MEET OUR TEAM
Ed F. Schuler (1931-2020)
Enzymes have been a part of Chris’ life since he was a kid. He began helping his father with his business when he was a senior in high school. With years of historical knowledge and a broad understanding of the enzyme industry, Chris controls all aspects of the company’s operations. After graduating from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology, Chris worked in the production department at Amano International Enzyme Company. When BIO-CAT was formed, Chris was in charge of customer sales and production. A decade later, he was promoted to president. As the leader of the executive leadership team, Chris plays a pivotal role in the overall strategic direction of the company.
Bill holds a degree in Accounting from North Carolina State University. He has spent over 25 years in the commercial finance industry, working as the Senior Vice President for StellarOne before joining BIO-CAT as the CFO in 2009. As a member of the executive team, he is responsible for developing company goals, objectives and strategic planning. He is proficient in understanding our current strengths and planning for the future.
Bill currently serves on the Board of Directors of Blue Ridge Bankshares, Inc.
Mark has over 30 years’ experience with Abbott- the leading nutrition science & medical device/diagnostics company, and Perrigo- the largest global over-the-counter and topical prescription drug company. His experiences and responsibilities include strategic alliances, licensing, M&A, and product development. Mark leverages his unique and valued perspective to drive BIO-CAT's strategic initiatives and marketing efforts.
Katie hails from Virginia Tech, and holds degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics with a field of study in Veterinary Business Management. She also has a minor in Animal and Poultry Sciences. She followed that up at UVA with a program in Strategic Sales Management. She joined BIO-CAT in 2007 as a biochemist in our lab, and is now the VP of Sales. Her ability to develop and maintain relationships with customers is key, providing product & industry knowledge, innovative tech information and exceptional customer service.
When Katie isn’t wow-ing our customers, she likes to travel. She’s visited over 25 different countries!
Patrick manages the day-to-day operations of the company including inventory, purchasing and scheduling in both customer service and production arenas. Patrick is knowledgeable about the enzyme industry, having been exposed to it since the early 1980's while working at Amano International Enzyme Company. He later worked in the printing industry for several years and returned to the enzyme industry when BIO-CAT began to expand in the mid-1990's. He was promoted to Production/Purchasing Manager in 2002 and to General Manager in 2009.
Stephen has worked in various departments at BIO-CAT including Production, Quality, R&D, and Sales. He graduated from Towson University in 2014 with a dual Bachelors of Health Science Degree and a Psychology Minor. Before joining BIO-CAT he worked in the financial services industry for several years in Colorado.
Robert started with BIO-CAT in March of 2022. He has a degree in Chemistry from the University of Richmond. As a former executive at a health sciences company, Robert brings with him expertise in Pharmaceutical and Medical Device regulations. With a demonstrated history of success championing innovative new technologies in the healthcare industry, Robert’s expansive knowledge makes him an invaluable compliance team leader. He also has experience in FDA regulatory compliance, ISO 13485, as well as cGMP manufacturing for medical devices and pharmaceutical products.
Robert’s love of baseball has been passed down through 3 generations of Boyds. He now coaches his granddaughter’s team on the same local league that he and his son played on!
Sean’s extensive background and experience have significantly added to BIO-CAT’s R&D team since his joining the team in 2020. His PhD in Genetics and Genomics at Duke and years of post-doctoral work at the University of Virginia, coupled with his 25+ years of molecular biology experience and 11 years of industry R&D experience, allow our R&D department to make continued strides toward excellent enzyme production!
Kelly joined BIO-CAT in 2008. After graduating from Elmira College with a degree in Biochemistry, she worked as an Analytical Chemist in a variety of different scientific fields including natural products, pharmaceuticals and polymers. At BIO-CAT she is responsible for managing all research and development applications and customer projects, providing innovative enzymatic solutions to customers and exploring groundbreaking ideas for novel uses of enzymes across the board. She also partners with BIO-CAT Microbials to develop unique combinations of enzymes and probiotics.
In her spare time Kelly enjoys getting her hands dirty working mechanically on cars.
Jim joined the BIO-CAT R&D group in February of 2022. His background is in organic chemistry- starting with a B.S. in Chemistry at the University of Scranton then acquiring his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry. During Postdoctoral studies on Medicinal Biochemistry at The Rockefeller University, he was able to explore other applications for his training in chemistry and began his lifelong adventures in analytical chemistry with a focus on biomolecules. Over the decades, he's built and worked in core laboratories at biotech and biopharmaceutical companies, where he's supported research and drug development. Furthermore, Jim has supported a research institute and universities with valuable fundamental research.
Jim comes from a family of 7 kids, with three brothers and three sisters!
Yuki joined BIO-CAT in June 2024 as our research scientist. She was born and raised in China. Yuki moved to the U.S. for her undergrad, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Food Science from the University of California, Davis. She then earned a Master of Science and followed it with a Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science and Technology from Oregon State University.
At Oregon State University, Yuki worked as a Graduate Research Assistant, focusing on gut health, milk bioactive peptides and human nutritional and food chemistry. Her research included designing clinical studies to examine the effect of glycomacropeptide (GMP) on gut health and developing analytical methods to identify peptides released from GMP from human digestion. She worked as a Faculty Research Assistant, analyzing protease and lipase activities in human and bovine milk and studying protein digestibility in infants.
Sharon has been with BIO-CAT since 2012. She started as Biochemist in the Quality Control Lab and was then promoted to Quality Control Lab Manager. Her experience is founded in a B.S in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry. Chemistry has always been her passion; she knew from an early age that she wanted to work in a lab.
Sharon was born in Dominica (not to be confused with the Dominican Republic) which is an island in the Caribbean. She enjoys travelling, playing sports and going to Caribbean inspired Carnival events. She is a powerlifter and has competed in 2 competitions where she has received gold medals (squats and deadlifts)!
Dan is a well-rounded member of the BIO-CAT team, with a degree in Biochemistry focusing on the crystal structure of nitric oxide synthase; he soon after achieved his MBA. He brings to the table 5 years of experience in product development of the enzyme and probiotic space.
When Dan isn’t at work, you can always find him cooking – with a belief that good food is essential to life. He also loves spending time in nature, and you can almost always find him out on the trails in the Shenandoah Valley.
Michael brings over 20 years of business, purchasing and sales experience. He worked as the purchasing manager at PBM Products, the leading global supplier of store brand infant formula and baby/toddler foods. He was director of sales for firstSTREET, a consumer goods marketing company and also spent two tenures with Gold Violin, a multi-channel retailer selling products for independent living, as the inventory manager and director of wholesale. Michael holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Management from Radford University.
Michael is an avid sports fan- you can always find him cheering on UVA sports, the Steelers and the LA Angels!
Jenn studied Sports Medicine at the University of Georgia. Prior to joining BIO-CAT in 2010, she worked for Yves Delorme in Charlottesville, VA, in Production, followed by Customer Service and the IT department. At BIO-CAT, her role started in Customer Service before being promoted to Account Manager in 2016, where she continues to provide quality service to current customers and actively seek new business.
Jenn enjoys going to the beach, watching sports, reading a good book and spending time with her family.
Akeisha started at BIO-CAT in 2017, in the customer service department. Before that, she worked for 12 years in the tour and travel industry, after getting a degree in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University. She was just recently promoted to Account Manager!
Outside of work, Akeisha loves reading, spending time with her daughter and their dachshund.
Carolyn joined BIO-CAT in May of 2021. With a BA in graphic design, she adds to the marketing team after spending the previous 6 years working behind the scenes for customers at an apparel & promo products company.
In a former life Carolyn spent a short time as a competition ballroom dancer, but now enjoys a quieter life spending time with her husband, getting better at video/computer games, and watching the Harry Potter franchise movies.
Trish adds to the marketing team with a degree in Interior Design from the University of Cincinnati. Trish started with BIO-CAT in May of 2021. Previously she held a position as a graphic designer for a Design/Build company local to Charlottesville, VA, and has experience in marketing while working for major domestic flooring manufacturers.
Trish enjoys the outdoors. After college, she spent 3 months backpacking around Southeast Asia, and visited 7 countries during that time!
Tammy joined BIO-CAT in 2003 and is elemental. She has been in the lumber and banking industries prior to her time at BIO-CAT. She holds SHRM-CP and HRCI certifications, and earned her Certificate Degree in Human Resources from UVA in 2016 - proving that you're never too old to learn!
In her spare time, Tammy loves gardening, baking and spending time with her grandkids!
Mike joined BIO-CAT Microbials in 2008 as a production manager, and quickly transitioned to the VP of sales in 2009. Today he oversees the day-to-day operations and management of all employees in our Shakopee, MN location. Prior to BCM Mike worked in regional operations and personnel, where he increased sales, hired and built high-powered teams.
Chris’s background is in quality, and it shows in his work at BIO-CAT Microbials, joining the BIO-CAT team in 2019. He has spent over 20 years in the food and beverage industry focusing on quality in analytical and microbiology labs, supervisory roles, and ultimately management of quality department programs and staff for industry-leading manufacturers.
Jessica has been with BIO-CAT Microbials as one of our PhDs since 2013. She has a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and her doctorate in Microbiology from The Ohio State University. Before BIO-CAT, she studied RNA modifications, specifically focusing on tRNA deaminases, and spent a year at the RNA Institute at SUNY Albany looking at the role of tRNA modifications in potential HIV interventions. She now plays a pivotal role in the research and development of Microbials in our Shakopee, MN location.
Jessica has been building and collecting LEGO sets for 30 years. She has over 200,000 pieces in her collection!
Sreevidya Meesala joined BIO-CAT Microbials as a Senior Fermentation Scientist in March 2023. Born and raised in India, she holds dual master’s degrees in Biochemistry and Biotechnology and a Ph.D. in Biotechnology from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, India.
Prior to joining BIO-CAT Microbials, she worked at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Hyderabad, India. Her research focused on characterizing microorganisms for plant growth promotion and purifying antimicrobial compounds from microbes to control fungal pathogens affecting chickpea and sorghum. Sreevidya successfully purified citrinin from the fungal isolate Penicillium citrinum and studied its efficacy in controlling Botrytis grey mold in chickpea and charcoal rot in sorghum. Additionally, her research includes exploring Bacillus and Streptomyces species for plant growth promotion and biocontrol of plant pathogens. With her extensive knowledge of microbial physiology, fermentation, and downstream processing, Sreevidya has started at BCM R&D for optimizing the bioprocess of BCM Bacillus strains.
Beyond her research, Sreevidya has a passion for costume designing and enjoys creating dresses for herself and her family for special occasions. She also has a green thumb and loves gardening.
Sebhat has been with BIO-CAT Microbials since 2009. He holds a Master of Biological Sciences, with emphasis on Microbiology. This plays into his role at BCM, where he researches microbial physiology, fermentation optimization and product development/application studies. Sebhat has really enjoyed being able to focus on areas of interest over the past 12 years!
In his spare time, you can find Sebhat cooking fusion cuisine or celebrating ALL things Minnesota Vikings!
Laura grew up on a dairy farm near Brainerd, MN and went to Concordia College in Moorhead, MN (2008-2012). There, she developed a strong interest in molecular biology and genetics and decided to pursue her PhD in microbiology at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT (2012-2017). Her graduate research involved using RNAseq to characterize the immune response of honey bees to virus infection, a major factor associated with bee colony loss. Laura then became a postdoctoral researcher at UC Davis where she researched honey bee reproduction and learned how to artificially inseminate queen bees. In March of 2021, Laura joined BIO-CAT Microbials (BCM) as an R&D scientist where she contributes to probiotic development and genetic characterization of BCM bacillus strains using in-house sequencing and bioinformatics
On the weekends, Laura splits her time between spending time outdoors and transforming into a sloth. Laura loves to spend time outdoors with her husband and husky mix, jogging or cycling in the summer and skiing (downhill or cross-country) in the winter. Every fall, they take a backpacking trip in the Rockies. When feeling slothful, Laura enjoys playing video games and experimenting with GarageBand at home.
Lisa started with BIO-CAT Microbials in March 2019. After a brief position developing science curriculum for University of Minnesota Extension, she was brought on in a new position there as QA/QC Lead Microbiologist. After completing her BS in Forensic Science and Chemistry, she worked in the QC department of a sandwich manufacturer and enjoyed the way the Quality Control world looked at problems. There, she found a particular passion for implementing and improving microbiological testing. This led to getting her PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of North Dakota, where she studied the bacterial responses to stress, in particular, the ways that E. coli and related organisms like Salmonella use their ribosomes to rapidly react to environmental threats.
Lisa has a HAM radio license, obtained while on the University of North Dakota Solar & Fuel Cell Car Team. It must have been fate for Lisa to work for BIO-CAT Microbials, as she toured what would become the BCM facility in a high school Microbiology class.
Our Teams
Compliance Team
Executive Team
R&D Team
QC/QA Team
Production Team
Customer Service Team
Production Team
BIO-CAT Microbials
IT, Finance, HR Team
Laboratory Team
BIO-CAT Microbials
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