As the Chief Technology Officer and R&D Management Executive, I spearheaded the research and development (R&D) initiatives in strain engineering, fermentation, downstream processing (DSP), and application development, resulted in the commercialization of two biopolymer products. My key responsibilities included:• R&D Program Direction: Led comprehensive R&D programs for the development of commercially competitive production technology of biopolymers and biochemicals product lines based on PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoates) platform, ensuring alignment with business objectives and market needs.• Scale-Up and Technology Transfer: Successfully managed the scale-up and technology transfer processes for the commercial production of two biopolymer products, ensuring efficient transition from laboratory to commercial scale.• Technical Guidance: Provided expert technical guidance throughout the establishment of pilot and commercial-scale manufacturing facilities for the production of bioproducts.• Team Leadership: Built and managed a diverse R&D team of up to 110 professionals, including scientists, engineers, and technicians.• Strategic Partnerships: Established and nurtured strategic partnerships with academic institutions and commercial research entities.• Strategic Planning: Engaged in both short-term and long-term strategic planning for technology development.• Business Strategy Assistance: Collaborated with the Top Management Team to develop business and marketing strategies that aligned with our technological advancements and market potential.• Intellectual Property Management: Oversaw the maintenance and development of the intellectual property portfolio, safeguarding our innovations and enhancing our competitive edge.• Budget Development and Research Delivery: Responsible for the development of R&D budgets and strategic plans, ensuring the achievement of research objectives within financial constraints.

In my role as Director of Research and Development, I successfully established and managed the R&D branch of a foreign company in the United States, focusing on advancing innovative biotechnologies and enhancing production processes. My primary responsibilities included:• R&D Branch Establishment: Spearheaded the setup and management of a new R&D center in the U.S., aligning our operations with corporate goals while fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment.• Program Direction: Directed R&D programs specializing in strain and fermentation process development, with a strong emphasis on optimizing biopolymer production to improve efficiency and yield.• Strategic Leadership: Led a dedicated R&D Strategy team responsible for exploring emerging biotechnologies within the biochemicals and biopharma sectors. This involved evaluating new technologies and executing strategic business partnerships to bolster innovation.• Collaborative Project Management: Managed collaborative projects focused on the process development for producing biologics, specifically targeting the use of outer membrane vesicles as vaccine candidates, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams and external partners.• Intellectual Property Oversight: Maintained and developed the intellectual property portfolio related to biopolymers, ensuring the protection of innovative technologies and maintaining a competitive edge in the marketplace.• Budget Development and Execution: Responsible for developing comprehensive R&D budgets and strategic plans, ensuring the timely delivery of research objectives while adhering to financial constraints.

In my role as Director/Team Lead of the Microbial Research team, I led a dynamic group of 3 to 12 scientists and research associates focused on advancing microbial biotechnology to drive innovation in the bioplastics industry. My key responsibilities included overseeing strain development and engineering to support the commercial production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) biopolymers, as well as C3, C4, and C5 biochemicals.• Leadership and Team Management: Successfully managed and mentored a Microbial Research team, ensuring effective collaboration, resource allocation, and project prioritization to meet critical research and development goals.• Strain Development for Commercial Production Spearheaded the development of robust microbial strains designed for the commercial-scale production of PHA biopolymers. These efforts were crucial in improving product yield and reducing production costs, directly contributing to the scalability of environmentally sustainable materials.• Metabolic Engineering Applied state-of-the-art molecular biology techniques to fine-tune microbial metabolism, driving strain performance beyond conventional benchmarks.• Cross-Functional Collaboration Worked closely with application and commercial teams to establish clear product specifications, ensuring that the biopolymer products developed by the research team met both functional and commercial requirements.• Intellectual Property Contributed to the company’s intellectual property (IP) strategy by identifying key innovations and working with the legal team to secure patent positions.• Regulatory Compliance Cntributed in preparing and submitting MCAN (Microbial Commercial Activity Notice) applications, ensuring regulatory compliance for the commercial production of PHA biopolymers.

Synthetic Biology Construct biological circuits showing switch behavior or rhythmic gene expression for the development of developmental genetic switches in E. coli

Circadian Rhythm Research on competitive advantages of circadian rhythm in cyanobacteria and halobacterium

Systems Biology Developed an expanded stringent model during growth transition of E. coli with global gene expression profiling