Nelson has served as Genomatica’s Senior Vice President of Research and Development since October 2015, after joining Genomatica 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 Genomatica’s technology platform. 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.