Michael Lassner is chief science officer of Amfora, a development-stage company that is using gene editing to improve the nutritional content of food while making food production more environmentally friendly. He has been involved in agricultural biotechnology since the early 1980s both as a researcher and research leader since earning his Ph.D. in genetics and plant biology at the University of California, Davis. He has led research organizations ranging from 10 to 700 people both at startups (Calgene, Maxygen) and large multinationals (Monsanto, DuPont/Pioneer). His research organizations have successfully delivered biotech traits important for improved nutrition as well as insect, weed. and biotic stress control. At Amfora, Lassner is pursuing his long-term passion of advancing innovative, enabling technologies to improve the nutritional density of crops. He is leading the scientific effort to develop high-value alternatives to commodity crops. To capture the value it creates, Amfora is building out a vertically integrated food ingredient business, a supply chain that includes soy breeding/variety development, crop production, food ingredient manufacture, and food science to ensure ingredient performance in flavorful and nutritious foods. Amfora’s first products are ultra-high protein soybeans. The company is currently producing non-GMO soybeans and developing the food ingredient business accessible to all markets and geographies. Over the next four to seven years, a suite of technologies, including gene editing, will deliver enhanced products with improved functionality, increased scalability, and reduced cost.