Dr. Christopher G. Taylor received his B.S. in Biochemistry (1989) at Penn State University and Ph.D. in Genetics (1996) from North Carolina State University. After graduating Chris began his professional career working as a Post Doctoral Researcher in the Potato Research Unit at Monsanto (St. Louis, MO) and in 1996 he joined the Disease Control Group at Monsanto as a senior scientist with a focus on Nematology. In 1999 he joined Akkadix Inc., (San Diego, CA) as a senior scientist and group leader of the Nematode Research Group. In 2001, Chris moved his research program to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (St. Louis, MO) where he was a Principal Investigator. Chris moved his laboratory in 2009 to Ohio State University (Wooster), Ohio and is now an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology running the Root-Biotic Interaction Laboratory. Chris’s research focuses on the basic and applied biology of plant-biotic interactions with an emphasis on how plant-interacting organisms interact with plant roots. He has contributed to the study of root interactions with nitrogen-fixing and rhizosphereic bacteria, fungi, oomyctes and plant-parasitic nematodes. Of particular interest to him is how microorganisms influence developmental, physiological and biochemical changes within the root that impact plant health, reduce the incidence of disease, and improve yield.