PhycoSystems - Vision

Michael Lindsay – Chief Executive Officer
Michael has worked in and around the new venture space throughout the entirety of his career. Michael was most recently at the world-renowned X PRIZE Foundation where he was in charge of incubating many of the foundation’s multi-million dollar prizes. He started in corporate banking, helping large multinationals set up their operations in Tokyo, and has since started several pioneering technology-centric ventures as an entrepreneur and, within larger companies, as an intrapreneur, developing, launching and managing dozens of new products from the idea stage into ongoing operations. Michael has also done a great deal of corporate advisory work in the new venture category with clients ranging from first-time entrepreneurs to the executive tiers of some of the world’s largest corporations. MBA from the Wharton School, B.A. from Duke University.

Donald Phillips – Chief Financial Officer
Don has worked in financial services for over 25 years. Most recently at GE Capital he served as Vice President, Vendor Programs for GE Technology Finance. He led the strategic planning, budgeting processes and sales operations for the business units responsible for bringing lease and loan structures to the marketplace for several leading information technology providers such as Apple, Sun and Unisys. Don has arranged and overseen financing for more than $1.5 billion worth of commercial leases and collateralized loans for corporations and governmental entities throughout the United States. MBA in finance and international business, University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, B.A. in political science, Occidental College.

The world-class technical team and science and technology advisory
group of PhycoSystems is as follows:

Dr. Dave Caron – Chief Science Officer
Co-Inventor of PhycoSystems Proprietary Methods and currently Professor of Biological Sciences USC, Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. His research background is in microbial ecology, algal biology, harmful algal blooms and biological oceanography. Thirty-two years of experience in microbial and aquatic research and education. Research programs have involved leadership in individual grants up to $4 million and shared leadership in a $35 million National Science Foundation science and technology center. His management experience includes supervisory duties for approximately 60 faculty and 15 administrative personnel while Chairman of the Department of Biological Science at USC. Direct laboratory supervisor for 10-15 graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral investigators and research technicians. Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, B.S. and M.S. in Oceanography, University of Rhode Island.

Dr. Mark Brzezinski
Currently Acting Director of the Marine Science Institute and Professor of Biology (Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology) at the University of California, Santa Barbara, he is an expert in algal physiology and ecology. He is the developer of numerous advanced analytical approaches to the study of diatoms and is leading a research effort to develop next generation open bioreactors. His research interests include phytoplankton ecology and physiology, phytoplankton cell cycles and elemental cycling in surface ocean. Ph.D. Biological Oceanography, Oregon State University and B.S. Biology/Marine Science, Southampton College- Long Island University.

Dr. Dallas Weaver
Currently undertaking consulting assignments in the aquaculture and waste treatment areas that he finds interesting and/or state of the art, Dallas has a rare combination of scientific knowhow and hands-on business expertise. After working for several engineering/consulting companies in the fields of air pollution, liquid wastes, and solid wastes, Dallas transitioned to designing and building closed aquaculture systems, culminating with his creation of Scientific Hatcheries – a leading high-tech fish hatchery that produced and sold 20,000,000 fish a year primarily to the research and ornamental fish markets. Among the many innovations created by Dallas are the invention of fine media fluidized bed biofilters for both waste treatment and aquaculture; the application of packed column re-aeration in aquaculture; the use of pure oxygen systems with feedback control in aquaculture; the design, development and use of automated feeding systems; and the use of computer automation for feeding, monitoring and control functions. Ph.D. and M.S. in Applied Science from University of California at Davis, B.S. in Engineering from University of California at Los Angeles.

Dr. David Siegel
Currently Director of the Institute for Computational Earth System Science and a Professor in the Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara, he is an expert in physical oceanography and hydrodynamics. His research focuses on the coupling of physical, biological, optical and biogeochemical processes on micro to ocean basin scales. Several of Dr. Siegel’s currently funded research projects include the global analyses of ocean color using satellite imagery. Ph.D. Geological Sciences (Ocean Physics) and M.S. Geological Sciences, University of Southern California, B.S. Engineering Sciences and B.A. Chemistry, University of California, San Diego.

Dr. Kenneth Nealson
One of the world leaders in the study and invention of Microbial Generator technologies, he is currently Wrigley Professor of Geobiology at USC. Nealson pioneered the field of modern geobiology – an area of science that tackles the still largely unexplored domain where the processes and chemistry of life intersect with the planet's mineral and metal chemistry. Nealson discovered quorum sensing and, as one of the first to recognize the importance of microorganisms in catalyzing redox reactions in the environment, he has led the development of tools to study these organisms. Nealson's techniques, used to study microbial populations through genetic identification, are now considered standard in analyzing microbes found in biofilms. Ken has co-invented the proprietary approach use by Microbial Energy Systems to combine algae biomass production and microbial electricity production on an integrated algae farm. He is the principle investigator of many large research grants and operates active research labs at both the University of Southern California and the J. Craig Venter Institute. Ph.D. in Microbiology, University of Chicago, B.S. Biochemistry, University of Chicago.

Dr. Pete Countway
An expert in harmful algae and algae ecology, his research interests include marine protistan diversity and ecology, as well as red tide. He has been involved in numerous research cruises to analyze and decipher the various ecosystems in the world’s oceans, including the DNA sequences of complex protistan assemblages. Ph.D. Biological Oceanography, University of Southern California, M.S. Marine Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, and B.A. Zoology, University of New Hampshire.

Ben Knowles – Operational Technician
Coming from a marine botany and culturing background with an emphasis on field science, Ben has lead and conducted research on coastal, riparian, and benthic ecology, as well as prawn and oyster aquaculture. Ben has worked in a variety of university, government and consultancy workplaces, having worked at the University of Queensland and the University of Southern California, as well as for the Australian Government Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and FRC Environmental Consultancy. B.S. Botany, University of Queensland in Australia.