Physical systems
Fermentation labs, bioreactor workflows, process development infrastructure, scale-up strategy, and production transfer systems.
Bioprocess development / Scientific systems / R&D infrastructure
Josh Schmidt
I build and scale bioprocesses, data products, and R&D systems that help technical teams move faster.
My work spans fermentation process development, production-scale technical transfer, scientific data infrastructure, lab buildout, and AI-enabled R&D workflows. I’m interested in the systems behind biotech development: how processes scale, how teams make technical decisions, and how experimental data becomes reusable knowledge.
Builder Profile
I build across physical, digital, and team systems.
The work I’m most interested in sits between disciplines: fermentation process development, scientific software, lab operations, data infrastructure, and team execution. I like finding the bottleneck that slows technical progress down, then building the system that removes it.
Digital systems
Databases, dashboards, data pipelines, automated reporting, internal R&D software, and tools that make experimental data easier to reuse.
Team systems
Operating rhythms, experiment prioritization, technical decision-making, troubleshooting workflows, and cross-functional execution.
Selected Builds
Systems I’ve built and led.
01 / Process
Process Development and Scale-Up: Lab to Production
Developed a fermentation process in the lab with commercially relevant performance, then led scale-up and technical transfer while maintaining target process performance at production scale.
- Problem
- Early R&D processes need more than strong lab performance. They have to be developed into robust, controllable processes that can hold commercially relevant targets as they move into larger, more constrained production environments.
- Built
- Owned the fermentation development strategy across process design, experimental planning, process troubleshooting, scale-up risk assessment, operating parameter selection, and technical transfer into production-scale manufacturing.
- Value
- Helped move a lab-developed process into production-scale operation while preserving commercial performance targets and connecting scientific understanding with manufacturing execution.
What I owned
- Fermentation process development strategy
- Experimental design and troubleshooting
- Scale-up risk assessment
- Operating parameter selection
- Technical transfer decisions
- Team execution around fermentation development
02 / Product
FermData.com: Scientific Data Infrastructure Platform for Biotech R&D
Built FermData.com from scratch as an internal scientific data infrastructure platform connecting experimental data streams across strain engineering, fermentation, downstream processing, analytics, and materials.
- Problem
- Scientific teams were generating valuable data across strain engineering, fermentation, DSP, analytics, and materials, but routine analysis and reporting required too much manual effort.
- Built
- A data infrastructure system that integrates raw and processed data streams, standardizes experiment information, supports automated reporting, and makes results easier to query, visualize, compare, and reuse.
- Value
- Speeds up the design-build-test-learn cycle by reducing routine analysis burden and helping scientists move faster from experimental data to next decisions.
Built independently from scratch by combining fermentation domain knowledge with analytics, data infrastructure, software development, and scientific workflow design.
What I built
- Data ingestion pipelines
- SQL-backed experiment data models
- Automated reporting workflows
- Interactive plotting and comparison tools
- Cross-functional data connections
- Reusable scientific data infrastructure
03 / Infrastructure
Fermentation R&D Lab Buildout
Built and now run a precision fermentation R&D lab designed for high-quality process development and scale-up learning.
- Problem
- A growing fermentation program needed dedicated R&D infrastructure: equipment, workflows, operating systems, and lab capability to run controlled and repeatable process development studies.
- Built
- Took an empty lab space and turned it into a functioning fermentation development environment by sourcing equipment, establishing capabilities, and building the workflows needed to support precision fermentation.
- Value
- Created the physical and operational foundation for faster fermentation development, better experimental control, and stronger scale-up readiness.
What I built
- Equipment plan and sourcing
- Bioreactor development capability
- Lab workflows and operating systems
- Controlled fermentation study infrastructure
- Scale-up learning environment
- R&D execution capacity
04 / Business + Product
The Berkeley Review: Business Modernization
Took over a traditional MCAT preparation business during the pandemic and helped modernize it into a hybrid education operation spanning live instruction, textbook publishing, sales, customer operations, and online exam delivery.
- Problem
- A historically brick-and-mortar education business needed to continue serving students while adapting to a more digital, remote, and product-driven learning environment.
- Built
- Built online education infrastructure while continuing to run the traditional business, including digital course operations, online exam delivery, publishing workflows, customer management, sales processes, and student-facing support systems.
- Value
- Helped modernize an established education company into a more resilient, digital-first operation while preserving the core instructional and publishing strengths of the business.
What I built
- Online MCAT practice exam platform
- Digital course operations
- Textbook and publishing workflows
- Sales and customer support systems
- Student-facing learning infrastructure
- Business operating systems
Operating Philosophy
Find the bottleneck. Build the system.
I look for the constraint that slows technical teams down.
Sometimes the bottleneck is biological: strain behavior, mass transfer, feed strategy, process control, or scale sensitivity.
Sometimes it is operational: unclear ownership, slow reporting, missing infrastructure, or too much manual work.
Sometimes it is informational: data exists, but it is not structured in a way that helps the next decision.
The work I enjoy most is building the system that removes the bottleneck.
Contact
Let’s connect.
Interested in biotech infrastructure, fermentation scale-up, scientific data systems, or AI-enabled R&D workflows?