Farukiyah He is Senior Vice President of Business Operations at Future Origins and Senior Vice President of Venture and Corporate Development at Genomatica (Geno) and lives in Del Sur.
Classrooms, libraries, and organizations in San Diego and across the country have been celebrating Women's History Month throughout March. Posters and exhibits have celebrated the work and lives of incredible women to demonstrate their contributions to society and the world. I've spent my entire career in biochemistry, so of course I have an abiding love for the all-stars of women in science history.
As a woman who works at a place specifically called “Biotech Beach,” I work with many of my female colleagues at Genomatica and throughout the San Diego area who are making incredible advances in biotechnology and having an enormous impact on the world of medicine, health care, and more. I feel lucky to have you. Business, environment, agriculture, energy, etc. We stand on the shoulders of women scientists who have broken through difficult barriers and achieved great results.
I think of Catalin Carrico. He has been working on Messenger for decades. RNA, or mRNA, has enabled the development of vaccines at an unprecedented pace. Actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr developed a new communication system for World War II that would become the forefather of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS. And I can't forget Sally Ride, the rocket woman from Southern California who was the first American woman to go into space.
However, as I embarked on my most recent professional pursuits, I found myself feeling an even greater affinity for women in science and business. Their accomplishments are equally monumental, but they strive in quieter yet incredibly impactful areas. These women wake up every day in our region and work to advance biotechnology that we all benefit from. I am currently developing a sustainable drop-in alternative that can redefine how companies source surfactant ingredients used in products used in every household in the United States and in millions of homes around the world. I am part of the team that develops and commercializes the product. Our goal is to create deforestation-free alternatives to key ingredients typically made from fossil products and palm oil and used in the formulation of everyday cosmetics, personal care and cleaning products such as laundry detergents and facial cleansers. commercialize products through Future Origins.
And make no mistake, these unsustainable raw materials are made on a scale of millions of tonnes each year, and finding ways to make them more sustainable will have a huge impact and reduce the carbon footprint of these products. will significantly reduce the amount of deforestation and advance a deforestation-free reality. supply chain. And as our product development stages move forward rapidly, the only thing more exciting than this part of the process is the prospect of bringing these products to market and knowing how deeply they will impact the international community. I admit that this is an expectation.
So this month, we're remembering and thanking women in science, like chemist Stephanie Louise Kleck. During DuPont's development of synthetic fibers, she successfully invented Kevlar, the main ingredient in bulletproof vests, and has indirectly saved countless lives. U.S. military women and men. And I think of chemist and food scientist Virginia Holsinger. His research on dairy enzymes led to the popularization of lactase enzymes in the production of low-lactose or lactose-free dairy products. She also developed a highly scalable whey soy drink that is used to feed desperately hungry people around the world.
And finally, as more and more women around the world enter STEM fields, we would like to reflect on and appreciate the future of women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In fact, from 2011 to 2021, the number of women working in STEM fields in the United States alone increased by 31% from 9.4 million to 12.3 million, and continues to trend upward.
Undoubtedly, women have left a significant and indelible mark on the world's scientific and business communities for several generations. It is essential that this continues and that women are encouraged, enabled and empowered to pursue new heights of scientific advancement and breaking boundaries.
