Pearl Mai

Pearl Mai has extensive work experience in the field of molecular biology and plant transformation. Pearl began their career in 1982 as an Assistant Agronomist at the Sugarcane Industry Research Institute in China, where they focused on tissue culture, breeding, and germplasm collection. From 1992 to 1995, they worked as an Experimentalist at the Hawaiian Agriculture Research Center, improving coffee somatic embryogenesis methods and optimizing transformation systems for coffee and sugarcane.

In 1995, Pearl joined the United States Sugar Corp. as a Molecular Biologist, where they designed a tissue culture lab and established transformation systems for sugarcane and citrus. Pearl continued their work in genetic transformation at Syngenta from 2008 to 2016, starting as a Research Scientist and later becoming a Senior Research Scientist. Pearl contributed to the establishment and improvement of transformation protocols for sugarcane and maize, produced transgenic plants using various methods, and filed a patent for sugarcane transformation improvement. Additionally, they served as a Project Workstream Lead, managing collaborations, monitoring project progress, and organizing tele-conferences.

Since 2016, Pearl has been working at U.S. Sugar Corp as a Senior Project Manager/Scientist.

Pearl Mai earned a Bachelor's Degree in Agronomy from South China Agricultural University, where they studied from 1978 to 1982. Pearl then pursued a Master's Degree in Botany/Plant Biology from California State University, Chico from 1988 to 1992.