Aanika Biosciences Signals Continued Growth and Expansion of its Food Traceability Technology with New Executive and Science Team Hires

BROOKLYN, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aanika Biosciences (aanikabio.com), which brings the power of biotech into the supply chain, announced today the expansion of its leadership and science team.

Brought on to spearhead business and product development are three senior executives with deep expertise in regulatory, operations, and strategic growth:

• Kevin Gillies, Head of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs: Gillies previously served as Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, for DuPont Nutrition and Health / Danisco and brings extensive experience in the global regulation of food ingredients and microbial food cultures.
• Joshua Koch, Chief of Staff: Koch, with deep expertise in operations and finance, worked in Intelligence as a Cryptologic Linguist while serving 6 years in the U.S. Navy and went on to complete his MBA from Columbia Business School
• Christopher Ryan, Head of Business Development: An expert in fresh produce and the fast-moving perishable consumer goods industry, Ryan has a proven track record of delivering revenue growth through focused cross-selling of strategic core services.

“We are on a mission to revolutionize how products are tracked through supply chains for businesses, for consumers and for the planet,” said Vishaal Bhuyan, co-founder and CEO of Aanika, “and in order to achieve that vision, we need strong leaders like Kevin, Joshua and Christopher.”

Additionally, co-founder Dr. Ellen Jorgensen has expanded her Research & Development team with seasoned scientists in molecular biology and biotech:

• Dr. Jamie Richards, Senior Scientist: Dr. Richards has spent more than 25 years in the field of molecular biology, including over ten years developing diagnostics and therapeutics in the biopharmaceutical industry. He holds a doctoral degree from Newcastle University in the UK.

• Dr. Christine Scaduto, Scientist II: Dr. Scaduto has more than ten years of experience in biotechnology research and has worked at world-class institutions including Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She received her doctorate from Brown University.

• Dr. Jasmin Philip, Scientist I: Dr. Philip recently earned her PhD in Biochemistry from the Graduate Center at CUNY for her work in the Department of Biology at Brooklyn College.

• Dr. Farshad Khademi, Lead Fermentation Scientist: Dr. Khademi has over 25 years of experience in microbial fermentation. He earned his PhD in microbial technology from Tehran IAU Azad University.

Aanika’s proprietary technology is the first to use biology as a base for re-building and strengthening the safety and security of the world’s food supply.

The company’s unique capability essentially ‘digitizes’ nature, using naturally occurring microbes to create digitally-encoded “DNA watermarks” that can track, trace and authentical food and ingredients across the entire supply chain.

Bhuyan, with a background in finance and personal passion for a more transparent, trusted food system, has already secured a pilot with the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) to apply the technology to the re-insurance industry, and will use that in conjunction with the leafy greens sector.

For more information, visit www.aanikabio.com.

About Aanika Biosciences

Aanika Biosciences was co-founded in 2018 by Vishaal Bhuyan after he personally experienced the consequences of ordering fresh, ethically sourced seeds and receiving stale, contaminated products instead. He made it is his mission to create a safer food supply by finding a way to track, trace and authenticate products. Aanika’s customized microbial-based tags help companies gain valuable insights about their supply chains, help their customers make better consumption choices, and create a more sustainable world.