Dr. Brad Day received his Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee in Microbiology in 1999 where his research focus was biochemical characterization of Nod signal perception in soybean. In 2000, he received a co-sponsored National Science Foundation (U.S.) and Science and Technology Agency (Japan) postdoctoral fellowship. From 2000-2002, he conducted research at the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences in Tsukuba, Japan, where his research contributed to the early understanding of the molecular-genetic signaling events associated with immune activation following chitin perception in rice. In 2002, he moved to U.C. Berkeley where he was a NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Brian Staskawicz. As an NIH-funded postdoc at Berkeley (2002-2006), he expanded his research interests to focus on the molecular-genetic basis of host immunity, using the Arabidopsis-Pseudomonas interaction as a disease model. During this time, his research contributed to establishing what is now commonly referred to as the Guard Hypothesis. In 2006, he accepted a position at Michigan State University as an Assistant Professor. Since 2006, his lab at MSU has worked to define the role of the actin cytoskeleton as a signaling platform for immune signaling in plants, and in this area, his group was the first to identify a link between the function of the actin cytoskeleton and gene-for-gene resistance. In parallel to these studies, research in the Day lab has also published extensively in the area of immune signaling in cucumber, and more recently, has expanded into the area of DNA-nanosensor technology for the detection of pathogens. Dr. Day serves as the Associate Chair for Research in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences. In 2017, Dr. Day was promoted to the rank of Professor. He is currently working as a Program Director at National Science Foundation (NSF).

As chief legal counsel, Pete Lemmer provides advice and counsel on legal, regulatory, or legislative matters involving GreenStone Farm Credit Services, and acts as the chief in-house legal advisor for the organization.
Lemmer joined GreenStone in September 2008 and has more than 30 years of experience as an attorney. He has managed all aspects of in-house and outside legal matters and is experienced with federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to the financial services industry, publically held companies and the Farm Credit System.
Lemmer attended the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado, graduated from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, and obtained a Juris Doctorate from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan. He is an active member of the Michigan Bar Association, and American Corporate Counsel Association. Lemmer was presented with the Phelps-Martin Award for Community Service for his volunteer work with local youth and refugee groups and, was appointed in 2013 to serve on the Michigan Public Service Commission by Gov. Rick Snyder.

Currently Dr Hodgson lives mostly in Turkey where he is the Team Leader for a project of Technical Assistance to the newly established AgriGenomics Hub at Ankara Üniversitesi Teknokent Binası, in Keçiören, Ankara. This project is co-financed jointly by the EU and the Republic of Turkey, through the Ministry of Industry and Technology.
Dr. Hodgson is a graduate of the University of Newcastle (B.Sc. Hons. 1980) and Macquarie University (PhD. 1988) in Australia; and undertook Post Docs. at Washington University (1987-1990) in St Louis, USA, and the University of Adelaide, Waite Agriculture Campus (1990-1993) in Australia.
He started his professional academic career as an academic Researcher and Tutor in the life-sciences. This expertise progressed from pure research using molecular techniques to study plant physiology/pathology, into development and implementation of molecular diagnostics (MDx) as a tool in on-site disease management (in coconut production and shrimp culture arenas). After 20 years as a researcher, Dr Hodgson undertook a transition from academia into the corporate sector to become a specialist in applications of molecular genomics to the agriculture and human health sectors, for several top-tier BioTech supply companies.
Dr. Hodgson worked for about 10 years in managerial positions with QIAGEN in Australia, and with Illumina and Affymetrix (acquired by ThermoFisher) as Senior Manager for International Markets in Agrigenomics. During these years Dr Hodgson was involved in business development and client relations, including developing SMEs and researcher understanding of genotyping applications in Agrigenomics and in Human Health. He also engaged in market research and trends analysis; concept building for marketing the management of products and solutions; capturing ideas to develop and implement business strategy; strategy pathway to increase brand awareness and improve brand value; as well as business networking with SMEs and Researchers.
In 2013 Dr Hodgson began SCIMONÉG, a small consultancy firm with special interest in the application of AgriGenomics, and in Best Practices for Business-to-Science engagement. The Firm’s passion, expertise and focus applies genomics solutions that challenge and disrupt traditional work practices for different, better, more productive outcomes.
BYS Grup, Ankara, Turkey. eMail: richard.hodgson@bysproje.com