Alexa Garcia
Creative & Marketing Specialist at Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc.
Biological Engineer | Creative & Marketing Specialist
Biological engineer, creative communicator, enthusiastic teammate, strategist and problem solver. 

I am interested in the many facets of scientific practice and application, from development to dissemination. Over 7 years, I participated in 8 distinct biological research projects across 4 continents, collecting a wide array of technical and translational skills, all while obtaining a bachelor's degree from MIT and a master's degree from Stanford University. But seeing the large disconnect between scientific innovation and real world understanding, I pivoted my focus to creative communications and marketing at Ginkgo Bioworks, a rapidly growing synthetic biology company. 

Today, I seek to bridge the gap between scientific enterprise and the communities it seeks to serve by innovating short- and long-term infrastructures that can place the power for development and implementation of biotechnology into the hands of the wider community.
Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ginkgo-bioworks
Creative & Marketing Specialist
Creative production, project management, internal and external communications, multimedia branding, content strategy, podcast production, art direction, business development and marketing communications, customer case studies. Member of Ginkgo Sociotechnical Studio.
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4E0BAQHLpjFYSnZBjA/company-logo_100_100/0/1629824285426?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=GOo0_otKt-g2EZsK9ZUtR8tJZ5MS-wTy8VZ1tKLNAh4
Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ginkgo-bioworks
Creative & Marketing Intern
Business development and marketing communications, visual branding and strategy.
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4E0BAQHLpjFYSnZBjA/company-logo_100_100/0/1629824285426?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=GOo0_otKt-g2EZsK9ZUtR8tJZ5MS-wTy8VZ1tKLNAh4
Grow by Ginkgo
https://www.linkedin.com/company/grow-by-ginkgo
Assistant Editor
Editor for print and digital, art director, manager for language translations and accessibility. Special focus on equity, inclusion, and sociocultural sensitivity.
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C560BAQGUkK4ANMv9yw/company-logo_100_100/0/1606243501229?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=9QAFBefdpCTb6-NTBCNpOnsGJlrDu_pLw7w_f8lOCz4
Stanford University
https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanford-university
Graduate Student Researcher | Bioengineering
Bootstrapping the bioengineering of Tenebrio molitor (mealworms), advised by Drew Endy. Designed genetic engineering techniques for the humble mealworm, which demonstrates the capacity to eat, biodegrade, and subsist on styrofoam and other plastic polymers. Outlined pathways to develop T. molitor as a platform organism for bioengineering and environmental bioremediation, with the goal of building communal, accessible, and sustainable means of production for all. In collaboration with the Criddle Group for Environmental Biotechnology.
Stanford, California, United States
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C560BAQHr9suxyJBXMw/company-logo_100_100/0/1635534378574?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=yLHCK5PirJnKSwnOrFg1zNdASnLeZQ1FMMN-RhWYhAc
Stanford University
https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanford-university
Rotating Researcher | Molecular Biomechanics
Bryant Molecular Motors Lab. Constructed novel light-responsive cytoskeletal motors and studied their single molecule mechanisms using high-resolution spectroscopy and multimodal microscopy.
Stanford, California, United States
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C560BAQHr9suxyJBXMw/company-logo_100_100/0/1635534378574?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=yLHCK5PirJnKSwnOrFg1zNdASnLeZQ1FMMN-RhWYhAc
Stanford University
https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanford-university
Rotating Researcher | Environmental Engineering
Criddle Group for Environmental Biotechnology. Characterized plastic degradation in the gut microbiome of Tenebrio molitor (mealworm larvae), using novel extraction and experimental techniques.
Stanford, California, United States
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C560BAQHr9suxyJBXMw/company-logo_100_100/0/1635534378574?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=yLHCK5PirJnKSwnOrFg1zNdASnLeZQ1FMMN-RhWYhAc
University of the Witwatersrand
https://www.linkedin.com/company/university-of-the-witwatersrand
Herpetology Research Intern
Alexander Herpetology Laboratory. Designed and applied novel experimentation methods to study thermoregulatory behaviors in D. scabra. Quantified the effectiveness of snake repellent methods on B. capensis and B. arietans, the most fatal venomous snake in Africa.
Johannesburg, South Africa
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C560BAQHH1UoUF-zGMQ/company-logo_100_100/0/1643029434326?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=yeZjVMpk2WvQjcYllJ-w6mSEPVI_D5gnl40Cr-DQdkk
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
https://www.linkedin.com/company/mit
MIT BE-Microbiome Undergraduate Research and Innovation Scholar
Polz Laboratory for Microbial Ecology and Evolution. Characterized host-virus interactions between human fecal bacterial strains, and fecal and sewage bacteriophage strains. Applied techniques for viral outbreak prediction in rural communities.
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4E0BAQHBK7qvTvtkZA/company-logo_100_100/0/1519856414204?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=xvpk-8NszpdxH2KGIkfjGXTexySIgxpbbRfeIJST1FQ
Tril Corporation
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tril-corporation
Marketing Analyst
Managed online marketing for the Tril app in North and Latin America. Oversaw customer reengagement and feedback, improved marketing and engagement metrics for over 13,000 app users. Increased user population by 50% in 3 months. Managed investor relations and communication.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4D0BAQFfec3tlvLVjw/company-logo_100_100/0/1519896622227?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=CLm0ylZMLUUcTCQ_Gc6748O86rqhqtN3-rbjCeWH11E
Sage Corps
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sage-corps
Sage Corps Fellow
Sage Corps is an experiential learning program that sends cohorts of top university students abroad to work with tech startups. Sage Corps Fellows work alongside the startup's CEO on all aspects of the business, including marketing, strategy, finance, and web/mobile development. Fellows also attend tech conferences, networking events, and speaker series for professional development. Sage Corps helps students learn to think globally, promote entrepreneurship, and develop a professional network.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4E0BAQHgYBbZgk-Jtg/company-logo_100_100/0/1562178097135?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=8ox172XLOM5a1K1PgbzwT4eXh1htNEjLbN20sFKwNHs
Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research
https://www.linkedin.com/company/helmholtz-centre-for-infection-research
Virology Research Intern
Viral Immune Modulation Research Group. Investigated the immune response of mammalian cells to herpesvirus proteins using constructed murine antiviral proteins.
Braunschweig, Germany
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4D0BAQE8nSV6G1h-lQ/company-logo_100_100/0/1617314699744?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=3rvFltywHKnkvMNj0f5IXEmL4UyJt0KKqBxErQo2Ml8
The Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg
https://www.linkedin.com/company/julius-maximilians-universitat-wurzburg
Developmental Biology Research Intern
Wehman Membrane Research Group. Studied polar body internalization and degradation in C. elegans embryos using RNAi and fluorescence tracking.
Würzburg, Germany
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4D0BAQHipenV0Lldpw/company-logo_100_100/0/1646043331026?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=4ShaqqWswLAWJfQHxeiKiflctZJ83E4QmgIkmXciOY8
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
https://www.linkedin.com/company/mit
MIT iGEM 2014 Competition
Improving the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Designed novel genetic circuits to detect molecular biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease and alter the levels of key brain enzymes in response. Carried project from conceptualization through development to execution in 11 months.
Cambridge, MA, USA
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4E0BAQHBK7qvTvtkZA/company-logo_100_100/0/1519856414204?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=xvpk-8NszpdxH2KGIkfjGXTexySIgxpbbRfeIJST1FQ
Bioengineering
Master of Science - MS
Stanford University
https://www.linkedin.com/school/stanford-university/
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C560BAQHr9suxyJBXMw/company-logo_100_100/0/1635534378574?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=yLHCK5PirJnKSwnOrFg1zNdASnLeZQ1FMMN-RhWYhAc
Biological Engineering
Bachelor of Science - BS
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
https://www.linkedin.com/school/mit/
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4E0BAQHBK7qvTvtkZA/company-logo_100_100/0/1519856414204?e=1655942400&v=beta&t=xvpk-8NszpdxH2KGIkfjGXTexySIgxpbbRfeIJST1FQ
Fail-safe genetic codes designed to intrinsically contain engineered organisms
Nucleic Acids Research
doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkz745
Biodegradation of Polyethylene and Plastic Mixtures in Mealworms (Larvae of Tenebrio molitor) and Effects on the Gut Microbiome
Environmental Science and Technology
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.8b02301
NIH Biotechnology Training Grant
Stanford University
Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education Fellowship
Stanford University
Stanford Graduate Fellowship
Stanford University
MIT Undergraduate Research and Innovation Scholar
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Zumba Instructor License
Zumba
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajatparashar
Rajat P.
Investment Banking Senior Associate at Citi
Chicago, IL
https://www.linkedin.com/in/subhani-katugampala
Subhani Katugampala
Senior Officer, Program Development at WaterAid America
Staten Island, NY
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-gaddy-3a812a204
David Gaddy
NLP and Speech Research - PhD at UC Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-fry-287559149
Emily Fry
Chemistry Major with French Minor at Belmont University
Nashville Metropolitan Area
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-mcclellan-092327179
Jessica McClellan
Victim Services Coordinator at Wake County District Attorney's Office
Raleigh, NC
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-amoore
Rachel Moore, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow at Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-hughes-0872b01b9
Christopher Hughes
MIT Graduate from AeroAstro and EECS
Gales Ferry, CT
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-fay-9878a1190
Sarah Fay
Graduate Research Assistant at MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering (MechE)
Greater Boston
https://www.linkedin.com/in/martina-stadler-344077109
Martina Stadler
Graduate Research Assistant at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cailey-talbot-b4204b139
Cailey Talbot
Graduate Student at the University of Cambridge, MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development
Philadelphia, PA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/helmuth-naumer
Helmuth Naumer
Electrical and Computer Engineering PhD Candidate at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Urbana, IL
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulo-heredia-5bb208a6
Paulo Heredia
PhD Student at Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cordtuan
Cordelia Tuan
Graduate Student
Claremont, CA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-cai-25a1a888
Pamela Cai
Biopolymer/Biomaterial PhD Student
Stanford, CA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-t-leighton-ba29a61b7
Alexander T Leighton
Visiting Postgraduate Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School
Newton Centre, MA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-belk-6740b3119
Julia Belk
Computer Science PhD student at Stanford
Stanford, CA
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristie-contreras
Cristina Contreras
MD/PhD Candidate at the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Program
Bethesda, MD
https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-thorburn-2bb94895
Craig Thorburn
Computational Modelling and Cognitive Neuroscience of Speech
Washington DC-Baltimore Area
https://eg.linkedin.com/in/dalia-bayoumi-morsi-054211
Dalia Bayoumi Morsi
Egypt
https://www.linkedin.com/in/deron-browne
Deron Browne
Mechanical Design, Robotics Engineer (MS UCLA '18, BS MIT '16)
North Reading, MA
Alexa Garcia
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexa--garcia
Law Clerk at Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton Law Firm
Miami, FL
Alexa Garcia
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexa-garcia-853644ba
Casino Marketing Professional
Henderson, NV
Alexa García
https://mx.linkedin.com/in/alexa-garc%C3%ADa-779672144
Mexico
Alexa Garcia
https://www.linkedin.com/in/garciaalexa
Vice President of Finance and Operations at J&L Electrical and Communications Group Inc.
New York City Metropolitan Area
Alexa Garcia
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexa-garcia-80541a203
Project Engineer at JB York Construction, Inc
Houston, TX
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4E07AQGt-6l-YTJ2bQ/group-logo_image-shrink_92x92/0/1636401472412?e=1647687600&v=beta&t=FEHuaTWxhmebIaY6uPwX0DYq3TDoqWXblZj3iBlrNag
Sage Corps Alumni
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8153216
https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4D07AQHqM_KFLvts9Q/group-logo_image-shrink_200x200/0/1631375653793?e=1647687600&v=beta&t=-qRcbBJ9jh6MoOnrPivnyTaAY2vPFfMYusW1-DkzJ6o
MIT Sigma Kappa: Theta Lambda Chapter
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8489490