The 10 hottest years have all been in the last 10 years. Part of the problem is fertilizer — essential in feeding the planet, but emitting over a gigaton of CO2 equivalent emissions every year. Switch Bioworks engineers symbiotic microbes to produce sustainable and cost-effective nitrogen fertilizer under the control of precise genetic circuits.
Join us for an overview of Switch Bioworks and a fireside chat with their founder Tim Schnabel, and researchers Carol Kukolj and Kristi Yanagihara.
Our Speakers
Tim Schnabel
Founder, CEO, and Board Members
Dr. Tim Schnabel is a scientist, bioengineer, entrepreneur, and Forbes 30 under 30 honoree in social impact. He is currently serving as the Founder and CEO of Switch Bioworks, a biotechnology company located in San Carlos, California, focused on engineering microbes that produce cost-effective, sustainable fertilizer to tackle climate change.
Originally from Germany, Tim came to the US to study chemical engineering and economics at Stanford University (’15). Under the guidance of Professor James Swartz, he researched the biological production of hydrogen fuel from sunlight and received Stanford’s Kennedy Thesis Prize, the highest university recognition for undergraduate research. Tim’s research also won the Mason Award and Firestone Medal, and his academic recognition include the President’s Award, Terman Engineering Award, and Tau Beta Pi – the National Engineering Honor Society, of which Dr. Schnabel served as President (CA G chapter) and Advisory Board Chair.
Following his early training in biotechnology, Tim pursued a MS ’17 and PhD ’21 in bioengineering at Stanford, advised by Professor Elizabeth Sattely. He was awarded a BioX Bowes Fellowship for interdisciplinary research. Dr. Schnabel’s PhD thesis titled “Engineering Ammonia Production in Free-Living Diazotrophs for Plant Fertilization” is published in two single-author papers (patents pending), one of which was featured on the cover of ACS Synthetic Biology. Tim was also a scholar (’19) of the highly competitive Accel Leadership Fellows, a program that accelerates entrepreneurship training of PhD candidates in engineering.
Transitioning through an “Entrepreneur in Training” Postdoc ’22 in the Stanford Bioengineering Department Chair’s lab, Professor Jennifer Cochran, Tim founded Switch Bioworks – “the living fertilizer company” – of which he is CEO and on the Board of Directors.
In his free time, Tim is a beekeeper, homebrewer, and author of “Wake up! A young person’s guide to spirituality.”
Carol Kukolj
Scientist, Synthetic Biology
Carol has 10+ years of experience in working with plant-bacteria interactions, and received her PhD in Biochemistry in Brazil, working with non associative bacteria and grasses. She had postdoc experiences in different labs around the world working with nitrogen fixing strains and plant growth promoting bacteria. Motivated by application of her research to create a more sustainable world, she joined Switch in 2023.
Kristi Yanagihara
Senior Research Associate, Microbial Discovery
As a Research Associate at Switch Bioworks, Kristi’s role involves isolating, identifying, and screening microbial candidates for biofertilizer development. She is motivated by the vast potential of synthetic biology to address global challenges and improve human health and well-being. Kristi enjoys working with a diverse and collaborative team that values innovation, curiosity, and personal growth.
Outside work, Kristi enjoys cooking, clamming, dancing, and listening to music.