NOOSAVILLE, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Provectus Algae (Provectus), an Australia-based biotechnology company specializing in photosynthetic biomanufacturing of specialty ingredients for a wide array of industries and applications, announced today that it has appointed biotech stalwart Guillaume Barbier, PhD as its Vice President of Research and Development. Barbier has more than 15 years of experience in the sector with a proven track record of building and leading successful teams and programs.
He joins Provectus from Ginkgo Bioworks, specialists in using genetic engineering to produce microbes with industrial applications, where he was senior technical director. Before that, Barbier was senior program director for microbial nitrogen fixation at Joyn Bio, a joint biosustainability venture between Bayer and Ginkgo Bioworks that developed plant probiotics.
He has extensive expertise in synthetic biology, protein engineering and purification, metabolic engineering, fermentation, and high throughput project design. As a team leader, Barbier strongly emphasizes mentorship and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). He also has more than six patents in the field of protein and metabolic engineering.
“I am excited to take on this role at Provectus Algae. Provectus’ consistent focus on ensuring its platform operates from discovery through commercialization resonates with where I think the synbio field must head. In addition to having big ideas, synbio companies need to think more strategically and deliberately about how they deliver value to society. Provectus understands that for its sustainable biomanufacturing platform to make a difference in the world, it must routinely deliver functional bioproducts where they’re needed,” said Barbier.
“Guillaume’s approach emphasizes the use of digital and synthetic biology tools to create effective, pragmatic solutions for the future sustainability needs of the world’s industries. Having someone of his experience join Provectus reinforces the organization’s commitment to looking beyond traditional synbio approaches. Many biotech firms get caught up in the excitement and promise of their synbio platforms instead of establishing a clear path to market from the outset. Having Guillaume head up our R&D strengthens our resolve to become the world's most sustainable biomanufacturer,” said Nusqe Spanton, Founder and CEO of Provectus Algae.
Synbio organizations often herald their discovery platforms as their value generator. But once they reach late-stage product development and commercial manufacturing, these companies often run into trouble. Typically, it is only at this point that investors realize that not nearly enough attention was placed on developing end-to-end technologies and solutions required for reaching a commercially viable product and market entry.
“Provectus remains focused on building a complete product pipeline and identifying how to get our customers’ products to the market fast. It is as much about knowing when to optimize as it is about putting the skills in place to adapt technology applications for customers and their products. With Barbier helping the organization drive this, we can accelerate our efforts and continue to expand on our value proposition,” said Spanton.
ABOUT PROVECTUS ALGAE
Provectus Algae is an Australian biotech company that programs algae to produce the world’s most valuable specialty ingredients. By accelerating nature, their team can optimize unique microalgae to produce a whole new range of natural products in a process described as Precision Photosynthesis™. Using next-generation techniques, the company has also developed a synthetic biology stack that complements and competes with existing production platforms to deliver high-performance and sustainable products. To learn more, please visit https://provectusalgae.com.
