Dr. Bentley Shuster is the Director of Scientific Affairs at ZBiotics, a company that wants to bring GMOs to consumers daily lives. Dr. Shuster received a PhD in Microbiology and Systems Biology at New York University. After graduate school she was a NIH funded postdoctoral research fellow at Columbia University, where she focused on expanding the genetic engineering toolkit of Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) certified bacteria, Bacillus subtilis. Additionally, she explored natural isolates of bacteria for endogenous gene expression of cytotoxins to serve as safer alternatives in targeted anti-tumor therapies. Dr. Shuster’s research has always been centered on expanding the safety and translational potential of genetically engineered microbes (GEMs) as demonstrated by her focus on novel chassis for biomedical engineering techniques and the discovery of natural microbes with therapeutic potential. At ZBiotics, Dr. Shuster focuses on the safety, transparency, and perception of GEMs through her research and science communication efforts.

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