Eagle Genomics Strengthens Strategic Market Focus with Appointment of Food & Nutrition Pioneer Dr. Artem Khlebnikov and AgBio Innovator Dr. Yvonne Pinto

Two prestigious additions to help Eagle Genomics deepen its presence in Food & Nutrition and AgBio - two industry verticals that will significantly benefit from the ongoing Bio Revolution

CAMBRIDGE, UK – 12 May 2022 – Eagle Genomics, the platform business pioneering the application of network science to biology across the Food and Nutrition, AgBio, Beauty and Personal Care, and Biopharma industries, has announced two new senior appointments to its Global Strategy and Operations team. Dr. Artem Khlebnikov joins as Director of Bioeconomy, Food & Nutrition, and Dr. Yvonne Maria Pinto as Director of Bioeconomy, AgBio. Both are renowned experts in their respective areas. 

The creation and appointment of the two major new positions reflects the deepening importance of what McKinsey has called the Bio Revolution in the development of next-generation, sustainable products. In catalyzing the Bio Revolution, Eagle Genomics is providing accessible opportunities for companies to innovate at pace and derive scientific insights previously undetectable by humans alone. This approach is key to driving the 'bioeconomy' - the bio-inspired circular economy that is addressing challenges in areas such as food & nutrition, health as well as the environment. 

Anthony Finbow, CEO, Eagle Genomics, said: “We couldn’t be more pleased that Artem and Yvonne, as established and recognized experts in their fields, have chosen to join Eagle Genomics as we scale our business and implement our bioeconomy strategy across the Food & Nutrition and AgBio verticals. 

“The reach of the Bio Revolution is vast – from soil, to plant, to fork, to gut, to health and far beyond. What we put into our bodies, and how that affects our environment and biodiversity, should be right at the pinnacle of the latest research and innovative thinking. Across a broad range of intricately connected sectors, trailblazing scientists and ambitious companies are investing strategically in next-generation products that are more sustainable for the planet, and better for our health. 

“With our strong and growing team, Eagle Genomics has a critical and enabling role in helping drive that research, making unprecedented connections based upon network science, unlocking radical innovation opportunities by efficiently interrogating multi-dimensional microbiome data. We are giving scientists, product development teams, and commercial visionaries the evidence they need to turn ideas into viable, evidence-based, generative solutions – to will help drive the digital reinvention of science – and ultimately help to solve the world’s Grand Challenges.” 

Dr. Artem Khlebnikov joins Eagle Genomics with more than two decades of life science experience in the food and nutrition, biotechnology and consumer goods sectors. He will support Eagle Genomics’ strategy development linked to food and nutrition in the Bioeconomy. Before joining Eagle Genomics, Artem was Strategic Partnerships Director at the Danone Nutricia Research, where he worked closely with internal and external investment funds, public and private partners to drive Danone’s OnePlanet OneHealth strategy by harnessing new science-based opportunities, enabling significant and sustainable growth. Fittingly for Eagle Genomics, with its focus on the microbiome and microbial ecologies and their potential to drive the Bio Revolution, Artem has extensive experience in microbiome research, having spent two decades working on different aspects of bio-based processes in the U.S., Belgium, and France. 

During his tenure with Danone, Artem’s work included the selection and characterization of novel probiotics and active compounds; pre-clinical and clinical evaluation; fermentation process development; and building R&D teams – paving the way for successful collaborative work with academics, start-ups, and large corporations. Artem began his career in biotechnology developing novel flu and hepatitis B & C vaccines production processes with AstraZeneca and Fujirebio, respectively, before shifting his focus to the use of bioprocesses in the food industry. 

Artem has authored and developed several peer-reviewed scientific publications and patents. He completed post-Doctoral training in Molecular Biology at the University of California at Berkeley, following a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology in Moscow and a Ph.D. in Biotechnology from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. 

Dr. Yvonne Maria Pinto is a recognized global expert in Agriculture and Food Systems Innovation and Agricultural Technology Ecosystems and related evaluation and monitoring. She has more than 25 years’ experience in providing trusted advice and consultancy across the sector, for organizations including ALINE Impact Ltd and Firetail Ltd, Imperial College London, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).  

Yvonne’s earlier career was in Plant Molecular Biology, Molecular Virology and Crop and Soil Improvement, while her charity-based roles have included senior Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) positions at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Africa Portfolio Executive at the Gatsby Charitable Foundation. Over the last 20 years, Yvonne has also served as a long-term board member for multiple organizations across nine countries, spanning Latin America, Africa, South Asia, and Europe. 

Of particular interest to Eagle Genomics is Yvonne’s deep experience advising on agri-innovation pipelines and ecosystem development for international research agencies and UK government. This includes commercialization, return on investment (ROI), and social returns for the benefit of farmers — particularly smallholder farmers in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). In the private sector, she has driven the commercialization of intellectual property, with a 20-year royalty stream as a co-inventor. As a long-term assessor, Yvonne has supported the provision of seed funding to health and life sciences tech companies and start-ups working with precision tools, AgriTech, blockchain, digitization, next-generation information architecture, Internet of Things (IoT) applications, and satellite applications in association with digital tools.  

Yvonne holds a BSc in Agriculture, Tropical Agriculture, and Agricultural Botany from the University of Reading, UK; and an MSc, Ph.D., and two post-Doctoral fellowships in Agriculture, Agricultural Botany, Biotechnology, Virology and Pathology at Imperial College London. She also has a qualification in General Management in Leadership from the University of Cambridge.