University of Denver

Brandeis University

Colorado State University

Molecular and Cellular Biophysics

Fermentation technician working as support for the Research and Development team. Tasks including running small scale fermentations every week to better our process at large scale at an ethanol/isobutanol plant in Luverne, MN. Gevo as a company is focused on retrofitting exiting ethanol plants to isobutanol plants. Isobutanol is a green energy alternative to ethanol and making isobutanol from corn with a metobolic altered yeast strain can help the profit margins of ethanol plants.

Gevo, Inc

Fermentation Research Associate

While at Brandeis University studying for my MS, I was a part of a bacterial genetics lab for a year. I refined my molecular biology skills pertaining to Escherichia coli. Had the opportunity to complete a thesis entitled "Quasi-palindromic sequences: a model for template-switch mutagenesis avoidance and stimulation".

Graduate Research Assistant

Full-time summer laboratory assistant. Exposed to lab technician duties in a high quality environment.

Summer Research Internship

As an undergraduate I was chosen to be part of a small team with the task of helping a professor with a project. The aim of the project was to improve an algorithm used to predict if a protein was likely to mis-fold with itself. We investigated this question by using random mutagenesis via pcr on a targeted location which revealed information about which amino acids would be better or worse at forming a certain self folding feature known as a beta-sheet. To be statistical significant we needed to screen thousands of yeast mutants for their ability to self-associate. Ample experience with Replica plating and proper Saccharomyces cerevisiae culturing methods.

Stephen Gross, PhD