Dr Mead is the Director of Science and Innovation at BioSouth. He previously worked at CSIRO (Australia’s national science agency) as a Research Scientist leading the Bioproduction team and the Advanced Engineering Biology programme. His work focused on developing novel biomanufacturing and fermentation pathways for products including biopesticides, probiotics and pharmaceuticals, as well as engineering solutions to improve microbial scale-up efficiency and reduce production costs. Now at BioSouth he leads projects in New Zealand and Australia spanning production of biopesticides, probiotics, and high value molecules. His expertise in microbial genetics, biochemistry, fermentation, and down-stream processing allows him to drive innovation from academia into real world products.