Amr Aswad - Biotech, Innovation & Leadership

Q: Where is Amr based?

Amr is based in Berlin, Germany .

Q: What languages does Amr speak?

Amr speaks the following languages: English (Native), Arabic (Advanced), German (Intermediate) .

Q: How many years of experience does Amr have?

Amr has at least 16 years of experience. During this time, Amr has worked in at least 8 different roles and for 6 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 2 years . Note that Amr may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Amr's latest experience?

Amr's most recent position is Founder & Chief Executive Officer at Zayt Bioscience GmbH .

Q: What companies has Amr worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Amr has worked for Zayt Bioscience GmbH , CU.office , an alt-protein start-up , and Free University Berlin .

Q: Which industries is Amr most experienced in?

Amr is most experienced in industries like Biotechnology , Education , and Food and Beverage . Amr also has some experience in Professional Services .

Q: Which business areas is Amr most experienced in?

Amr is most experienced in business areas like Research and Development , Operations , and Strategy . Amr also has some experience in Customer Service , Project Management , and Human Resources .

Q: Which industries has Amr worked in recently?

Amr has recently worked in industries like Biotechnology , Food and Beverage , and Professional Services .

Q: Which business areas has Amr worked in recently?

Amr has recently worked in business areas like Research and Development , Operations , and Strategy .

Recommended expert

Berlin, Germany

Experience

Jan 2022 - Dec 2025

4 years

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Zayt Bioscience GmbH

Realised the ambitious mission to create sustainable replacements for planet-destroying palm oil & soybean oils leveraging high tech microbial fermentation of food waste
Built the business model, R&D strategy & managed the company for two years
Achieved a valuation of €7 million after only 2 rounds of pre-seed funding

Jan 2021 - Dec 2024

4 years

Co-founder and Partner

CU.office

Invested and contributed to establishing the business and pricing model
Exited with a 12% ROI
Provided management support in all areas of the business, including customer relations & strategy

Jan 2021 - Dec 2021

1 year

Chief Scientific Officer & Co-founder

an alt-protein start-up

Developed an R&D framework for an intelligent food design system
Led the preparation of our investor communication strategy for our research vision
Constructed a hiring strategy for a computational food design platform, alt-protein food lab and sensory research team

Jan 2018 - Dec 2021

4 years

Germany

Einstein International Fellow

Free University Berlin

Awarded over €250,000 in funding for my work
Led an independent research program, producing the first rigorous evolutionary analysis in the HHV6 field
Led a collaboration across six countries with contributors from a variety of institutions and hospitals

Jan 2018 - Dec 2020

3 years

United Kingdom

Research Associate

University of Oxford

Guest lecturer to first year and final year biology students on genomics, virology and bioinformatics
Continued to provide course content based on my research
Maintained professional relationships after leaving the university

Jan 2015 - Dec 2019

5 years

United Kingdom

Junior Research Fellow

University of Oxford

One of three fellows awarded funding for my work from a pool of 300+ applicants
Designed and executed a research project investigating structural genomic variation in Great tits
Developed a Python pipeline to analyse a multi-genome dataset to address a novel analytical challenge

Jan 2011 - Dec 2016

6 years

United Kingdom

DPhil. Paleovirology

University of Oxford

Developed the field-standard bioinformatics approach for genome mining and analysis of ancient viruses
Produced a highly commended doctoral thesis (approved without revision)
Published multiple papers in top journals and books, wrote multiple grants, communicated my research, reviewed papers, mentored students at all levels
Was one of a handful of scientists globally to establish the field of paleovirology

Jan 2010 - Dec 2011

2 years

United Kingdom

Postgraduate Research Assistant

Imperial College London

Managed a lab-based research project; designed and executed experiments
Investigated genetic markers that can be used to distinguish closely related bacterial species

Industry Experience

See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.

Experienced in Biotechnology, Education, Food and Beverage, and Professional Services.

Biotechnology

Education

Food and Beverage

Professional Services

Business Area Experience

See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.

Experienced in Research and Development, Operations, Strategy, Customer Service, Project Management, and Human Resources.

Research and Development

Operations

Strategy

Customer Service

Project Management

Human Resources

Skills

A Confident And Experienced Public Speaker, I Regularly Participate On Expert Panels, Present At Conferences And Other Professional Events.
I Have Lectured At Oxford University And Freie University Berlin.
Experience Engaging With The Press Both On Camera And In Written Journalism.
Co-founder And Board Member Of A Community Working Space (Social Enterprise).
Served On The Editorial Board Of Frontiers In Microbiology & Frontiers In Plant Science.
Mentoring And Supervision Of Phd And Undergraduate Research Projects.
Participated In Recruitment And Interviewing Of New Team Members.
Organised And Ran Bioinformatic Workshops.
Organiser Of Departmental Seminar Series.
Managed The Procurement Process For Equipment Scientific Consumables.
Vice President Of St. Hilda's College Graduate Body.
Cofounded Graduate Seminar Series At St. Hilda's College Oxford.

Languages

English

Native

Arabic

Advanced

German

Intermediate

Education

Oct 2011 - Jun 2016

University of Oxford

DPhil · Paleovirology · Oxford, United Kingdom

Oct 2009 - Jun 2010

Imperial College London

MSc · Advanced Methods in Taxonomy & Biodiversity · London, United Kingdom

Oct 2006 - Jun 2009

King's College London

BSc (Honours) · Molecular Genetics · London, United Kingdom

Statistics

Experience

Total positions 8

Experience in Biotechnology 15 y

Avg length 3 y 7 m

Longest experience 5 y 11 m

Global Experience

Countries worked in 2 (United Kingdom, Germany)

Primary country United Kingdom

Expertise

Recent roles Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Co-founder and Partner, Chief Scientific Officer & Co-founder

Main industries Biotechnology, Education, Food and Beverage

Main business areas Research and Development, Operations, Strategy

Qualifications

Highest degree Doctorate

Profile

Created

January 2026

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have questions? Here you can find further information.

Where is Amr based?

Amr is based in Berlin, Germany.

What languages does Amr speak?

Amr speaks the following languages: English (Native), Arabic (Advanced), German (Intermediate).

How many years of experience does Amr have?

Amr has at least 16 years of experience. During this time, Amr has worked in at least 8 different roles and for 6 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 2 years. Note that Amr may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Amr be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Amr would be well-suited for roles such as: Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Co-founder and Partner, Chief Scientific Officer & Co-founder.

What is Amr's latest experience?

Amr's most recent position is Founder & Chief Executive Officer at Zayt Bioscience GmbH.

What companies has Amr worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Amr has worked for Zayt Bioscience GmbH, CU.office, an alt-protein start-up, and Free University Berlin.

Which industries is Amr most experienced in?

Amr is most experienced in industries like Biotechnology, Education, and Food and Beverage. Amr also has some experience in Professional Services.

Which business areas is Amr most experienced in?

Amr is most experienced in business areas like Research and Development, Operations, and Strategy. Amr also has some experience in Customer Service, Project Management, and Human Resources.

Which industries has Amr worked in recently?

Amr has recently worked in industries like Biotechnology, Food and Beverage, and Professional Services.

Which business areas has Amr worked in recently?

Amr has recently worked in business areas like Research and Development, Operations, and Strategy.

What is Amr's education?

Amr holds a Doctorate in Paleovirology from University of Oxford, a Master in Advanced Methods in Taxonomy & Biodiversity from Imperial College London and a Bachelor in Molecular Genetics from King's College London.