Ranjani Varadan, PhD, is the Chief Scientific Officer at Shiru, a functional ingredients discovery company that uses a combination of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and wet-lab workflows to predict, screen, and validate the use of natural protein sequences for a variety of applications, including food systems. A specialist in protein discovery and alternative proteins, Varadan oversees all aspects of Shiru’s research and development, from discovery and screening to ingredient pre-production, in developing a high-value product pipeline for the world’s leading food manufacturers. Prior to joining Shiru, Varadan was one of the early scientists at Impossible Foods where she worked from 2011 to 2021. She received her PhD in biochemistry from the Univ. of Maryland at College Park and was a postdoctoral fellow in structural biology at Stanford Univ. and New York Structural Biology Center. She has a masters in biological sciences and a bachelors in electrical engineering from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (India).