Stephen Schrader Email & Phone Number

Johnston, Iowa, United States

• Team Leader and lead research scientist for wheat double haploid production and laboratory innovation
• Innovation scientist for maize double haploid production
• Developed AI analysis of corn embryos / Seedlings for predictive capabilities using hyperspectral imaging
• Improved plant quality with improved cold room and culture room environmental controls.
• Drove paternal and maternal double haploid wheat development based on statistical analysis of production data
• Drove process enhancements in wheat double haploid data reporting through web-based reporting to remote breeding locations using Power Bi

Johnston, Iowa, United States

• Facility manager and lead research scientist of 82,500 sq ft growth chamber facility with 1 acre of growth space responsible for introgressing soybean traits for commercialization and extended field testing
• Lead a diverse team of 20 individuals including people and project managers
• Evaluated and reported personnel, capital, and operational budget needs annually
• Aligned people reporting structure to business needs to drive greater agility in handling changing priorities, improving efficiency by 40%, reducing labor costs by 24%, and increasing productivity by 16%
• Drove the evaluation and utilization of LED lighting to reduce costs and improve plant performance soybean pollen preservation for process efficiency
• Partnered with engineering and greenhouse staff to evaluate and co-develop the production of ergonomic sampling tables for sample purity and the use of novel soybean photoperiod controls

St Louis, Missouri, United States

• Championed the theory of mitigating photorespiration to improve yield.
• Organized and lead the Fellows Photorespiration Panel to develop a deep understanding of the yield potential of mitigating photorespiration in C3 crops.
• Developed and tested novel hypotheses for improving crop yields by genetically manipulating photosynthesis.
• Used bioinformatic tools to identify genes, gene structure, and regulatory elements for submission to transformation.
• Analyzed and reported greenhouse and field results of genetically improved crops.
• Developed and lead the premier seminar series for the technology organization.

St Louis, Missouri, United States

• Team leader for greenhouse testing of nematicides, fungicides, insecticides, and drought alleviating chemistries.
• Lead the development of seedling fungal infection methods in soil
• Developed automation systems including seeding, transplanting, plant movement, watering, and drought induction through both commercial vendors and internal automation engineers.
• Initiated and directed the Chemistry Seminar Series which brought in both external and internal speakers
• Collaborated with diverse groups in molecular biology, breeding, engineering, and chemistry to improve herbicide discovery through automation and robotics.
• Team lead for the evaluation of new RoundUp formulations using an automated micro-sprayer, image analysis, statistical analysis, and databasing.

Urbana, Illinois, United States

• Characterized the protein-ligand interaction between Rubisco and Activase
• Characterized Activase protein kinetics spectrophotometrically to develop simpler, more precise assays

St Louis, Missouri, United States

• Evaluated bioengineered soybean and maize for discovery and commercial production
• Executed domestic and international field and greenhouse trials evaluating the efficacy, agronomics, and genetics of transgenic soybean and maize including the use of robust field statistics for data analysis
• Developed high through-put field and greenhouse screening protocols which optimized limited seed use for lab, greenhouse, and field analysis, utilizing resources across multiple teams and sites
• Applied for domestic (USDA-APHIS) and international field permits and insured compliance across sites
• Integral part of a multidisciplinary team evaluating new transgenic technologies in Yield and Stanol
• Supervised seed and tissue handling across multiple research groups throughout the United States and in Puerto Rico and Argentina

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Plant Physiology

Dissertation: Heat Stress and Photosynthesis: Contributions of the Photosynthetic Electron Transport Chain to the Decline in CO2.

Visiting Fellow, Plant Physiology

Project: Rubisco Kinetics and Inhibitor Production at High Temperature Advisors: T. John Andrews and Susanne von Caemmerer

Master Of Science - Ms, Agronomy And Crop Science

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Biology And Chemistry