Mike Chen

Mike Chen's work experience begins in 2000 at UC Berkeley, where they worked as a Research Assistant in the Alexander Katz Research Group. In this role, they designed and synthesized meso-porous silica materials and catalysts, as well as established assays for characterizing interactions at the interface between self-assembling monolayers and gold nanoparticles.

In 2003, Mike joined Applied Materials as a Process Engineer. Mike formulated etching recipes for prototype plasma etching tools, oversaw tool installations, and provided training and coordination for continuous improvement programs.

From 2005 to 2012, Mike worked at the California Institute of Technology as a Postdoctoral Scholar and later as a Graduate Researcher in the Frances H. Arnold Research Group. During this time, they generated novel enzyme variants using directed evolution, broadening the substrate range of cytochrome P450s. Mike also developed high throughput screens and applied protein engineering techniques to produce diverse enzyme libraries.

In 2012, Mike joined Gevo as a Protein Engineer and Research Scientist. At Gevo, they developed improved yeast strains for the commercial production of isobutanol and implemented robotics and automation for strain evaluation.

In 2014, Mike became the Principal Scientist at Provivi, Inc. Mike supported start-up business development, obtained and managed grants for biosynthesis platform development, and oversaw the growth of Provivi from a team of three to over 50 employees. Mike also launched and managed an internal bioprocessing team.

Mike's roles at Provivi progressed, and they became the Director of Bioprocess Development in 2018. In this position, they managed internal bioprocessing teams and executed technology transfers with toll manufacturing partners to successfully commercialize biosynthesis processes.

In 2021, Mike was promoted to Associate Vice President of Bioprocess Development at Provivi, and in 2022, they became the Vice President of Biocatalyst & Bioprocess R&D. In this role, they directed research, development, and innovation initiatives for biocatalyst-derived pheromone products, provided scientific and technical leadership, and managed toll manufacturing partner relationships.

Overall, Mike Chen has a diverse and extensive background in bioprocess development, protein engineering, and process engineering, with a focus on the development and commercialization of biological products.

Mike Chen earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, where they attended from 1998 to 2002. Following their undergraduate studies, they pursued further education at Caltech, earning a PhD in Chemical Engineering from 2004 to 2011.