Pluton Biosciences has added research associates Elizabeth Scherer and Farhan William to its team.
Pluton is a microbial testing and discovery research company based in St. Louis dedicated to finding unique microbes in the soil for use in sustainable, natural products. Pluton’s first product candidates are ten novel bacteria capable of eliminating larvae of disease-carrying mosquitoes.
“Elizabeth and Farhan will both play important roles in advancing our product development efforts, especially of our ecofriendly mosquito larvicide. Our partnerships with Evolugate and the Danforth Center have accelerated our mosquito control product research and development,” said Pluton CEO Charlie Walch. “With the addition of these initiatives, Pluton’s current research team found they had more science to conduct than hours in their day; I’m aware that’s a good problem for a small business to have in these times. We are very grateful for the trust our collaboration partners and customers have placed in Pluton and for the incredible scientists in our lab. I am pleased to welcome Farhan and Elizabeth to the team!”
Elizabeth Scherer, Research Associate
As a Research Associate, Scherer participates in DNA extraction, data collection/reporting/organization, and writing protocols. She also assists with project management and workflow, which includes organizing and processing soil samples for the purpose of isolating and identifying specific microbes.
Scherer has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Chemistry from the University of Missouri - St. Louis. While in school, she was a research assistant for Dr. Bethany Zolman who studies auxin metabolism in Arabidopsis.
When not working, she enjoys spending time with her daughter Evelynn.
Farhan William, Research Associate
In his new position, William is responsible for culturing, preparing and maintaining microbes, plus hatching and maintaining mosquito larvae for research. He conducts a variety of assays, creates protocols and collects and reports data.
William has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Chemistry from Butler University and University of Missouri - St. Louis.
Outside of work, his interests include watching movies and television shows, trying new restaurants with friends, growing houseplants and listening to music.