BioConsortia, Inc., innovator of microbial solutions for natural plant trait enhancement and yield improvement, announced the promotion of Dr. Hong Zhu to Senior Vice President of Research and Development. Dr. Hong Zhu will lead the next phase of expansion of BioConsortia’s Advanced Microbial Selection (AMS) technology platform, including discovery pipelines, product development, and commercialization. In his new role, Dr. Zhu will oversee R&D operations, set R&D strategies, and direct scientists at the company’s New Zealand research center and U.S. Headquarters.
Dr. Zhu joined BioConsortia in 2016 from Bayer CropScience to lead the company’s development programs. He has more than 20 years of industry experience in developing microbial based biopesticides, bioherbicides and biofetilizers. Since joining BioConsortia, Dr. Zhu has driven enhancements in the proprietary AMS process to speed time-to-value. He has honed in on industry needs, strengthened the R&D portfolio, and been instrumental in moving a number of leads into product development. Leading the R&D team as one group is a natural fit for him.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sue Turner, who has been Sr. VP of Research since 2014 and who championed the AMS process in the US as the company moved headquarters from New Zealand to Davis, California, will return to her home in Auckland where she will continue consulting with the company and will join the ranks of its Scientific Advisory Board.
