Eric Steen

Eric Steen is the CEO and Co-founder of Lygos, a biotechnology company based in Emeryville, California, focused on producing sustainable chemicals through innovative fermentation processes. He has held the CEO position since July 2014, having previously served as the Chief Scientific Officer and Founder from April 2010 to July 2014. Under his leadership, Lygos has secured over $210 million in funding from various sources, including the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Science Foundation.12

Steen's academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering from Brown University and a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, San Francisco. He also completed a program in Management of Technology at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business.12

His work at Lygos aims to replace toxic petrochemical processes with biotechnological solutions, emphasizing the company's mission to create high-performing and sustainable products. Lygos has gained recognition for its innovative approaches, particularly in the production of malonic acid using engineered yeast strains, which has significant implications for the chemical industry.34