Our Team
Our team is purpose-built to drive research, scale production, and commercialize products. We are comprised of industry-leading scientists, commercial agronomists, and executive professionals. The expertise and distinct skill sets of the founding members allow for critical intellectual property development and rapid execution and deployment of commercial technology.
-
Aardra is co-founder, co-inventor, and co-Chief Scientific Officer of Phytogenesis.
Her research of over 20 years, at the University of Kentucky, where Aardra is a Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, led to the technology that Phytogenesis leverages. With over 30 years of training and experience in microbiology, plant physiology and immunity, Aardra is considered a leader in the field of systemic plant immunity and currently serves as Program Director at the National Science Foundation.
Before joining as faculty at the University of Kentucky, Aardra was a postdoctoral scholar at Cornell University and Duke University and has a PhD from MS University of Baroda, India, and the Salk Institute of Biological Studies.
-
Garrett is the co-founder and CEO of PhytoGenesis and serves on its board of directors
Garrett leverages over 20 years of experience bringing bioscience and technology platforms to market. As an executive leader, business division President, and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, he has successfully led teams through product development, commercialization, manufacturing, distribution, and sales.
Before entering the private sector, Garrett served in Special Operations as an airborne infantry team leader with the 75th Ranger Regiment. He holds a B.S. in Computer Information Systems from Bentley University and an MBA from Norwich University.
-
Pradeep is co-founder, co-inventor, and co-Chief Scientific Officer of Phytogenesis. With over 20 years of experience in plant biology, he is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and a globally recognized leader in plant immunity and chemical signaling.
Pradeep Kachroo earned his Ph.D. from M.S. University, Baroda, India, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He completed postdoctoral research at Rutgers University and the Boyce Thompson Institute at Cornell University. He currently serves as a Professor at the University of Kentucky and Director of the Center for Agricultural and Life Sciences Metabolomics.
His research has made pioneering contributions to plant-microbe interactions, lipid-based immune signaling, and resistance protein-mediated defense mechanisms. A global authority on Systemic Acquired Resistance, Pradeep Kachroo’s discoveries have reshaped our understanding of chloroplast function in plant immunity, uncovering key links between defense signaling, light-regulated pathways, and small RNA biogenesis.
With a strong track record in scientific innovation, leadership, and translational research, Dr. Kachroo continues to drive cutting-edge advancements in plant health, sustainability, and agricultural biotechnology.
Research Team
-
Henri is the co-founder and Chief Agronomist of PhytoGenesis.
Enrique (Henri) Marmillon has over thirty-five years of experience in Phyto-biology and plant breeding. He has overseen agricultural operations in multiple countries and specialized in bringing novel crops to mainstream agriculture. In his most recent role, Henri leveraged his global network and regulatory experience to develop new pathways for mainstream agriculture and food/pharmaceutical companies to accept hemp-derived products.
