Senior Research ScientistIn charge of a successful mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) strain development programNext Generation SequencingMolecular BreedingSNP generation and analysis using the Illumina platformSylvan has two current, successful strains that were developed 'in house'

Senior Research ScientistWorked in various aspects of mushroom spawn production, including:QA/QC across the spawn making process, from grain to finished productClose work with IR4 testing various crop protection productsFormulation of synthetic and natural solid substrates, for the growth of a range of fungi and bacteriaGrowing nutraceutical fungiGrowth of spores of biocontrol fungiRunning a microbiology lab for contamination testing of products and ingredientsDevelopment of novel biocontrol organisms

Project Leader of the strain development group of Amycel, one of the world's leading mushroom spawn companies.Developed breeding pedigrees based around DNA markers, used in Marker Assisted Selection.Expertise in manufacturing mushroom spawnBecame familiar with all aspects of mushroom growing.Patent:Mushroom caps with reduced scalingPatent number: 5832659Abstract: Agaricus bisporus mushroom strains having characteristics of mushroom strain AA-0028, ATCC accession No. 74325, or a progeny thereof and having improved whiteness over commercial mushrooms of the U1 strain are disclosed along with methods of producing new white mushroom strains.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 1995Date of Patent: November 10, 1998Assignee: Amycel, Inc.Inventors: Mark Gareth Loftus, Stephen Christopher Lodder, Erik J. Legg