James Chong

Professor James Chong is the Head of the Department of Biology at the University of York, where he holds a Professorial appointment. His research focuses on anaerobic applied systems biology, particularly methanogenic archaea and their roles in anaerobic digestion (AD). He leads interdisciplinary projects involving industrial partners to model and optimize AD processes, including the development of the System-60 facility for large-scale microbial consortia analysis. Collaborations with the Biorenewables Development Centre have advanced AD reactor technology. His lab specializes in methanogen genetics and environmental isolates, such as novel anaerobes from Antarctic seawater. Chong is also committed to education, emphasizing data analysis via Unix, Python, and bioinformatics on advanced computing clusters. He has received prestigious awards, including the BBSRC David Phillips Research Fellowship and the Biosciences Yorkshire Enterprise Fellowship.

• Research Themes: Methanogenesis, renewable energy, microbial community dynamics.
• Key Projects: Anaerobic digestion optimization, genetic manipulation of methanogens.

His work bridges fundamental biology with industrial applications, contributing to sustainable waste-to-energy solutions and climate change mitigation.