John D. Coates is a Professor of Microbiology at University of California, Berkeley, and the Director of the Energy & Biosciences Institute. He is also the Chair of the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and holds a joint appointment as a Senior Scientist in the Environmental Genomics and System Biology Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Prof. Coates is co-founder of three startup companies: BioInsite LLC, a small consultancy company geared towards the use of microorganisms for solutions to environmental contaminant problems; Ogma Scientific Inc., a company applying high throughput technologies to the environmental industry; and Pow Genetic Solutions Inc., a company focused on the use of advanced technologies to reduce the need for antibiotic application, improve productivity, and decrease process costs for biotechnological industries. Dr. Coates’ research seeks to balance society’s need to provide sustainable ecological protection while maintaining stable economic growth and development. He achieves this through the application of a disparate range of technologies. His research interests include renewable clean energies and manufacturing processes, carbon sequestration, and remediation of diverse toxic compounds (metals, radionuclides, and organics).