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• Directed automation evaluation for double haploid process improvement• Evaluated and reported personnel, capital, and operational budget needs

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• Directed basic physiological research to improve cycle time, crossing success, and plant growth in controlled environments• Developed wheat as a secondary crop, increased project count from breeding, regulatory, and trait introgression to increase project diversity and maintain high workflows• Managed people issues including promoting, hiring, firing, and development for all employees at the facility• Developed and wrote database tracking software to track and quantify building usage and improvements

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.• Implemented new database tools for automated report generation with appropriate statistical analysis.

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• Streamlined and standardized tissue sampling, storage, and shipping techniques including shipping frozen tissue from Argentina to the United States

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