Dr. Mead holds a Ph.D. in physiology from the University of Illinois, has over 80 publications, 9 patents, and has secured $30M in SBIR and related grants. With 30+ years in life sciences, his expertise spans molecular cloning, protein analysis, metagenomics, genomics, synthetic biology, and next-generation sequencing. Dr. Mead founded Lucigen in 1998, which was acquired for $70M in 2018. He invented TA cloning, the leading PCR amplicon cloning method with nearly $1B in lifetime sales.

As the Chief Technology Officer at Varizymes, Dr. Chander leads a team of scientists and engineers who are dedicated to developing the next generation of molecular diagnostic assays for rapid pathogen detection at point-of-care (PoC). He has over 15 years of experience in developing LAMP-based diagnostic assays and rapid sample preparation methods for use in PoC. He is also the architect of TORCH™ multiplex LAMP technology, a novel method to detect multiple targets in single LAMP reactions. He has published over 50 research papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals and is PI/co-PI on multiple research grants funded by the USDA and CDC.

Jennifer is a cross-disciplinary marketing strategist and founder of EdgeWorks Insights. With expertise spanning biotech, AI, and digital systems, she builds scalable marketing and sales frameworks that align data, message, and market opportunity to drive growth.

As Director of Marketing and Sales at Varizymes, Brad Bellows drives the company’s growth strategy by connecting scientific innovation with market opportunity. He leads brand development, customer engagement, and strategic partnerships to expand Varizymes’ global reach. With a strong background in science-driven business development, Brad focuses on turning complex biotechnological solutions into clear, impactful value for customers while fostering collaboration across teams to advance the company’s mission of sustainable innovation.

Kurt has a PhD in Genetics from UW-Madison and 15 years of experience in molecular biology. At Varizymes, he works on product development, quality control assays, and information management.

Alyssa is a scientist at Varizymes, with 12 years of experience in molecular biology. She earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences at Florida State University and a Master’s in Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology at The Ohio State University. At Varizymes, she is primarily involved in research and development, as well as quality control for many of our molecular tool products.

Joe is a Senior Scientist in Protein Production & Assay Development at Varizymes. He has over 35 years of experience in recombinant protein expression in plant, bacterial, and yeast hosts, as well as protein purification/characterization and enzymatic assay development. He worked for 7+ years at a leading biopharmaceutical company as a fermentation and protein purification Process Development Scientist, which drew heavily from his training in Chemical Engineering. He also has extensive experience in GMP manufacturing environments, training in Operational Excellence, and Six Sigma Methodologies.