Yizhaq
Experienced leader across science, strategy, and operations in government, academia, and startups.
Expert in synthetic biology and biochemistry, turning complex ideas into products.
I’m Yizhaq Engelberg, Ph.D.: a scientist, entrepreneur, and strategist working at the intersection of synthetic biology, engineering, and applied innovation. I hold a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Biophysics and spent three years as a postdoctoral researcher at MIT, where I led multidisciplinary teams developing engineered microbiota and bacterial biosensors for defense and environmental applications using cutting-edge synthetic biology approaches.
My work spans atomic-resolution structure discovery, genetic circuit design, and field deployment of living materials. I’ve secured competitive grants, published in leading journals, and thrive where science meets strategy, and business.
Before science, I spent over a decade in field operations and investigative roles where decisions carried real-world consequences; an experience that still shapes how I lead projects, assess risk, and build teams.
Career Timeline
Directing a research group in Tel Hai University, that explores how living systems respond to changes in their environment and how these responses can be measured and harnessed for practical applications. My research combines biological sensing, microorganisms, biomaterials, optical imaging, and computational analysis, with applications in biotechnology, environmental monitoring, and advanced sensing.
Driving post-Series B growth at a B2B SaaS company through operational transformation, strategic partnership development, and ownership of critical cross-functional initiatives that directly impact revenue and scale; contributing to team growth from under 100 to over 200 employees.