Luis Marquez

Luis Marquez has a diverse work experience in the field of plant sciences. Luis began their career as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Noble Foundation from 2003 to 2006, where they conducted research in plant biology. Luis then worked as an Associate Researcher at the Fundación Instituto de Estudios Avanzados (IDEA) from 2007 to 2009. In 2010, they became an Aggregate Professor at the Universidad Simón Bolívar, where they taught courses related to their field.

In 2011, Luis joined Penn State University as a Postdoctoral Fellow, focusing on characterizing viruses of fungal endophytes isolated from plants. During their time there, they also contributed to teaching various courses in virus ecology and plant virology.

From 2013 to 2017, Luis worked at Indigo, a company involved in Symbiotic Agriculture. Luis held multiple roles, starting as a Scientist and eventually progressing to the position of Principal Scientist/Associate Fellow. At Indigo, they played a key role in pioneering microbial solutions and developing a platform for microbiome product discovery in important crops.

Moving on to Joyn Bio in 2020, Luis assumed the position of Director for Plant-Microbe Interactions (PMI). At Joyn Bio, they worked on engineering crop-colonizing microbes to provide sustainable and high-performing biological solutions for growers.

In 2022, Luis joined Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc. as the Director of Plant-Microbe Interactions. Luis focused on the relationship between plants and microbes, contributing to their understanding and potential applications.

Currently, Luis Marquez holds the position of Head of Plant Sciences at Robigo, a role which they assumed in 2023.

Luis Marquez has an extensive education history in the field of biology. Luis obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Molecular and Evolutionary Biology from James Cook University, studying from 1998 to 2002. Prior to that, they pursued a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Ecology at Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, IVIC, from 1995 to 1997. Their earlier education includes earning a Licentiate degree in Biology, General from Universidad Simón Bolívar, where they studied from 1988 to 1994.

In addition to their formal education, Luis Marquez also holds a certification in Strategic Thinking from LinkedIn, which they obtained in September 2020.