NewLeaf Symbiotics Hires Formulations Manager
NewLeaf Symbiotics announces a new member of its research and development team, Michael Frodyma. He will serve as Formulations Manager.
Frodyma comes to NewLeaf from Novozymes BioAg where he worked as a senior department manager, leading the company’s research in developing biological formulations that help farmers increase crop efficiency and yield. He earned a PhD in Bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Frodyma will be relocating to St. Louis from Raleigh, N.C.
“Michael brings a decade of front-line experience, as a manager and thought leader in biological formulation research,” says Dr. Desmond Jimenez, NewLeaf Vice President, Product Development and Manufacturing. “We are fortunate to have Michael join NewLeaf at a time when our bioinformatics platform – the Prescriptive Biologics Knowledgebase – is illuminating critical associations between our probiotic bacterial strains and the world’s most important agronomic crops. Formulating synbiotic mixtures of NewLeaf bacteria with complementary chemistry will push the scientific boundaries, and allow NewLeaf to bring innovative technology to the marketplace.”
Frodyma says there are many reasons he’s excited to join NewLeaf. “We’re pursuing a group of microorganisms that have a unique relationship to plants in the field. This plant-microbe interaction is key to increasing yield, and producing crops that are much more tolerant to abiotic stresses or nutrient deficiencies. Growers are still using chemistries to support the crops they grow, but I think many are starting to recognize the benefits of applying a live, stable microorganism to improve yield. I think the NewLeaf science makes sense not only for farmers, but for others in the industry too.”
He adds that being part of the globally-renowned St. Louis plant science community further fueled his decision to join NewLeaf. “The St. Louis community of plant and agricultural scientists, particularly in the biotech area, is without a doubt a global center for excellence. We’re in the middle of the world’s prime agricultural area. Within minutes, you can be in a corn or soybean field where farmers are using our technology. That’s exciting, and, with this level of support, I think we can achieve innovations beyond our dreams.”
