Helge Zieler, PhD

CEO at Primrose Bio

Speaker

Helge is a biotechnology professional and entrepreneur with >20 years of industry experience in technology development, R&D project leadership and IP development/management in early-stage biotechnology companies. He has a passion for early-stage genetic technologies, and has helped launch the operations of multiple biotechnology startups. Helge did his doctorate work in yeast molecular genetics in Nobel Laureate Paul Berg’s laboratory at Stanford University’s Biochemistry Department and received his PhD in 1994. Following an interest in malaria research he then did his post-doctoral work in the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. Starting in 2000, Helge helped start and advance projects in crop plant biotechnology and genomics in multiple startup companies. He led a group at Chromatin Inc that successfully developed artificial chromosomes as gene delivery vehicles in crop species. As Senior Director for Plant Genomics at Synthetic Genomics Inc, he spearheaded efforts to sequence the oil palm and jatropha genomes and set up a molecular breeding project for castor improvement, while also participating in metagenomic studies of microbial populations in subsurface hydrocarbons. Helge founded Primordial Genetics in 2011 with the goal of developing a novel whole-genome genetic technology for improving the performance of microbes and enzymes. The company launched its operations in 2013 and, following two years of technology development, focused on developing manufacturing systems for nucleic acids used in therapeutics, diagnostics and R&D products. Helge's background combines strong technical skills in molecular biology, genomics, plant and algal biotechnology and synthetic biology with entrepreneurism and R&D project leadership.