Then and Now: 120 Bioeconomy Pioneers look at yesterday, today, inspirations and challenges

Tim Geistlinger

Then: “I was a postdoctoral scientist and instructor at Harvard Med, and Dana Farber institute, studying breast cancer research with Myles Brown, chief of medical oncology. We were publishing breakthroughs on CHiP-Seq to identify citrome regulation and causes of cancer for endometrial, breast, skin and prostate. That work lead to clinical breakthroughs with Novartis that are still being developed today. And I was interviewing for a crazy job (according to my peers in oncology) to create an antimalarial and biofuel using yeast, at Amyris.”

Now: “Today I am the CTO at Perfect Day, making proteins for tomorrow. Navigating in this position has required that i pull from every corner of my career, from working within the medical field to create cures for diabetes, oncology, and infectious disease; in the bioeconomy to create novel biofuels and polymers from fermentation at Amyris; to creating plant based, solid, food nutrition at Beyond Meat.

Inspirations: Ten years has taught me how to fail more gracefully, how to identify and be blown away by young talent, how to focus, and how to get out of the way.” We are fortunate to live in a time where we as scientists have the opportunity, and luxury, to solve big problems (energy, clean air, food safety, nutrition, clean water, infectious disease, animal welfare,..) for future generations; by dreaming, designing, creating, testing, and making new technologies and opportunities a reality. It’s the right place and right time for creative scientists, and that’s not going to change.

Challenges: Current political environment is not supportive of knowledge; good science often takes too long for the fast pace of economic/investment cycles; and science is really hard!  None of this is new, a constant struggle we all have to smile through while continuing to look for the break-through data points and opportunities.