WELCOME to the 39 North monthly Newsletter
Your source for news and happenings in our innovation neighborhood. | July 2022
Creve Coeur summer concert series
in Millenium Park, second Thursday
of every month June-September
Danforth Community Market
Danforth Plant Science Center Cafe
July 21, 10:30-11:30 am

Community Market is a monthly event in which
produce, baked goods, and crafts that are grown
or produced by our very own Danforth Center and BRDG Park community members will be for sale.
39 North Happy Hour
Helix Center
July 21, 4 - 6 pm

Please join us for another "Pop-Up" happy hour networking event!
INNO Fire Awards
July 26, 4 - 6 pm
St. Louis innovation recognition program honoring companies and organizations “setting the innovation community ablaze”
The InfoAg Conference
Union Station Hotel
July 26-27

Join us for education and networking focused on advancing modern agriculture from the perspective of the agronomist. In support of our partnership, we would like to extend a discounted registration rate to St. Louis agtech professionals: use the promo code STL to receive $150 off your registration during checkout. infoag.org
Electronics Recycling event
July 28, 9 am - 1 pm

The City of Creve Coeur is partnering with St. Louis County Public Health and Midwest Recycling Center (MRC) to host an electronics recycling event at Congregation B'nai Amoona. During the event, residents may drive up to the designated drop off area in the parking lot of Congregation B’nai Amoona and, with the help of MRC staff, drop off electronics for safe and responsible disposal.
Informal Happy Hour
Heavy Riff Brewing Company
6413 Clayton Ave, St. Louis, MO 63139
July 28, 5:30 pm

If you are interested in attending RSVP so Carlos can give them an approximate headcount. 
Coffee with Colleagues
August 4, 8:30 - 9:30 AM
Helix Center, 1100 Corporate Square
 
Hear a brief intro from a 39 North-based company each month while you network with friends and colleagues, enjoy fresh baked goods from My Sweet One, and kick start your day with as much coffee as your heart desires!
Conversations
August 25 5:15 to 7 PM

Join four-time Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Chancellor Dr. Robert Jones, and President Dr. Jim Carrington at the Danforth Plant Science Center to learn more about this groundbreaking project.
39 North Pedal the Cause Team

39 North is proud to participate in Pedal the Cause to support to provide critical funding for cancer research at the Siteman Cancer and Siteman Kids Institute at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. In 2021 our team raised $24,926. Of the 60 plus corporate teams who took part, we ranked 17th most in donations raised! With courses ranging from 10 to 100 miles and spinning options, there is something for everyone! Join us and Register for the 39 North team today! 
 
Enjoy weekly cycling with your colleagues from throughout the district! Friday rides have started again and depart from the Benson Hill parking lot at 12:30 PM. The route is a 28 mile loop to Creve Coeur Lake and back. For more information contact Nigel Taylor, ntaylor@danforthcenter.org
Reinventing a Food System in Crises: Technology, Trade, and Talent
Danforth Plant Science Center
October 11 - 13

Join us as we host the first AgTech NEXT at the Danforth Center. Registration will open soon! Signup to receive information at agtechnext.org 
Plastomics

After retiring from Monsanto, Jeffrey Staub, founder and chief technology officer of Plastomics, couldn’t stay away from his first “science love”, chloroplast engineering technology. In 2016 Plastomics came to life with a mission to use plant chloroplasts to sustainably produce nutritious foods.

“I think it’s still a very important transformative technology with more relevance now than ever before in solving many of the issues that have emerged with nuclear technology,” Staub said.

Located in the Helix Center in 39 North, Plastomics is focused on developing the chloroplast engineering platform technologies in corn and soybean. These crops are in desperate need of new technologies to meet the growing demand for new and better products to feed the growing population in a more sustainable way.
Have you met?

Natalie Breakfield
Vice President of Research and Discovery
New Leaf Symbiotics

Describe your journey to BRDG Park
I have been working at NewLeaf Symbiotics in BRDG Park for eight years. Like most people, my journey to my current position did not follow a straight path. I grew up in a small town in Missouri and started my undergraduate studies with the idea that I would become a medical doctor. I knew I liked science, but I really did not understand non-medical jobs that were possible in science. I did some research as an undergraduate, caught the research bug, and decided to go on to graduate school where I earned a master’s degree.

In the meantime, life happened. I got married, eventually had three kids, and was a stay-at-home mom for a while. I tried to keep current with my science skills and knowledge by teaching at the college level and working in labs. 

Eventually, I made my way to the Danforth Center where I worked as a technician. It was such an exciting place to be – beautiful facilities, amazing scientists, and meaningful work – what a dream! Once my kids were all in school, I decided I needed a Ph.D. and applied all around the country. Our family moved to North Carolina for me to attend Duke University. It was a challenging program, but quite the adventure.  I am still in awe at all the fabulous scientists I worked with both there and during my postdoc at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Serendipitously, I made a poster presentation on some amazing pink plant growth promoting bacteria I was studying and ended up talking to someone associated with NewLeaf. Once we realized the pink bacterial isolates I was studying were the same genus as the ones they were commercializing, I found myself interviewing for a job at NewLeaf within a few weeks.

What are you excited to be working on right now?
NewLeaf Symbiotics makes biological products for agriculture using pink pigmented facultative methylotrophs or PPFMs. These little pink bacteria help plants promote growth, increase yield and, in certain cases, resist pathogens. Right now, I am excited to be working on some new R&D projects we have going at NewLeaf. They are not completely ready for me to discuss publicly, but we are getting data and figuring out our best path forward. It is so exciting to be working in a place where we can move from idea to product relatively quickly. 

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
My husband and I are empty nesters and have enjoy seeing our kids get settled. We also ride our bikes several times a week. We mostly ride on the Katy Trail but sometimes we ride to other places around town. The best trips have a stop for some cold beer in the middle!
St. Louis Economic Development Partnership - Business Retention and Expansion

Linking St. Louis companies with government and economic development officials ensures business owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs know who to contact regarding opportunities or challenges. Communication between government and industry is an essential part of business growth. The economic development community of St. Louis links companies with resources, networks, and solutions.
Have news to share?
Please contact: Minna Onken, monken@danforthcenter.org