Nathaniel Krefman

About Nathaniel Krefman

I am a Ph.D. molecular biologist with a core expertise in yeast physiology and genetics, as well as automated and artisanal strain engineering toward small molecule production via microbial fermentation. Between 2017 and 2020, while working as strain engineer, I made key contributions to two successful molecule projects, which produced critical IP and products that are now manufactured at commercial scale and available in consumer products.Since 2020, I have led infrastructure projects to build the next generation of Amyris\'s world-class automated strain engineering pipeline. I oversee an interdisciplinary team that includes software engineers, automation engineers, and data scientists, as well as associate scientists in molecular biology. As a project manager, I have a track record of delivering impactful molecular biology methods, software apps, and Excel tools, as well as developing and operationalizing multiple automated high-throughput molecular biology methods. These have transformed the way that Amyris generates and screens our engineered strains.My work has required nurturing strong relationships with stakeholders with very different organizational roles and representing diverse capabilities, understanding and balancing the competing needs of users, developers, operational teams, and organizational leadership, as well as giving consistent consideration to feedback, user-adoption, and change management. I have a broad vision, in addition to patience and attention for granular, technical detail, which ensures that each deliverable or tactical decision is thoroughly scoped and advances our organizational goals.I\'m delighted to network. I look forward to speaking with you!

Experience

1. Scientist, Microbial Strain Engineer

   Amyris

   Feb 2017 — Present · Emeryville, CA, US

   Analysis and design of metabolic pathways for the production of a wide variety of molecules using a variety of different microbes• Using computational tools to translate metabolic pathway designs into DNA constructs• Working together with the automated strain engineering, high-throughput screening, and fermentation groups to build and test designed strains• Analyzing data from phenotype tests and using knowledge of metabolism to design a new set of DNA designs for the next round of strain engineering• Developing next-generation technologies that make strain engineering more efficient• Managing and coordinating complex experimental schedules within a broader team• Maintaining safe practices and work environment

Education

• Paw Paw High School

  Diploma

  1998 — 2002

• Kalamazoo College

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Biology

  2002 — 2006

• Centro Nacional de Biotechnolgía

  Fulbright Scholar, Molecular and Cell Biology

  2007 — 2008

• Universidad Nebrija

  International Study (Madrid, Spain)

  2004 — 2005

• University of California, Berkeley

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Molecular and Cell Biology

  2008 — 2014

Skills

• Cell Cycle
• Western Blotting
• Molecular Biology
• Fluorescence Microscopy
• Web Scraping
• Leadership
• Microscopy
• Adobe Illustrator
• Genetic Selection
• Tirf Microscopy
• Cell Culture
• Bioinformatics
• Imagej
• Live-Cell Fluorescence Microscopy
• Molecular Cloning
• Cell Biology
• Science
• Biochemistry
• Mutagenesis
• Super-Resolution Microscopy
• Image Processing
• Genetics
• Gibson Cloning
• Genetic Screens
• Large-Scale Yeast Culture
• Github
• Presentation Skills
• Protein Purification
• Immunofluorescence
• Graphpad Prism
• Research
• Mitosis
• Golden Gate Cloning
• Microbial Strain Engineering
• Scientific Writing
• Microscoft Office Suite
• Laboratory
• Matlab
• Image Analysis
• Pcr