Fermentation, Enzymes, Biocatalysis, Biofuels, Alternative Proteins, Wastewater Treatment, Biogas, Technology Transfer & Scale-Up

Dr. Simpson has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas, an MS in Environmental Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, post-doctorate work in Petroleum Microbiology from the University of Oklahoma.  He is a Six-Sigma Black Belt and has over 15 years of experience in process and technology development for biotech companies including Abengoa Bioenergy LLC, PetroAlgae LLC, Synthetic Genomics Inc, BASF Enzymes LLC, and Triton Algae Innovations, Ltd.

Dr. Simpson specializes in fermentation, enzyme biocatalysis, and downstream recovery and purification process development at the bench, pilot plant, and commercial scale.  He has experience in technology scale-up transfer, FDA test article trials for new product launches, and has been instrumental in the development, design, and construction of seven pilot- and demonstration-scale facilities producing fuel ethanol, cellulosic sugars, sugar alcohols, lactic acid, triacylglycerols, industrial enzymes, and bio-based proteins and nutraceuticals – utilizing lignocellulosic, algal, fungal, bacterial and lemnaceous platforms with both heterotrophic and phototrophic metabolism.

Dr. Simpson spent the first ten years of his career in project design engineering and management for Anheuser-Busch Companies and Tropicana Products, primarily involving industrial wastewater treatment and reuse, biogas recovery/utilization, and water conservation. Contact Randy.