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Xylome uses metabolic engineering to develop high value, sustainable products from non-conventional yeasts.

We create technology to make novel lipids, oils, and drug delivery methods.

Meet the team behind our bioidentical palm oil.

Leadership

Thomas J. Kelleher, PHD
Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Thomas Kelleher, a seasoned biotechnologist, boasts over 30 years of leadership in industrial biopharmaceutical production. He's orchestrated scale-ups at seven facilities, spearheaded process development at Amgen during a period of significant sales expansion, and served as Senior Director at Cubist, overseeing the manufacturing of Cubicin—an antibiotic breakthrough combating antibiotic-resistant "superbugs." Dr. Kelleher's expertise spans yeast genetic engineering, scale-up, and industrial biotechnology, with a Ph.D. focused on lignocellulosic biochemistry in fungi.

Thomas W. Jeffries, PHD
President and Founder

Dr. Jeffries, boasting forty years of expertise in microbial biochemistry, physiology, and yeast metabolic engineering, has spearheaded research and development in renewable fuels, chemicals, and materials. His distinguished career includes serving as a Senior Scientist and Director at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, WI. As a USDA Professor, he taught Biotechnology and Industrial Microbiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for 20 years. Since 2013, he has focused on building Xylome, providing strategic direction in yeast platform selection, commercial targets, and metabolic approaches, while driving process and strain development.

Joanna Bundus, PHD
Director of Research

Dr. Bundus brings her expertise in genetics, molecular biology, and genome analysis to Xylome. She earned a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Toronto, where her research excellence garnered multiple grants and awards, including the prestigious L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science Award. With post-doctoral experience at the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, she now leads molecular biology and strain development research at Xylome.

José Miguel Laplaza, PHD
Principal Scientist

Dr. Laplaza, a molecular geneticist with over twenty years of biotechnology experience, has led successful teams in metabolic engineering, fermentation, and process development. Prior to joining Xylome, he served as CTO at Circular Industries, focusing on chemical production from used cooking oil. He founded Levadura Biotechnology, pioneering polyketide production for cannabinoids. As VP of Development at Verdezyne, he commercialized bio-based dodecanedioic acid production by fermentation. With a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of California, Davis, Dr. Laplaza has also contributed to molecular biology and fermentation projects at Cargill and the US Forest Service's Forest Product Laboratory, enhancing cellulosic sugar value through biotechnology.