Future of Agriculture Future of Agriculture 160: Moonshot Ag Innovations via Corporate Joint Venture with Mike Miille of Joyn Bio
Dr. Michael Miille is the CEO of Joyn Bio. Joyn Bio is a startup joint venture of Bayer and Ginkgo Bioworks. The goal of Joyn Bio is to answer the challenges of agricultural sustainability with synthetic biology. Michael has extensive experience when it comes to leading companies, having served at top level positions ranging from COO and CFO to Director and General Manager since 1995. He obtained his Ph.D. in Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry from UC Davis and a BS in Biological Sciences from Stanford.
Michael joins me today to discuss how Joyn Bio will utilize microbe technology to provide sustainable ag solutions. He shares how Joyn Bio was started and describes the benefits of being a company under Bayer and Ginkgo. He explains how their microbe tech could be applied in various forms as well as how it would positively impact both the environment and farmers. Michael also discusses the various challenges in growing this kind of company as well as some of its future projects.
Stay tuned for our Five-Minute Farmer segment with Amy Solsma, owner of Solsma’s Punkin Patch and Fireworks.
“You need that freedom, flexibility, and creativity that comes with being a small group that's focused on a moonshot.” - Mike Miille
This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:
- The story of how the joint venture came about.
- Mike's academic background and why he chose the agriculture industry.
- Why it's called a "Moonshot" for Bayer.
- The problem they want to address and their proposed solutions.
- Microbes vs chemicals and when he thinks this type of tech will become available.
- Why Joyn Bio is not what you would call a normal startup.
- The challenges of running this type of startup in the ag industry.
Resources Mentioned:
Connect with Mike Miille:
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