Michael Leavell

Michael Leavell serves as the Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Amyris, a role in which he directs the strain engineering and development pipeline. His responsibilities include engineering millions of microorganisms each year, focusing on optimizing those that meet specific product requirements. Prior to his current role, Leavell led the Screening and Analytical Science department at Amyris, where he assessed the performance of engineered strains and pinpointed areas for improvement. He played a pivotal role in the development of Amyris’ zero-calorie sweetener, RebM, managing the project from its inception to its first commercial production. Leavell has been a part of Amyris since 2006 and has contributed to over 30 scientific papers and patents. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Colorado, Denver.