Benjamin Kilian, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Ben Kilian serves in the Biology & Chemistry department as Associate Professor of Biology. He recently returned from Lusaka, Zambia, where he was part of the initial development of African Christian University, where he developed an Agriculture program. His academic background is in plant genetics and molecular biology, with current research focused on protein systems in the context of agriculture and food production.
Dr. Kilian’s research interests include molecular insights in forage crop development, soil microbial ecology, and ethical meat production. He is building a hands-on undergraduate research program centered on meat rabbit genetics, beef systems, value-addition through jerky and protein products, and soil–plant–microbe interactions in Central Virginia pastures.
He is committed to training students to think critically and work carefully, always integrating rigorous science with a broader view of human and environmental stewardship. His classroom emphasizes both mastery of foundational content and engagement with real-world applications.
Courses Taught
- BIOL224 – General Biology I
- BIOL224L – General Biology Lab I
- BIOL301L – Genetics Lab
Research Interests
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Sustainable protein systems (rabbit and beef)
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Soil microbiology and plant health
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Agricultural value-addition
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Integration of undergraduates into applied research
Publications
- Richard M. Sharpe, Benjamin Kilian, Tyson Koepke, Rishikesh Ghogare, Nnadozie Oraguzie, Matthew Whiting, Lee A. Meisel, Herman Silva, Amit Dhingra. (2022), Draft genome data of Prunus avium cv ‘Stella’, Data in Brief, Volume 45, 108611, ISSN 2352-3409, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2022.108611.
- Hewitt S, Kilian B, Koepke T, Abarca J, Whiting M, Dhingra A. (2021) Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Potential Mechanisms for Ethylene-Inducible Pedicel–Fruit Abscission Zone Activation in Non-Climacteric Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium L.). Horticulturae. 2021; 7(9):270. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7090270
- Richard M. Sharpe, Luke Gustafson, Seanna Hewitt, Benjamin Kilian, James Crabb, Christopher Hendrickson, Derick Jiwan, Preston Andrews, Amit Dhingra. (2020). Concomitant phytonutrient and transcriptome analysis of mature fruit and leaf tissues of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Oregon Spring) grown using organic and conventional fertilizer. PloS One. 15, e0227429
- Hewitt, S., Kilian, B., Hari, R., Koepke, T., Sharpe, R., & Dhingra, A. (2017). Evaluation of multiple approaches to identify genome-wide polymorphisms in closely related genotypes of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.). Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, 15, 290–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csbj.2017.03.002