Kelly D.D. Broccio Ph.D. Email & Phone Number

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, Us

As the External Innovation Director at Traitology, I am responsible for identifying and nurturing external innovation opportunities, forging strong relationships with key stakeholders, and driving transformative projects that advance our mission of enhancing crop productivity, sustainability, and resilience. I envision a world where Traitology plays a pivotal role in ensuring food security, environmental sustainability, and economic prosperity. By leveraging external innovation and fostering collaboration, we can unlock the potential of biotechnology to transform agriculture for the better.

Durham, North Carolina, Us

Lead standardization and optimization of protein degradation assays to achieve high throughput and ensure consistency and accuracy of data collected across 3 indications. Develop high-quality assays covering full span of crop protection. Supervise 9 direct reports on scientific team, managing mechanism of action and ligase discovery technical areas. Cultivate relationships with key scientific leaders at Bayer Crop Science and orchestrate logistics as part of collaboration agreement. • Onboarded new targeted protein mass spectrometry platform, expanding capability from 1 indication to 3 by hiring expert scientists with key skills to develop universal assay system. • Oversaw Insect Control indication over last year, leading across multiple functions and collaborating closely with Oerth Bio functional groups and Bayer Crop Science teams.

Durham, North Carolina, Us

Designed project management (PM) framework from scratch in start-up company as lead project manager across all programs. Led PM during time of rapid growth, expanding scientific team from 5 scientists to 12. Applied Agile methodology to accommodate PM systems based on current needs and created stage gate process to drive program. Prioritized essential work, informing various programs and ensuring proper resource allocation. • Built entirely new framework to clearly track thousands of compounds across multiple programs and sites, leveraging Smartsheet software to manage receipt and requests for various compound assays. • Oversaw first company laboratory move, mitigating risk of extended downtime by implementing positive control experiments to ensure consistent quality and replication of data between former lab and new one.

Durham, North Carolina, Us

Led all research activities and new product development from beginning to end with 7-member team and $1M+ budget. Oversaw teams working across entire spectrum, from molecular biology to animal nutrition, to verify product efficacy. Educated business development, marketing, and sales teams, providing correct language to explain product function and benefits to customers. Managed stage gate processes for new product development. • Improved project tracking and on-time completion 50% by creating and implementing PM system with organized reporting and accessible data. Created dashboard to manage stakeholder expectations and identify at-risk projects.• Developed and implemented digital record-keeping system for scientists to facilitate intellectual property generation.

Durham, North Carolina, Us

Oversaw 1 direct report as Senior Research Scientist while continuing full-time bench work. Led early product discovery research, screening enzyme mutants for in vitro and in vivo evaluations. Designed streamlined R&D PM system as Research Scientist and delivered final project recommendations to executive team. Collaborated to draft and submit IP patent applications. Received prestigious Founder’s Award based on exceptional performance and company dedication. • Prioritized and balanced diverse tasks in employee management, full-time research for new product discovery, and sales and marketing support, developing foundational skills in holistic, cross-functional project management.• Developed technical marketing data and delivered on-site customer training to labs in Southeast Asia, translating science to international labs while supporting sales and marketing departments.

Built strong understanding of bacterial genetics, DNA replication, and repair mechanisms. Developed new technical skill sets while applying core knowledge of x-ray crystallography to instruct other scientists in this field. Leveraged reversion-based assay systems to measure DNA point mutation rates in vivo for E. coli bacteria, identifying factors increasing or decreasing mutation rate to understand protein function. • Improved expression and yield of molybdenum cofactor protein 50% by developing new method to express entire genetic pathway and construct E. coli gene mutations.

Us

Researched lipid biochemistry and biosynthetic pathways, developing protein expression, purification, and stability methods to extract active, stable protein samples. Autonomously connected with other scientists to expand learning and problem-solving skills. Mentored grad student and fellow scientist, teaching x-ray crystallography core skills, which became focus of student’s PhD.• Led independent research initiative to define relationship between structure and function of new oxidase enzyme.• Contributed to grad student’s achievement of first-author paper and included as second author.

Understanding Enzyme Specificity within the Haloalkanoate Dehalogenase Superfamily (HADS). Comparisons have been made with two HADS members, KDO8-P phosphatase (3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonate 8-phosphate phosphatase) and KDN9-P phosphatase (2-keto-3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-nanonic acid 9-phosphate phosphatase), which have similar structure and substrates. The means of substrate specificity have been elucidated using x-ray crystallography, steady-state kinetics, and bioinformatics. Combining these techniques has allowed for insight into the subtle differences in their respective active sites and identification of substrate-specific residues. Rational mutagenesis has been used to swap the specificity of KDN9PP with that of KDOPP, providing further proof of the means of substrate selectivity. Bacterial genomic analysis of orthologous enzymes has brought to light two distinct evolutionary pathways for KDO8PP, depending on the presence or absence of KDN9PP.

Outreach teaching to elementary students: Taught 5th and 6th grade students scientific concepts using laboratory experiments aimed to increase students’ interest in scientific career fields

Raleigh, North Carolina, Us

Expressed and purified protein for use in x-ray crystallography. Developed an expression and purification protocol of Rap1A, a Ras GTPase. Began screening crystallization conditions for Rap1A and Rap1A with GMP-PNP (a non-hydrolysable analog of GTP).

Ph.D., Physiology And Biophysics

Bs, Biochemistry