As the world's population nearly reaches 10 billion in the year 2050, global crop production will need to double to meet the projected demands for food, feed, fiber, biochemicals, and phytomedicines. AFINGEN® and CLIMATE BIO® (www.afingen.tech; www.climatebio.tech; legal name: Astalake Biosystems, Inc.) develops novel biotechnology platforms for crops to grow faster and healthier and meet the natural resource demand in a new sustainable manner.

Astalake Biosystems, Inc. (www.astalakebio.com) is a bioinformatics-based genetic improvement company towards a low-cost, large-scale high-yielding botanical-based production of high-value biochemicals, nutraceuticals, and translational medicines. The company's novel biotechnology platform, cisgenic/intragenic/transgenic approaches, improves desirable metabolic traits.

Specializing in genetic engineering of eukaryotic organisms (energy crops and yeasts) for high-yield biomass and bio-based chemical production at Berkeley Lab's Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts Process Development (ABPDU) and Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), state-of-the-art facilities funded by the Department of Energy.

Performed molecular biology, biochemistry, and bioinformatics analysis at Berkeley Lab and revealed functions of several Golgi-localized carbohydrate-active enzymes, which are essential for understanding the fundamental mechanism of plant cell wall components, deposition, and accumulation.

USDA-NIFA Small Business Innovation Research Program FY16, FY19, FY20, and FY23 Phase I. Developing cisgenic/intragenic regulatory DNA approaches to enable hay and silage forage crops to grow faster and make biomass yields higher.

NASA Small Business Technology Transfer Program FY17 Phase I. Developed cisgenic/intragenic regulatory DNA approaches for rotation crops towards better nutrient recycling systems on Mars and Earth.

DOE Small Business Innovation Research Programs FY14 Fast-Track & FY15 Phase I. Developed cisgenic/intragenic regulatory DNA approaches to improve bioenergy crop, switchgrass, and model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae for high-yield bio-based chemical production.

Led Afingen's research/business teams and established/executed crop biorefinery research projects supported by strategic partnerships and U.S. DOE, USDA, and NASA's small business innovation research and tech-transfer research programs.

Launched Afingen, Inc. as the first employee. Applied novel biotech platforms in developing low-cost lignocellulosic biofuels that are cost-competitive with gasoline and corn grain ethanol.

Scientific and legal documents for scientific certificate applications were translated from English to Japanese.

Led a collaboration research entitled -"Unraveling gene network involved in barley seed development by LCM (Laser-captured Microdissection)") with Professor Timothy Nelson at Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology of Yale University. The study was funded by Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists (JSPP) Fellowship, established by a donation from Dr. Nam-Hai Chua at Rockefeller University, based on his 2005 "International Prize for Biology" from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).