Phoenix BioConsulting, LLC



Precision Fermentation | Bioprocess Development | Industrial Biotech





Mission: Support the growing bioeconomy by providing expert scientific consulting and project management to small- and mid-size companies bringing bioprocess-derived products or services to the market.​











Bridge the Scientific Expertise Gap: Phoenix BioConsulting provides organizations with the expertise of a seasoned bioprocess development scientist at the frequency and duration required. This is valuable for start-ups needing to meet technical milestones prior to a funding round, but not having the financial resources to hire full-time staff.



Areas of Expertise





  • Diverse bioprocess development experience:
    • Well-plate, bench, lab, and pilot scales.
    • Proteins and enzymes produced by precision fermentation of E. coli, Bacillus, yeast (also mammalian expression systems).
    • Bioactive natural products produced by filamentous bacteria and fungi (e.g., Cancidas®).
    • Renewable chemicals from synthetic biology (e.g., glucaric acid and 3-hydroxybutyrolactone).
    • Spray-dried or lyophilized whole-cells (mixtures) for aquacultural or agricultural applications.
    • Whole-cell biocatalysis to produce chiral intermediates.
  • C(D)MO sourcing and management
    • Agreements, on-boarding, project definition & management, experimental design and data review.
  • Classical microbial strain improvement and screening.
  • Statistical Experimental Design (DesignExpert, JMP)
  • Subject matter expertise (due diligence, technical writing/editing)
  • Expert Witness (microbial bioprocess development)​


Example Projects





  • Implemented an effective, capital-lite, go-to-market manufacturing strategy for a regenerative agriculture start-up.
  • Bioprocess development and 500-L scale-up of a Paenibacillus, direct-fed microbial for shrimp aquaculture.
  • Bioprocess platform development and 3000-L scale-up for a personal care/food enzyme start-up, leading to series A financing and personal-care product launch.
  • Process development and operational improvement for Liquid Fence’s organic deer & rabbit control product produced by a unique, anaerobic fermentation process. Led to a multimillion-dollar acquisition by Spectrum Brands.
  • Directed classical strain development for an echinocandin anti-fungal natural product at an Asian CRO. The semi-synthetic derivative, REZZAYO® (Rezafungin for injection) received FDA approval in March 2023.
  • Due diligence and research project planning for the development of a re-purposed natural product (structural analogue) for a large VC prior to investment.
  • Patent litigation/lost revenue case expert witness (Canadian Federal Court – expert witness statement, direct and cross examination Goodmans, LLP)
  • Inventorship arbitration expert witness (International Chamber of Commerce – expert witness statement, rebuttal, direct and cross examination Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP).
  • Patent infringement/invalidity case expert witness (International Trade Commission – expert witness statement, rebuttal, deposition, direct and cross examination Adli Law Group/DNL Zito).


Phoenix Bioconsulting, LLC was formed in January 2009 by Neal Connors to support small- and mid-sized biotech companies



Neal C. Connors, Ph.D.



Dr. Neal Connors is an industrial microbiologist with four decades of experience in the fields of bioprocess development and precision fermentation. His expertise reflects involvement with a diverse portfolio of projects during his career: proteins and enzymes produced by microbial expression systems, bioactive natural products, renewable chemicals, therapeutic proteins, whole cell biocatalysts, and vaccines.


Neal started Phoenix BioConsulting, LLC initially to complement synthetic biology start-up's strain engineering capability with precision fermentation and bioprocess development expertise. This has evolved to include companies in the aquaculture, agriculture, and food spaces. Since 2009, he has served as an independent consultant and advisor for dozens of small- and mid-sized companies commercializing bioprocess-based technologies.


Neal started his career at Merck & Co where he spent 17 years in the Bioprocess R&D department and rose to the level of Sr. Investigator. During this time he was involved in a diverse portfolio of projects including bioprocess development and commercialization of CANCIDAS®, a first-in-class natural product antifungal antibiotic.


In addition, Neal was a Founder and CTO of Kalion, Inc., an industrial biotech start-up commmercializing high-purity glucaric acid produced by fermentaion, and winner of the 2019 EPA Green Chemistry Challenge Award (small business). More recently, Neal was Head of Bioprocess Development for Curie Co where he developed, implemented, and scaled-up the company's current platform bioprocesses supporting the launch of Curamina, and enzyme used in the personal care space.


Neal has been a leader in the biotech field for over 30 years, and a contributing author on numerous peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, patents, and conference abstracts. Neal has been an active member of the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology for several years serving as President, Director, and program chair for the Society’s Annual Meeting and Fermentation Technology Meeting. He also serves on the editorial boards for the Journal of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology and Enzyme and Microbial Technology and is a regular reviewer for a number of MDPI journals.


Neal received his BS in Biology from Norwich University and his PhD in Microbiology from The Ohio State University.




Contact Me





Let me know how I can help meet your project goals. There is no cost for an initial inquiry, and I will be candid about being able to help you.










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