Jim Kealey

Dr. Jim Kealey has an extensive background in biochemistry, molecular biology, enzymology, and synthetic biology. He has focused his research efforts using these skills to engineer organisms, including yeast, to produce small molecules, pharmaceuticals, and biofuels. At Intrexon, Jim built and managed a large research team that developed pioneering methods and platforms to convert inexpensive methane into higher-value products. His use of a Design-Build-Test-Learn approach allowed him to grow his cross-functional team to 30+ members while rapidly engineering molecules from proof of concept to pilot commercialization scale. In his role as director, he served as a point person for presenting the team’s work to a variety of outside audiences.

Prior to Intrexon, Jim led a number of groups at Amyris whose focus was the rapid engineering and development of S. cerevisiae to produce terpenes for industrial applications – (terpenes are common compounds in cannabis). While as Kosan Biosciences, Jim led groups that focused on the production of polyketides – a class of molecules that include anticancer, antibiotic, and cannabinoids.

Jim earned a BA in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from UC Santa Cruz and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from UCSF.