Last updated on Tuesday, February 25, 2025
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 Name : Young Cho
Title : Assistant Professor
Unit : Department of Molecular Biosciences & BioEngineering
Address : 1955 East-West Rd. #218
Honolulu, HI 96822
Room : Ag Sciences Building 402F
Phone : (808) 956-9270
Fax : (808) 956-3542
E-mail : ybcho@hawaii.edu
Specialties : Fine-tuned gene regulation, sRNA, photosynthesis, and tropical plant genomics with a focus on improving plant resilience and productivity in diverse environmental conditions
Professional Prep/Appointments :
Post-doc, Institute of Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2016-2024
Ph.D. Crop Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2016
M.S. Crop Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2011
B.S. Biotechnology, Yonsei University, 2008
Projects :
1. Enhancing the Resilience and Productivity of Tropical Crops
2. Advancing Biotechnology for Tropical Plant Improvement
Join the Cho Research Group!
We are hiring highly motivated and curious undergraduate, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers with a background in biology, chemistry, or a related field. If you're interested, please send your resume/CV to ybcho@hawaii.edu!
Summary:
Join the Cho Research Group and contribute to cutting-edge research in tropical plant biotechnology. Our work focuses on improving the resilience and productivity of tropical fruit crops, exploring non-foliar photosynthesis, and utilizing biotechnological tools such as RNAi and gene editing. This position involves active participation in research projects, contributing to scientific publications, and collaborating within an interdisciplinary team. You will play a key role in advancing our mission to develop innovative solutions for tropical agriculture.
Responsibilities:
- Conduct research experiments in molecular biology, plant physiology, or related fields.
- Collect, analyze, and interpret data using various biochemical and molecular techniques.
- Collaborate with other team members to contribute to ongoing projects on tropical plant biotechnology.
- Prepare reports, presentations, and manuscripts for publication in scientific journals.
- Participate in lab meetings, seminars, and research discussions.
- Assist in mentoring and training undergraduate students (for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers).
Qualifications:
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Education:
Undergraduate students must be currently enrolled in biology, chemistry, plant science, or related fields. Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers should hold or be pursuing advanced degrees (M.S. or Ph.D.) in relevant disciplines.
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Skills & Experience:
- Strong background in biology, chemistry, molecular biology, or biotechnology.
- Laboratory experience in plant science or molecular techniques is highly desirable.
- Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
- Effective verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to work independently as well as part of a collaborative team.
Application Process:
If you're passionate about tropical plant biotechnology and eager to contribute to innovative research, we encourage you to apply! Please send your resume/CV to ybcho@hawaii.edu.
Courses:
MBBE/MICR 602: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS
Research Interests :
Cho research group is focused on two primary objectives:1) enhancing the resilience and productivity of tropical crops; 2) advancing biotechnology for tropical plant improvement. tropical fruit production faces significant challenges due to various biotic and abiotic stressors, particularly in crops such as cacao, coffee, papaya, and macadamia. our research aims to understand how these plants respond to changing environmental conditions, with a focus on optimizing their resilience and productivity. we emphasize genomics and biotechnology-driven approaches to improve crop performance and management. our group develops and utilizes cutting-edge genomic and biotechnological tools to accelerate breeding and address key limitations in tropical fruit crop systems. in collaboration with extension agents and local growers, we identify and tackle real-world challenges that impact crop production in hawai‘i and beyond. the knowledge and technologies generated by our program aim to enhance fruit crop performance, including improved adaptation to environmental stressors and pathogens, while addressing broader societal needs related to productivity, value, wellness, and sustainability.
Selected Publications :
Croce, R., Carmo-Silva, E., Cho, Y. B., Ermakova, M., Harbinson, J., Lawson, T., ... & Zhu, X. G. (2024). Perspectives on improving photosynthesis to increase crop yield. The Plant Cell, koae132. (Review paper, see the last section)
Cho, Y.B., Boyd, R.A., Ren, Y., Jones, S. I., Lee, M., Vera-Ruiz, U.M, McGrath, J., Masters, M., & Ort, D.R. (2024) Reducing chlorophyll level in seed filling stages results in higher seed nitrogen without impacting canopy carbon assimilation. Plant Cell and Environment doi:10.1111/pce.14737
Cho, Y. B., Stutz, S. S., Jones, S. I., Wang, Y., Pelech, E. A., & Ort, D. R. (2023). Impact of pod and seed photosynthesis on seed filling and canopy carbon gain in soybean. Plant Physiology, 193(3):966-979
Author interview
Highlighted in the same issue, “Pod power: Soybean pod and seed photosynthesis contributes to yield” (2023) Plant Physiology, 193(3):886-887
Patrick J: H1 Connect Recommendation of [Cho YB et al., Plant Physiol 2023 193(2:966-979)]. In H1 Connect (formerly Faculty Opinions), 30 Oct 2023;10.3410/f.742669011.793601242
Cho, Y.B., Jones, S.I., Vodkin, L (2017) Mutations in Argonaute5 Illuminate Epistatic Interactions of the K1 and I Loci Leading to Saddle Seed Color Patterns in Glycine max. Plant Cell 29(4):708-725 doi: 10.1105/tpc.17.00162
Highlighted in cover page and news
Author interview
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