The Future of Food Biotechnology with Aaron Schacht

Description

On today’s episode, we sit down with Aaron Schacht, CEO of BiomEdit. With over 30 years of experience, Aaron has served as executive vice president at Elanco Animal Health, and in various research and development positions at Eli Lilly and Company. His expertise extends from R&D strategy to drug development to mergers and acquisitions.Aaron highlights the strides made in human health due to significant investments and mature risk-taking ecosystems, underscoring the untapped potential for similar advancements in animal health. He speaks how synthetic biology and gene editing offer novel approaches to improving animal health, emphasizing Biomedit's innovative strategies in microbiome editing and microbial discovery.As the discussion unfolds, Aaron sheds light on pressing challenges facing the food supply chain, such as antimicrobial resistance and the need for sustainable solutions. He emphasizes the importance of addressing these issues proactively, leveraging technologies like probiotics and rapid response engineering to safeguard food security and public health. Additionally, Aaron underscores the significance of policy initiatives, advocating for a comprehensive approach that embraces diverse protein sources while prioritizing sustainability and innovation.Guest Quote: " Can I deliver livestock productivity to the livestock producer, and deliver something that society expects? Lower antimicrobial risk, lower food safety risk, lower environmental impact… that to me, is the next era of livestock production. It’s being able to tackle more than one thing at a time, and find technological ways to not have to compromise." - Aaron SchachtTime Stamps:* (00:00) Intro * (00:36) Aaron’s Career Journey* (02:28) The State of Food Biotechnology* (04:46) An Intro to BiomEdit * (10:19) Using Tech to Lower Emissions* (14:05) Challenges in the Supply Chain* (19:30) “Food as Energy”* (23:20) Probiotics, and Animals* (25:49) The Biggest Threats in Food Production* (27:19) What else is possible through partnerships?* (30:03) Upcomi