Nelson has served as Genomatica’s Senior Vice President of Research and Development since October 2015, after joining in October 2011 as Vice President of Research and Development. Nelson leads R&D from ideation through technology transfer as well as continuing to advance the company’s technology platform and has helped commercialize biobased versions of two major chemicals, 1,4-butanediol and 1,3-butylene glycol. From 2000 to 2011, Nelson held several roles at Verenium Corporation (formerly Diversa Corporation), including Vice President, R&D from 2008 to 2009, Sr. Vice President, R&D from 2009 to 2010 and Head of R&D starting in 2010 when Verenium’s biofuels business was acquired by BP Biofuels Corporation. From 1996 to 2000, he was Fermentation Scientist and Manager, R&D Biologics with Calbiochem-Novabiochem. Nelson holds a BA in Molecular Biology from University of California, Berkeley and a Ph.D. from University of Miami, School of Medicine. Nelson was a Postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University, Department of Cell and Development Biology and a Howard Hughes fellow at University of California, San Diego, Department of Pharmacology.