Paimun (PJ) Amini

Water is a vital resource for California farms, ranches, and vineyards. As scarcity grows, so does the need for innovation. Efficient use of water and resources isn’t just about sustainability—it’s about yield, produce quality, resilience, and profitability. Today, our U.S. Desert Control team demonstrates the versatility of Liquid Natural Clay #LNC in action, applying it through the drip irrigation system of a California vineyard. The mineral liquid seeps into the ground, creating soil structure around the root system that retains water and nutrients like a sponge. This maximizes every drop for healthier vines, improved grape quality, and thriving, future-ready farming operations. 💡 Implementing soil and water conservation solutions in established fields as seamlessly as applying water makes it accessible, scalable, and affordable—good for the bottom line and our planet! #WaterConservation #SustainableViticulture #AgriTech #CaliforniaFarming

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It’s exciting to see Oregon policy makers eager to learn how the state can work to build and strengthen every level of the state’s biotech ecosystem. Our three big takeaways today were… 1) Venture creation often starts in academic labs after new intellectual property is filed. If the state worked to increase research funding to flagship institutions like Oregon State University, the University of Oregon, Portland State, and OHSU, we would likely see an increase in the number of patents filed in Oregon. Additionally, any funding used to reduce tuition costs or prevent further increasess would limit the burden of student-debt on Oregonians, making entrepreneurship less risky for young people who would otherwise be forced into a traditional career path. Either policy could increase the number of biotech (and general deeptech)companies in Oregon. 2) The Oregon Bioscience Incubator and OTRADI is a wonderful organization that provides an essential early-stage landing pad for startups in the form of low-cost laboratory space. However, there’s a lot of room for impactful growth for OBI as the steward of biotech in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. We identified a list of aspirational peers for OBI like MassBio, The Engine, and other government and non-government organizations around the globe. These organizations provide a template for success and roadmap for growing the biotech industry in Oregon. In my opinion, the legislature should adopt policies to increase OBI funding for improved facilities, increased SBIR/STTR-matching, and enhanced programming for entrepreneurial education and investor relations. Implementing these changes will increase the chance of success for Oregon-grown startups. Moreover, when coupled with Portland’s low cost-of-living compared to hubs like SF & Boston, these changes could attract other startups to the region. 3) Finally, we discussed what incentives there are for successful companies grown in Oregon to stay in Oregon. We discussed the recent example of AbSci, a 100+ employee biotech company, which started in Portland but later moved to Vancouver, Washington for rational financial decisions — due in-part to Washington-state incentives. In my opinion, the state should work to assess and understand disparities between Oregon and other states’ (especially WA & CA) policies that incentivize companies to leave. Matching those incentives so Oregon companies stay in Oregon would be a great first step. More optimistically, the growth of biotech could be used to increase the number of companies in Portland’s urban core. Biotech companies, even those that leverage the latest laboratory automation tools, generally require their scientists be in-office 5 days/week to work in the lab. Policies from the state, or even the City of Portland, that support office-to-lab conversions would certainly be a boon for the industry and the City of Portland. Note, I’m biased here as someone working to grow an R&D team in Portland.

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Come hear the latest on genome editing in plants from our Chief Development Officer at SynBioBeta!

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This article appeared today in Feedstuffs. It reviews the results of a collaborative study between MBFT and Dr. Maricarmen Garcia at the University of Georgia using our T-Max vaccine platform. Funding for the study of this prototype vaccine for prevention of ILTV infection in hatchling chickens was provided by a grant from the US Egg and Poultry Foundation. Based on positive initial results, we are continuing this work with Dr. Garcia to make further improvements prior to commercial development. As you are aware, our goal is to set a new standard for animal health vaccines that are both safe and broadly protective. This is a challenging goal but one we believe that we can achieve. 

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Peter Kelly and I has the Honor to meet Prof. Venkatesan Sundaresan, 2024 Wolf Prize winner (often referred to as the "Nobel Prize of Agriculture) in Agriculture, at the Rice Functional Genomics Conference today. His groundbreaking work on synthetic apomixis aligns perfectly with Grow Further's mission to support innovative agricultural research. Prof. Sundaresan's discoveries have the potential to empower smallholder farmers globally, enabling them to produce high-yield crops more sustainably. It's inspiring to see how cutting-edge plant science can directly impact food security and farmer livelihoods - exactly the kind of research Grow Further aims to accelerate. #AgInnovation #FoodSecurity #GrowFurther #climatechange

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Aanika Biosciences, Inc. will be discussing a new product today, allowing manufacturers, retailers, applicators and farmers to trace the drift of agrochemcials. Spray drift is a major problem in agriculture. Dicamba was recently banned by the EPA due to labeling issues, which stem from the allegation that the off-target movement of the chemical damaged over 4 million acres of soy beans alone ($2.4 BILLION in damages). But drift is much larger than even dicamba. Bayer BASF and Syngenta and other agrochemical companies face massive liabilities around around this issue and are potentially on the hook for billions of dollars. These cases all hinge on the fact that it is difficult to actually determine whether or not drift has occurred and from where. Right now, farmers and regulators look at leaf curling on their crops and conduct some testing, but these methods fall short considering the material impact of these cases. Bayer stock is down 70% over the past few years. To this end, Jamie Richards, PhD and Daniel J. Luciano, PhD have successfully demonstrated that our proprietary biological tags CAN TRACE CHEMICAL SPRAY DRIFT with over 95% accuracy. Our low-cost, highly robust tags can allow individual batches of these chemicals to contain a unique, USDA, APHIS, FDA, EPA compliant marker, in every application of glyphosate or dicamba. Not only would this allow for a more responsible method of deploying these products but also potentially limiting the liability of everyone involved and quantifying where drift is actually occurs. Coupled with weather data and spray logs, our technology is the missing dataset necessary to assess what is truly happening. This could not only save companies hundreds of millions in litigation costs (perhaps much more), but help manufacturers enhance the safety of their agrochemical products. This could also help provide better insurance coverage for all stakeholders. To learn more about this ground breaking work, please attend our online event today at 12pm ET. 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾 https://lnkd.in/epBSVG7G #agrochemicals #agriculture #monsanto #farming #drift

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Grant revenue is not revenue. I'm all for non-dilutive funding, if and only if the SBIR/STTR-funded project accelerates your strategy with development of a product that will be sold (so science fair projects). However... *grant revenue is not validation dollars on the top line.* What you have shown is an ability to write grants, the basis for the research that led to the startup (in the case of academic spin-outs) in the first place. What you have not shown is 💸 the desire for customers to purchase your product(s) ➡ an ability to articulate a go-to-market plan, or 🔐 a down in the trenches understanding of product-market fit. Startups are a game of the quick and dead -- take the time and money you would spend writing these grants early in the life of your company and hit the road, listen to your customers, learn where and how your products fit, and start selling. Your P&L shows me your real progress there -- As an investor and advisor, I would rather see $10,000 in revenue from sales from a handful of customers in 2 quarters than a X% chance you get a $1M grant in 9 months.

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Interested in seeing what Rocky Balboa, Jeff Spicoli, AI and machine learning have in common, check out this Timmerman Report article on east Coast vs West Coast AI culture clash. We are fortunate to have a network of experienced AI & machine learning professionals available for consulting assignment. Let us know if we can be of help.

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Being a national leader in livestock production means being a leader in livestock disease prevention. New survey shows support for biotech & biomanufacturing, like what we do at Genvax, has never been higher. https://lnkd.in/ggw4aAM5

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Colorado Health & Tech Centers (CHTC) has secured a $4.4 million loan from TBK Bank, SSB to support the transformation of a former Comcast building in Greenwood Village, Colorado, into a dynamic innovation hub. This hub will serve as a collaborative space for entrepreneurs in the biotech and tech sectors, as well as accommodate medical providers. Dr. Afshin Safavi, founder and CEO of CHTC, expressed enthusiasm about the project, stating, “By converting a Class A office building that has been vacant since the COVID-19 pandemic into an innovation hub, we are revitalizing the community. Our goal is to attract innovators and educators who will fuel entrepreneurship growth in the region. We are grateful to TBK Bank for sharing our vision and supporting this important initiative.” The building's renovation is expected to breathe new life into the area, helping to attract new business ventures and fostering collaboration within the rapidly growing sectors of health and technology. www.coloradoHTC.com CO Hub for Health Impact, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, CU Boulder Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative, CU Innovations, Danny D. Martinez, Babak Kia, Mahmoud Mahmoudian, PhD, FRS, Thomas Malcolm, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, South Metro Denver Chamber, #innovation, #biotech, #tech, #qunatum, #labspace, City of Greenwood Village, Michael Hindman, Clint Schmitz, The Mayor's Office of Social Equity & Innovation - City and County of Denver, Michael S. Rosen

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Robb Stankey will be presenting a poster at next week's Natural Product Discovery and Development in the Genomic Era conference in San Diego, CA. 🌴☀️ The title of the poster is "Accelerating Natural Product Discovery & Production through Metabologenomics, BGC Cloning, & Genome Engineering"—please stop by and say hi! https://lnkd.in/ghuQXJu4 Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology Activate to view larger image,

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I'll be attending the AIRR Community Meeting VII (Adaptive Immune Receptor Repertoire) - Let me know if you're planning to attend so that we can chat. Infinity Bio, Inc. CSO, Dr. Ben Larman, will be giving a talk on "Antibody reactome profiling via self-assembling libraries of DNA barcoded antigens". This is an incredible tool for the detailed characterization of #serum #antibodies at cohort scale, allowing for novel #biomarker, therapeutic targets and #MoA discoveries. #immunology #airrc7

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Yesterday this impressive article by Matt Blois was published - he did an excellent job covering #bioherbicide efforts around the world. He wrote it in layman's terms and so I think you'll find a very clear analysis of the market, research, and development, including the nuances. As mentioned in the article, our The Toothpick Project has one of the first bioherbicides to be commercialized in the world What has been holding us back? We have been able to address challenges mentioned in the article: ✔️cost effectiveness, ✔️shelf life, and ✔️farmer acceptance of our single target approach. So now what? The article starts with the story of one of our farmers and the impact of our technology on that farmer's food security and economic stability. This season 12,682 farmers across western Kenya are using our technology. We are growing this number quickly season over season and will break even in 2025. Next up: Uganda stakeholders assessments, regulatory protocol and approval, followed by harmonized approval in the other six East African Community Member States, and fundraising to keep up with our current pace. Also on our agenda is continued conversations with all the players mentioned in the article so we can continue to build awareness about the necessity of new weed management technologies that can improve production, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce toxins, and prevent further herbicide resistance in weeds. I'm looking forward to dynamic conversations on this subject with Pam Marrone, Mark Trimmer, Rick Melnick, etc. at the Salinas Biological Summit Western Growers, Wharf42 in a week! #holygrail #biocontrol #bioherbicide #biotech #agriculture #whenwillPamretire https://lnkd.in/gBtgJChZ

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Coming out of the Biocom California CEO Summit, I share biotech investor predictions and CEO insights in the latest edition of Vital Signs: https://lnkd.in/ghXYRsaq

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🚨 Update!🚨 A milestone for ag biologicals in California California Senate Bill 1522, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom, creates a framework for biostimulants in the state. This simplifies registration and labeling and aligns with national efforts for consistent regulation. 👇More Details👇 The Biological Products Industry Alliance (BPIA) just announced the signing of California Senate Bill 1522 by Governor Gavin Newsom on August 27, 2024. This legislation establishes a comprehensive framework for biostimulants in California, marking a significant step towards implementing the AAPFCO (Association of American Plant Food Control Officials) model bill. Key Highlights of SB 1522: 💎 Clear Definitions and Classifications: Provides a well-defined framework for biostimulants, ensuring clarity and consistency. 👟 Streamlined Registration: Simplifies the registration process for manufacturers, promoting efficiency and innovation. 🚸 Product Labeling and Efficacy: Sets labeling and efficacy claims guidelines, ensuring product integrity and consumer confidence. This legislation promotes sustainability through biological solutions and fosters innovation (while ensuring product integrity in agriculture). SB 1522 sets a precedent for other states, advancing the adoption of biostimulants and biological solutions nationwide.

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The biotech industry is changing in a way not enough people are talking about. This realization came about after I finally had some time to reflect on my time at #bio2024 in San Diego a few weeks ago. I actually spent most of my time at the amazing Bullpen with my incredible dovetail biopartners team with a focus on growing our network to attract future clients and partners. But while doing this I noticed two trends different from last year… 1. Many startups are streamlining operations by keeping a core C-suite and outsourcing all other functions. This strategic move allows them to allocate resources efficiently, crucial in early stages where fundraising is challenging. By outsourcing research functions, startups can stay agile and focus on core competencies, accelerating growth. 2. Collaboration is now pivotal. With financial constraints, businesses are joining forces to innovate and reduce costs. Startups and large pharma alike are finding that partnerships enable them to access new markets, technologies, and talent that would be challenging to leverage alone. Both of these things seem beneficial for my company’s future… but I’m actually more concerned. Concerned about how scientific talent is going to be used moving forward. — So… With companies relying more on outsourced work and partnerships to get things done, the hiring landscape is poised for significant change. Even large pharmaceutical companies are increasingly turning to outsourcing. This shift raises important questions for wet and dry lab scientists who may have been laid off and are now seeking roles in biotech research teams. Will they need to adjust their expectations and consider opportunities with contract research organizations (CROs) or other non-traditional roles? And this isn’t even getting into the whole “#AI is going to replace humans” debate. (My 2 cents here, AI is in it’s infancy and promises far too much right now. We still need smart humans to extract insights and make decisions.) Navigating this new “lean” landscape requires proactive strategies where professionals can still find fulfilling roles that then help companies thrive. — I'm committed to hosting events that provide value to the biotech community, and want to keep opening up discussions on tough topics. Including what I wrote out here. I have some great stuff planned with Buzzed for Biotech this year and I’m always happy to brainstorm more. So let me hear your thoughts on this new biotech landscape below, and ping me if you have ideas for impactful events! #biotech #pharma #lifesciences #jobs #recruiting #fundraising

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Another very exciting collaboration of PlantArcBio. We teamed up with ToolGen Inc., a leader in gene editing technology, to make and introduce HT soybean to the market. The real innovation here that it is going to be done by gene editing technology and shall be a great service to farmers that today cannot use GMO because of restrictions in their territories. 👏

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One of my favorite parts in my conversation with bit.bio CEO, Mark Kotter, is how we keep coming back to First Principles, and this idea of letting things be simple. From finding a high-level sense of purpose at a time when he felt quite lost… To showing up at a Professor’s lab and saying “I’d like to work with you and do some research”... Mark finds a way to simplify the things so many of us over-think. And while it’s worth noting that “simple” doesn’t necessarily mean “easy” – taking Mark’s lead and letting First Principles guide your approach is surely easier than trying to plot the details before you know the goal. It was such a profound conversation, wrapped in the stories of his early schooling and career… I hope it gives you as many “aha” moments as it did for me. Additional topics discussed: – Finding a “hack” for his dyslexia in the simple act of asking “how” or “why” something worked – Landing a research position at University of Cambridge through a mix of luck, networking, and simply asking for the opportunity – Joining Professor Blakemore's lab at vet school, the value of immediate feedback loops and rigorous training, and the unique research opportunities in the early days of stem cell work – First principles, letting purpose guide the big decisions, and letting the details fill themselves in along the way Apple Podcasts & Spotify links in the comments below! 👇🏽 #biotechnology #lifesciences #podcast

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🎉 Feedvax powers growth with annual distribution offerings of over $20 million! 🚀 At Feedvax, we are on a mission to revolutionize animal health and we are excited to share a milestone that validates our vision and technology. We recently closed a second distribution agreement, securing purchase commitments worth more than $20 million annually. 🤝💼 What does this mean? It is a huge vote of confidence in our innovative oral vaccine platform that is transforming the way farmers manage animal health. By eliminating the need for stressful animal handling we are unlocking unprecedented efficiency and welfare gains. And with these partnerships, we are poised to accelerate our global impact and market leadership. 🌍🥇 For our investors, this is an exciting validation of Feedvax's tremendous growth potential as we continue to expand our footprint reducing the $300 billion losses in the animal health industry due to diseases. 📈🔬 Thanks to all the FeedVax team, investors, and the people who support our growth every day. The future of animal health is simple, without stress  and powered by Feedvax. 🚀 #Feedvax #AgTech #Sustainability #AnimalHealth #theendofanimalhandling

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