MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, U.S. — Travis Frey, PhD, has been named chief technology officer at Calyxt, Inc., effective May 20. In his new role, Frey will be responsible for the research and development team to propel product development and its pipeline of healthier food ingredients.

Frey most recently was vice-president of science and innovation at WISErg Corp., where he was responsible for developing the company’s science and technology vision, strategy and execution of company initiatives. Earlier, he spent 12 years at Monsanto in a variety of roles, including biotechnology controlled environment lead, trait integration innovation and entomology lead, and corn discovery breeder.

He received a bachelor’s degree in horticultural science from Penn State University, a master’s degree in plant breeding and plant genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and a doctorate degree in plant biology and biotechnology from the University of Delaware.

“With over 15 years of agricultural industry and technology innovation experience, Travis will be an excellent asset to complement the Calyxt team as we grow and assess our business needs,” said James A. Blome, chief executive officer of Calyxt. “Travis has a well-rounded background in the field, and I’m confident that in partnership with our chief science officer, Professor Dan Voytas, he will be a critical voice in our continuous evaluation of our food ingredient pipeline.”

Calyxt, Inc. is a consumer-centric, food- and agriculture-focused company, that last fall completed the inaugural harvest of its high-fiber wheat product, the world’s first gene-edited, consumer-focused wheat product.