We are excited to announce that Michael Madonna has joined Shiru as Director of Protein Science.
Shiru’s mission is to feed people sustainably by leveraging machine learning and precision biology to identify and create ideal food proteins.
Michael Madonna received his Ph.D. in Chemistry & Biochemistry from the University of California – Santa Cruz and his B.S. from Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo. Michael brings over 15 years of protein chemistry experience to Shiru, most recently serving as Analytical Sciences Lead at Joywell Foods, a company focused on making sweet proteins to create healthy alternatives to sugar in food. Shiru will heavily leverage his extensive experience in characterizing proteins, building teams, and scaling technology at start-ups during this hyper-growth phase.
After earning his Ph.D., Michael spent three years at Eurofins – Lancaster Laboratories, where he worked with leading companies in the biopharmaceutical industry to characterize therapeutic antibodies. Michael then made the jump to Food Tech, where he could combine his expertise in proteins and his passion for food. Since making that move, Michael has worked with world-class scientists and engineers to discover, develop, and scale functional food proteins. During this time he has successfully led efforts to bring new protein ingredients through the regulatory process, earning the designation as Generally recognized as Safe (GRAS).
“I couldn’t be more excited to join Shiru. The food industry is ready for a move to sustainability; it just needs a little help to unlock the path. Shiru has the technology and the team to be the key that unlocks this untapped potential, and I’m thrilled to be a part of that effort”
Outside of work, Michael can be found tending to his garden, mixing up tasty cocktails with friends and family, or enjoying the “beautiful game” of soccer.