Ben Haller is a dedicated and accomplished professional with a BS in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from Michigan State University. He embarked on his biotech career as an intern at MBI International in 2004 and was hired full-time in 2006 to work in the pilot plant. 

After a year in the pilot plant, Ben transitioned to the Biochemistry team, where he specialized in strain engineering and small-scale fermentation. He worked primarily on the succinic acid process, overseeing small-scale fermentations, engineering plasmids to enhance yields, and assisting in a directed evolution process to adapt Actinobacillus succinogenes to various media formulations. 

In 2011, Ben returned to the pilot plant team to focus on contract service fermentations. Since then, he has contributed to numerous projects at both the 100L and 3000L scales, working with a diverse range of microbes, including filamentous fungi, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and yeast. In addition to his hands-on fermentation work, Ben has developed software programs to control all automation aspects of the 100L, 150L, and 3000L fermentors at MSU BI. 

With his extensive expertise in pilot plant operations, biochemistry, and automation, Ben is instrumental in advancing the MSU Bioeconomy Institute's mission to commercialize innovative chemical and biobased technologies.