Investment professional Bryan Jadot serves as the senior managing director of the life sciences practice at Hercules Capital. With over 20 years of experience, Bryan Jadot manages investment and lending programs for companies specializing in life sciences. He has a particular interest in the field of biotechnology.
In its most basic form, “biotechnology” refers to technology that is based on biology. Biotechnology has influenced agriculture in numerous ways, as plants are bioengineered to produce greater yields, resist diseases and pests, and reduce negative environmental impact.
In 2004, the first trials of a bioengineered rice called Golden Rice were conducted. Developed by a nonprofit called the International Rice Research Institute, Golden Rice has been engineered to include increased amounts of vitamin A. Experts hope that Golden Rice can be cultivated in areas where high numbers of people suffer from critical vitamin A deficiencies, which can lead to blindness, a weakened immune system, and death.
One bowl of Golden Rice contains 60 percent of a child's daily requirement of vitamin A. Since rice currently serves as a staple food for over half of the world’s population, introducing vitamin A in the form of beta carotene into the genes of rice can make a significant impact on the health of numerous groups.
