Jay Fitzgerald is the Chief Scientist for the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In that role he helps to guide scientific program direction for overcoming challenges in the conversion of biomass and wastes into low-carbon fuels, chemicals, and materials. He specifically focuses on synthetic biology, performance-advantaged bioproducts, and chemical and biological conversion of plastics.
Jay was previously an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the DOE Office of Science Office of Biological & Environmental Research (BER). He completed his PhD in organic chemistry at Stanford University with Professor Chaitan Khosla, focusing on the biosynthesis of medicinally useful polyketides. He also holds a BA in biochemistry and a minor in economics from Middlebury College.