WELCOME to the 39 North monthly Newsletter

Your source for news and happenings in our innovation neighborhood. | August 2022

1- Create a free SXSW account. https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/129297 2 - Search for the “Plants, People and Planet: Microbes Rule Health" panel 3 - Cast your vote ⬆️ before 8/21

ACTION REQUESTED THIS WEEK – Votes must be in by August 21 We need your help to gather votes for our proposed South by Southwest (SXSW) 2023 panel discussion, “Plants, People and Planet: Microbes Rule Health.” This panel includes experts from St. Louis and beyond who explain in everyday language the nature of microbiomes, their ability to predict biological health, the pressures that compromise microbiomes, and their potential to heal some of our greatest societal challenges. Moderator: Rodrigo Perez Ortega, Science Journalist, Science Magazine  Rebecca Bart, Principal Investigator, Danforth Plant Science Center Nick Goeser, principal, Carbon A List

Weekly Scientific Seminar Series The Danforth Center hosts complimentary weekly online Scientific Seminar Series on a variety of topics. Click here for a listing of upcoming seminars and join the conversation! If you would like to be on the email list for these seminars, please contact Terri Burton, tburton@danforthcenter.org. August 18, 10:30-11:30 AM  Danforth Center Monthly Community Market The Danforth Center is hosting a community market for the convenience of and as a benefit to the Danforth and BRDG community members. Want to be a vendor for this monthly event? Contact Jenny Nguyen

STL Startup Week 2022 needs you! Application due August 30 Startup Week will take place November 14-18, 2022. If you are interested in applying to be a speaker but have some questions about the process, join us for a pre-application webinar on Wed, August 24 at noon. Submitted sessions should last no more than an hour in length. The deadline to apply is August 30, 2022.

August 25, 5:15 to 7 PM Danforth Center Conversation Series Join four-time Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Chancellor Dr. Robert Jones, and President Dr. Jim Carrington at the Danforth Plant Science Center to learn more about this groundbreaking project. Register Here

August 27, 8 PM Movie in the Park The city of Olivette will be showing Sing 2 in Warson Park. Bring a picnic and enjoy fun for the whole family.

September 12 & 13 15th annual CTIC Conservation in Action Tour CTIC’s Conservation in Action Tour brings together scientists, farmers, policymakers, conservation professionals, agribusiness leaders and more for the industry’s best networking and learning opportunity. Register Here

September 13, 8:30 - 10:30 AM Coffee with Colleagues Danforth Plant Science Center Join us for a special 39 North Coffee with Colleagues hosted by the Danforth Center in partnership with Yield Lab LATAM. We will celebrate EIWA’s first year in St. Louis in grand fashion! Please RSVP for “Harvesting EIWA Vault’s Success”: Register Here

September 15 & 16, 3 - 6:30 PM BioBash2022: One Degree, Endless Paths in Life Sciences Danforth Plant Science Center BioBash 2022, the 11th annual career networking and job fair event for young scientists hosted by the Danforth Center’s Committee for Scientific Training and Mentoring. BioBash aims to educate and bring together the scientific community in St. Louis and discuss the broad range of career opportunities in life sciences. Scientists at all levels of their fields are invited to join! If you want to have a table for your company at the event, please contact Isabel Acevado, iacevado@danforthcenter.org Register Here

September 16 39 North Happy Hour Danforth Plant Science Center This month the 39 North Happy Hour will be held in conjunction with BioBash, see item above.

September 16 - 17 Amplify Summit Lindenwood J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts This two-day summit will connect change-makers from around the state to recharge, reignite, and power a strong current of innovation to their startups and communities! Register Here

September 20, 11 AM - 1 PM Food Trucks East parking lot at the Danforth Plant Science Center Take a break and enjoy a delicious lunch featuring BBQ from Pappy’s and international specialties from Wayno’s!

September 23, 7 - 10 PM Young Friends Party with the Plants Danforth Plant Science Center Join us at the Danforth Center for an unforgettable night of drinks, music, mingling, and magic! Hosted by the Danforth Center Young Friends, proceeds from this event will benefit the creation of STEM education programs at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition Innovation Center (JJK FAN), and other regional education outreach efforts funded through the Danforth Center’s Innovation Fund. It's a good time for a good cause, and we hope to see you there! Register Register Here

September 23 - 25 Pedal the Cause 39 North is proud to participate in Pedal the Cause to support and provide critical funding for cancer research at the Siteman Cancer and Siteman Kids Institute at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. With courses ranging from 10 to 100 miles and spinning options, there is something for everyone! Join the 39 North team today!  Register Here Weekly Rides Enjoy weekly cycling with your colleagues from throughout the district! Friday rides depart from the Benson Hill parking lot at 12:30 PM. The route is a 28-mile loop to Creve Coeur Lake and back. For more information contact Nigel Taylor, ntaylor@danforthcenter.org

October 11 - 13 AgTech NEXT Reinventing a Food System in Crises, Trade, Technology and Talent  Join us as we host the first in-person AgTech NEXT at the Danforth Plant Science Center. We have a great program, and early bird tickets are available until Sept 1.  Register Here

Allied Blending Interview with Fredric Schulders, CEO of Allied Blending Allied Blending & Ingredients, Inc. is developing specialty blends for the dairy, tortilla, and plant-based markets but they didn’t start out that way. According to CEO Fredric Schulders, Allied Blending has an interesting back story.   In 1981 Industrial Ingredients, Inc. was formed as a distribution company. A few years later the company added manufacturing capabilities through Mississippi Blending Company, Inc. and with the continued success, expansion began. In 1994, Allied Starch and Chemical was formed as the parent holding company. The growing company once again expanded and acquired Ingredients Unlimited in California and Texas. Finally, in 2006, Allied Blending & Ingredients, Inc. became the official name of the company. “2011 marked another milestone for Allied as we opened a state-of-the-art research facility at BRDG Park. This facility is dedicated to the development of specialized solutions for dairy and vegan food. And in 2017 we became part of J. Rettenmaier & Sons, located in Rosenberg, Germany, a worldwide leader in food fibers,” Schulders said. READ MORE

Have you met? Mary Fernandes PhD, President, Solis Agrosciences I grew up in Mumbai, a very large city with a population of 20 million located on the west coast of India. Medicine and engineering were the two most popular careers with my peers, but from a very young age I wanted to be a scientist or a journalist. I used to think this was mainly because I loved science and also liked literature. Since I was fascinated by microbes and genes, I picked science and studied microbiology and molecular biology.   I moved to the US in search of opportunities to do cutting-edge research and grow as a scientist. I obtained my Ph.D. at Cornell University in the lab of Dr. John Lis, a pioneer in the then-nascent field of eukaryotic transcriptional regulation. We worked on the regulation of heat shock genes in Saccharomyces and Drosophila and I enjoyed every second of my four years in John’s lab.   In keeping with my theme of making big changes, I moved from upstate NY to Texas and the labs of Drs. Tom Adams and Nancy Keller where I worked on fungal gene regulation.   An opportunity to lead a newly forming functional genomics group at Monsanto piqued my interest and led me to relocate to St. Louis. Here was a great opportunity to work on plants! I led and advanced projects in soy, corn, canola, cotton, and alfalfa and helped develop and launch the world’s first, and as of this date, only drought-tolerant biotech trait for corn. I was fortunate to be able to drive Monsanto's product portfolio strategy and play a role in ushering in successive eras of high-throughput screening, genomics, and more recently gene editing.   Along the way, I learned what goes into building high-performing teams and what leadership is really all about. I also learned that St. Louis was more than just a city on flyover country - it had a lot of great attractions and was a great place to build a home and raise a family.   This year I pivoted again, leaving Bayer to start up Solis Agrosciences. With funding from Biogenerator and a great ecosystem at 39N, we officially launched in May. Our labs are at the Helix Center and we work very closely with the Danforth Plant Science Center and many of the Agtech startups in the region providing specialized research services. You can check us out at www.solisagrosciences.com. What are you excited to be working on right now? I am really excited about the incredible team we are building at Solis and the capabilities we are putting in place. We have been fortunate to recruit outstanding talent and we are growing our team steadily as well as our clients and offerings. Our PPaaSTM (Plant Pipeline as a Service) has really caught on as a one-stop shop for Agtech innovators. In addition to offering plant transformation in a variety of crops, we provide gene editing services, as well as a range of other capabilities such as transient assays, phenotyping, molecular characterization and metabolite profiling.       What do you enjoy doing in your free time? I enjoy volunteering as a STEM coach and leadership mentor for girls and women. My favorite way to decompress is by connecting with nature - whether it’s hiking, bird watching, stargazing or just gardening in my backyard! I also like to travel and am an avid reader.

Covercress deal is a big win for St. Louis’ Ag Startup effort Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation unveils design for urban agriculture and nutrition center in East St. Louis   AgTech NEXT 2022 will examine how technology, trade and talent can reinforce our food system Two St. Louis-based food innovators partner to introduce heart-healthy cooking oil into foodservice applications, forming more sustainable seed-to-shopper supply chain   2022 Fire Awards: Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator looks to elevate agtech firms

Business Finance The St. Louis Economic Development Partnership’s Business Finance group, offers numerous financing options to help you with your needs. Our options include the SBA 504 program, internal loans, bonds and tax credit programs. These funds can be used to purchase real estate and equipment for both existing and new businesses. With down payments as low as 10% and low long-term fixed rates for 10, 20 and 25 years, an SBA 504 loan makes funding attainable so your business can grow. Learn More SBIR/STTR Training Workshop September 21 & 22 - BioGenerator and BBC etc bring this workshop to cover all aspects of writing an SBIR/STTR proposal focused on life science technologies. After an introduction to the BioGenerator program, this day and a half training will begin by reviewing the SBIR/STTR program basics including what they fund, which federal agencies participate, how the money can be used, and the differences between the SBIR and STTR programs. The workshop will be conducted by Shannon Bass and Megan Varnum from BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting. Learn More

Have news to share? Please contact: Minna Onken, monken@danforthcenter.org