Nazzy Pakpour

About Nazzy Pakpour

I’ve spent my career studying the insects most people want nothing to do with. Turns out that’s excellent preparation for being a startup founder.I’m the co-founder and CEO of Yeast Bay Bio, a biotech developing a yeast-based RNAi platform for species-specific pest control. Our first product, NOACH, is a cockroach bait that kills using biology instead of chemistry. No neurotoxins, no environmental accumulation, no off-target effects. And because we’re delivering RNAi through engineered yeast, the same fermentation infrastructure can be retargeted to other pest species.My path here runs through UC Davis Entomology, a PhD in Microbiology from Penn, postdoctoral work in mosquito biology back at UC Davis, and several years engineering strains at Novonesis. That last stop is where I learned what it actually takes to move a biological system from the lab into a fermenter at scale.I started Yeast Bay Bio because the structural pest control industry is overdue for something better, and the science is finally ready to deliver it. Bugs are cool. Poison in your kitchen is not.If you work in biocontrol, biopesticides, or sustainable ag, or invest in early-stage life science or climate-adjacent biotech, I’d love to connect. And if you’re a student curious about the startup world, reach out. I always have time for students.

Experience

1. Co-founder & CEO

   Yeast Bay Bio

   Aug 2025 — Present · Davis, CA, US

   My job is to turn an idea into a biotech company by being a scientist, fundraiser, recruiter, marketer, and whatever else is needed along the way.

Education

• University of Pennsylvania

  PhD, Microbiology, Virology, and Parasitology

  2002 — 2008

• University of California, Davis

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Entomology