Dr. Christopher C. Hall | plantabyte.netAbout Me
 Dr. Christopher C. Hall, PhD Digital Plant Biologist | Hello! My name is Christopher Hall, and I am a digital plant biologist. What is a digital plant biologist? I'm a bit like Matt Damon's character in the movie The Martian: a tech-savvy biologist, programmer, and engineer. I invent new tools and technologies and use them in both industry and science. For example, I was the lead designer of the Industry-4.0 Algae Lab at the University of Technology Sydney. This facility combines an Internet of Things (IoT) sensor network and machine learning AI with living microalgae and biochemistry to create a first-of-its-kind self-learning photosynthetic biomanufacturing facility. That is digital plant biology. |
Skills of a Digital Plant Biologist
- Biology
- Software Engineering
- Data Science
- Electronics
Phenomics: high-throughput phenotyping, mutant screening, recombinant inbred lines, QTL mapping
Bioinformatics: genomics, BLAST, TAIR
Immunoassays: ELISA, western-blot
Microbiology: cell culture, asceptic techniques, bright & dark field microscopy
Plant & Algae Biology: identification, cultivation, molecular breeding
Spectrophotometry: absorption, fluorescence, deconvolution
Occupations
Senior Software Engineer
NASDAQ OMX, Sydney Australia. 2022 - presentDevelop and deploy automation tools for Linux system administration
Design scalable architectures for both local and cloud-based high-performance compute clusters
Research Assocate/Associate Lecturer
University of Technology Sydney, Sydney Australia. 2018 - 2022Designed and built Industry-4.0 automation systems for use with microalgae, attracting more than $2 million AUD ($1.6 million USD) in research grant funding
Invented novel IoT sensors for use in microalgal phenomics, producing 3 IP disclosures
Co-Founder/Entrepreneur
Phenometrics Inc, Lansing Michigan. 2011 - PresentCo-founded this comapny to build and sell my patented ePBRs, which I invented during my PhD
Sales to customers in more than 7 countries across four continents: North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Research Assistant
Michigan State University: DOE Plant Research Laboratories, Lansing Michigan. 2011 - 2017Invented novel phenotyping methods and scientific instruments, co-authoring two patents (US9429521B2, US9816065B2)
Conducted ground-breaking research, co-authoring 3 peer-reviewed publications and created a new first-of-its-kind research facilty:The Center for Advanced Algal and Plant Phenotyping (CAAPP)
Published thesis book: Photosynthesis and Hyperoxia
Research Assistant
Washington State University, Pullman Washington. 2009 - 2010Used kinetic spectrophotometry to study the molecular mechanisms of photosynthesis, resulting in a publication in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Developed FPGA-based precision time control devices for use in developing novel spectrophotometers
Intern
R&D Systems, Minneapolis Minnesota. 2008Developed ELISA assays for blood proteins
Used western blots to assess antibodies for suitability in ELISA assay development
Education
 | PhD Plant Biology Michigan State University, Lansing Michigan. 2017 |
 | Bachelor of Science Biochemistry, Genetics University of Minnesota, Minneapolis/St. Paul Minnesota. 2009 |