Rachelle Lapham

About Rachelle Lapham

Versatile and adaptable research scientist, project, lab, and program manager with 16 years of experience and expertise in microbiology, biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, biotechnology, plant pathology, gene editing, crop engineering, sustainable ingredients, biofuels, and governmental regulatory practices. Managed and led a team of cell biologists to deliver high quality research data and gene-edited plants/cell cultures in a variety of crop species for projects related to plant disease resistance and plant-based sustainable ingredients. Engineered novel bacterial strains for the production of secondary metabolites and gene edited plants. 13 years of experience fostering and coordinating multidisciplinary and cross-functional projects including several international collaborations with over ten years of experience mentoring, teaching, and training younger scientists and students. Five years of experience leading a research team and serving as coordinator and microbiology subject matter expert. Six years of experience managing day-to-day lab operations. 10 years of participating and leading science communication, outreach, and advocacy projects. 9 years of working in academic research settings and 7 years working in industry with six of those years being in a start-up.

Experience

1. Technology Center Manager

   Cte Global Inc

   Dec 2025 — Present · St Paul, MN, US

   Managed all aspects of CTE’s Technology Center, including Research and Development (R&D), Advanced Lab Analyses, and Customer Outreach programs-Led R&D initiatives at the forefront of bioprocess science to advance CTE Global’s innovative portfolio of products and services-Mentored and collaborated with Technology Center direct reports and other personnel to aim for continuous performance improvement and development-Collaborated across departments and with external experts to resolve critical challenges, ensuring the integration of the latest advancements and best practices in bioprocess science from bench scale to industrial scale-Represented CTE’s Technology Center at industry events and at customer sites, delivering technical presentations and building productive working relationships across the industry-Led technical discussions during internal team training sessions, customer reviews, and industry conference events, clearly articulating complex scientific concepts and technical details to a range of audiences-Diagnosed, troubleshooted, and resolved complex technical issues in fermentation, enzymatic activity, and process optimization using advanced tools-Utilized JMP and other scientific software for data analysis to model and interpret complex data to uncover actionable insights for advancing innovation-Contributed to managing the Stage Gate process to ensure timely product development and successful commercial product launch process-Coordinated meetings and daily R&D activities with lab personnel for effective action and improved lab productivity-Developed detailed R&D and Advanced Lab Analyses standard operating procedures; ensure meticulous execution of such by all lab personnel-Prepared and managed internal training and customer training programs, including Lab Roundtable discussions.

Education

• Purdue University

  Bachelor of Science (BS), Biology/Biological Sciences

  2008 — 2012

• Purdue University

  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Molecular Biology

  2013 — 2019

Skills

• Real-Time Pcr
• Harvesting
• Capillary Electrophoresis
• T-Tests
• Time Management
• Protein Electrophoresis
• Microsoft Technologies
• Pcr Primer Design
• Anova
• Dna Extraction
• Sterilization
• Protein Expression
• Ncbi
• Cell Culture
• Genome Analysis
• Rna Isolation
• Site-Directed Mutagenesis
• Team Leadership
• Optical Microscopy
• Gel Electrophoresis
• Recombinant Dna Technology
• Problem Solving
• Media Preparation
• Community Outreach
• Genotyping
• Dna Electrophoresis
• Pfam
• Plant Breeding
• Blast
• Bacterial Transformation
• Rna Biology
• Cdna Synthesis
• Qpcr
• Plant Transformation
• Sample Preparation
• Pcr
• Fertilization
• Gene Expression Profiling
• Pesticide Application
• Microbiology