2026 ACS BIOT Elections

Nigel Reuel, Ph.D.

CTO NSF RuralSTAMINA Engine Biomanufacturing / Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Iowa State University

Prof. Nigel Reuel is the Stanley Chair in Interdisciplinary Engineering and Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Iowa State University, where his research focuses on developing new sensing and measurement technologies for biomanufacturing. He earned his Ph.D. from MIT and, prior to joining Iowa State, worked in industrial R&D and technology scouting at DuPont.

Reuel is an active biotechnology entrepreneur whose university research has launched three deep-technology ventures, including Skroot Laboratory, Zymosense, and Frugi Biotech (acquired by BigHat Biosciences) spanning bioprocess monitoring, enzyme discovery, and protein engineering. His work bridges academic discovery and industrial translation, with a particular emphasis on technologies that improve the development and manufacturing of biological products. He received the 2024 ACS BIOT Young Investigator Award for contributions to rapid protein prototyping and improved manufacturing of therapeutic cells.

As a candidate for ACS BIOT President, Reuel brings experience connecting researchers, entrepreneurs, students, and established biotechnology companies to advance innovation across the biochemical technology community.

Candidate Statement: Thank you for considering me as the Chair-Elect for the ACS BIOT organization, a group that has been my “home” community since pursuing the academic chapter in my career. I have had the opportunity to serve the BIOT community as 2024 Meeting Program co-chair and organize numerous new sessions, including collaborations with the law and small business division of ACS. As chair, I would maintain the strong programming and community that has served me so well and strive to expand our membership to include more industrial fermentation and synthetic biology partners. With my current role as CTO of an NSF Engine focused on biomanufacturing, I see many research groups and companies that should join our community. The bioeconomy is a central pillar to our future and ACS BIOT should be the lead organization for these efforts.

Varnika Roy, Ph.D.

VP, Global Head of Platform Sciences, R&D Technologies at GSK

Varnika Roy, PhD, works as a VP, Global Head of Platform Sciences, in R&D Technologies at GSK. Prior to this role Varnika was VP, Head of Analytical Sciences, MSAT in Global Supply Chain at GSK based out of Rockville, MD, USA. Varnika was also Global Head of the Bioassays department in GSK Vaccines. In addition, Varnika led global early and late-stage CMC teams for mRNA and subunit recombinant protein vaccine development. Before joining GSK in 2017, Varnika was a Senior Scientist at MedImmune (AstraZeneca; AZ) in the Cell Culture and Fermentation Sciences department designing cell culture processes for expression and scale-up of biologics. At AZ, Varnika led multiple academic-industrial collaborations. Varnika received a PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Maryland College Park, where she authored multiple peer-reviewed publications. Varnika is currently the Past Chair and Councilor of the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Biochemical Technology (BIOT) Division and Associate Member of the meetings and expositions committee for ACS.

My ACS and BIOT Experience: My journey in ACS and BIOT has spanned over 20 years where I have seen the organization multiple perspectives; from that of a graduate student to Division Chair.I have served on the ACS BIOT Executive Committee for 10 years in different roles, including serving as the first communications coordinator. I was also the Program Chair for the 2017 Annual Meeting in San Francisco and have served as session chair and area coordinator for several meetings. Two of my lasting contributions to BIOT was instituting the BIOT Networking reception for student members to network with experts from industry and academia and the BIOT Shark Tank that showcases BIOT entrepreneurial endeavors. The continuation of these sessions speaks to the value they add to our membership. In 2019, I was awarded the James M. Van Lanen Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to BIOT. 

Why I want to run for councilor: BIOT is one of the largest ACS divisions and is unique in that it has higher membership from industry unlike other ACS divisions. Building on my vast experience within BIOT, I want to expand my contributions and service to the greater ACS organization.  In my role as Councilor, I will seek to best represent the interests of the BIOT memberships at ACS National. Now as chair of the meetings and expositions committee, I will strive to allocate resources and support to BIOT to keep our meetings engaged, diverse, inclusive, and at strategic locations, while growing membership and member engagement. Among the first initiatives that I will champion is increased visibility for BIOT to represent industry relevance for ACS and increase cross divisional programming (POLY, PMSE, BIOL) to expand our membership base. Therefore, I look for your support to realize this vision.

Stefano Menegatti, Ph.D.

Professor and Faculty Scholar, Dept of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

Dr. Stefano Menegatti is a Professor and Faculty Scholar in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State University. He is the co-founder of the North Carolina Viral Vector Initiative in Research and Learning (NC-VVIRAL) and the Chief Scientific Officer of ChromaGenix, a company commercializing affinity adsorbents for bioseparations. Dr. Menegatti’s main interests are in purification processes and analytical technologies dedicated to biological therapeutics. His group introduced the paradigm of “flow-through affinity chromatography” as well as several affinity ligands for the purification of proteins, viral vectors, and cells – totaling 27 patents and 120 peer-reviewed publications. His efforts on innovating biomanufacturing technologies have received several awards including the NSF CAREER award, the ALCOA Foundation Research Achievement Award, and the 2025 ACS BIOT Young Investigator Award.

Candidate Statement: After one year in the role,I feel there is a lot left to do and would like to continue in my position as Alternate Councilor for ACS BIOT. My passion for biochemistry and biotechnology has shaped my career, and I believe in the power of collaboration to drive innovation and progress in our field. I will advocate for initiatives that promote the broad dissemination of cutting-edge research and professional development opportunities, ensuring that every member feels valued and empowered to contribute to our collective goals. Together, we can channel our talents and perspectives towards advancing knowledge and education in biochemistry and biotechnology. I welcome the opportunity to continue to serve you and dedicate my work to inspire future generations of scientists. Thank you for your support!