Kyong Ko, *Hyun-Seob Song, and *Hyeongmin Seo (2026) Design of Synthetic Microbial Coculture for Advanced Biomanufacturing of Lignocellulosic Biofuels and Bioproducts. Green Chemistry, 28: 13152–13174 (IF 10.6, JCR 13.6%) 

#Habin Sun, #So Jeong Lee, Hyun-Joong Kim, Hyeongmin Seo, Jeongchan Lee, Jung Ho Ahn, Gyeongtaek Gong, Youngsoon Um, Kyoung Heon Kim, and *Ja Kyong Ko (2026) Development of efficient poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production platform from lignocellulosic hydrolysates using a robust Cupriavidus necator RXI22 strain, Green Chemistry, 28:10106-10118 (IF 10.6, JCR 13.6%)  

Siti Nurjanah Firmansyah#, Habin Sun#, Chun-Jae Yoo*, Ja Kyong Ko* (2025) Upgrading polyethylene plastic waste into a biodegradable polymer: Harnessing a hybrid chemical oxidation-biological conversion approach. Chemical Engineering Journal, 504, (IF 13.4, JCR 3.1%) 

So Jeong Lee, Jiwon Kim, Jung Ho Ahn, Gyeongtaek Gong, Youngsoon Um, Sun-Mi Lee, Kyoung Heon Kim, Ja Kyong Ko* (2025) Engineering xylose utilization in Cupriavidus necator for enhanced poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production from mixed sugars. Bioresource Technology, 418, 131996 (IF 9.7, JCR 2.5%) 

Yeon Ji Lee, Byeong Cheul Moon, Dong Ki Lee, Jung Ho Ahn, Gyeongtaek Gong, Youngsoon Um, Sun-Mi Lee, Kyoung Heon Kim, *Ja Kyong Ko  (2025) Sustainable production of microbial protein from carbon dioxide in the integrated bioelectrochemical system using recycled nitrogen sources. Water Research, 268 (IF 11.5, JCR 0.4%) 

Yongjae Jang, Yeon Ji Lee, Gyeongtaek Gong, Sun-Mi Lee, Youngsoon Um, Kyoung Heon Kim, and  *Ja Kyong Ko (2024) Carbon dioxide valorization into resveratrol via lithoautotrophic fermentation using engineered Cupriavidus necator H16,  Microbial Cell Factories, 23:122 (IF 6.4, JCR 12.5%) 

Byeong Cheul Moon, Soyoung Kim, Young Yoon Jo, Jong Hyeok Park, *Ja Kyong Ko, and *Dong Ki Lee (2024) Biocompatible Cu/NiMo Composite Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in Microbial Electrosynthesis; Unveiling the Self-Detoxification Effect of Cu,  Advanced Science, 2309775 (IF 15.1, JCR 6.8%) 

Soyoung Park,  Soonjong Roh, Jin Yoo,  Jung Ho Ahn, Gyeongtaek Gong,Sun-Mi Lee, Youngsoon Um, Sung Ok Han, and *Ja Kyong Ko  (2024) Tailored polyhydroxyalkanoate production from renewable non-fatty acid carbon sources using engineered Cupriavidus necator H16, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 263, 130360 (IF 8.2, JCR 5.2%) 

Young Yun Jo, Soyoung Park, Gyeongtaek Gong, Soonjong Roh, Jin Yoo, Jung Ho Ahn, Sun-Mi Lee, Youngsoon Um, Kyoung Heon Kim, and *Ja Kyong Ko  (2023) Enhanced production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) with modulated 3-hydroxyvalerate fraction by overexpressing acetolactate synthase in Cupriavidus necator H16, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 242, 125166 (IF 8.2, JCR 5.2%) 

Soyoung Kim, Yong Jae Jang, Gyeongtaek Gong, Sun-Mi Lee, Youngsoon Um, Kyoung Heon Kim, *Ja Kyong Ko (2022) Engineering Cupriavidus necator H16 for enhanced lithoautotrophic poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production from CO2. Microbial Cell Factories, 21:231 (IF=6.352, JCR 16.772%)