Prasanna Kankanala
Strategic R&D | Soil Health | Biostimulants | Plant Pathology | Molecular Biology | Microbiomes | Product development | Regulatory | Ag-tech | Cross-functional leadership | Project Management
- Role
- Project Manager, Nonprofit Initiatives, African Countries at Smva Trust
- Location
- Ames, IA, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Prasanna Kankanala
I am a visionary leader with 15+ years of experience turning innovation into market-leading solutions. With a track record of translating scientific breakthroughs into commercially successful, scalable and high-impact solutions, I build high-performing teams and engage diverse audiences—from growers and investors to industry leaders and academia. Expert in microbiomes, digital ag technologies, soil health, RNAi, and molecular biology, I have led R&D initiatives in plant-microbe interactions, fungal and bacterial strain development, comparative transcriptomics, and metabolomics to drive real-world impact. My work integrates nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and plant pathology to develop translational products that enhance agricultural sustainability.
Experience
Project Manager, Nonprofit Initiatives, African Countries
Apr 2016 — Present
Built and led diverse teams to execute health, education, water access, and youth development projects across Zambia, Uganda, and Nigeria. Collaborated with governments, nonprofits, and industry partners to drive sustainable impact.*Led school infrastructure and clean water initiatives, improving access to education and essential resources.*Spearheaded health and youth development programs, equipping communities with long-term solutions.*Engaged local leaders and stakeholders to ensure project sustainability and community ownership.
Education
Kansas State University
B.S., Biology
2001 — 2002
Kansas State University
Ph.D., Genetics
2002 — 2007
Skills
- Qc
- Bioreactor Operation
- Confocal Microscopy
- Cloning
- Hplc
- Cell
- Scientific Writing
- Cross-Functional Team Leadership
- Dna
- Genomics
- Life Sciences
- Science
- Lifesciences
- Strain Engineering
- Cell Biology
- Project Lead
- Management Skills
- Sop Development
- Oral & Written Communication Skills
- Molecular Biology
- Pcr
- Biofuels
- Strain Development (Fungal and Bacterial)
- Analytical Skills
- Rt-Pcr
- Fungal Biology
- Ip
- Molecular Genetics
- Biotechnology
- Glm
- Fungal Genomics
- Qpcr
- Scientific Communications
- Microbial Fermentation
- Gc
- Transcriptomics
- Plant Genomics
- Technical Reports
- Research
- Patent Drafting
Find verified contacts for anyone on LinkedIn
Unifers gives sales teams verified emails and direct dials, enriched profiles, and outreach that lands in the inbox.
Free plan included · No credit card required
This profile is compiled from publicly available professional sources. Unifers is not affiliated with or endorsed by LinkedIn. Request removal of this profile.