MEDFORD, Mass., Sept. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Andrey Zarur, Ph.D., co-founder, president and CEO of GreenLight Biosciences, Inc., has been nominated as a candidate for the Medalla de Honor "Belisario Domínguez" del Senado de la República (Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor) by the Mexican Senate. It is Mexico's highest award, and is given annually to recognize an individual with a distinguished career who has contributed toward the welfare of the nation and mankind.

"I'm very honored to be a nominee for the Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor," said Zarur. "My professional work has focused on addressing the enormous challenges and risks our world faces, and my commitment to bringing solutions to global issues extends to the communities in which I have lived and worked as well."

"The human species is facing many threats, and radical solutions based on rigorous science need to be implemented to address them. National recognition of this caliber is helping us draw more attention to our work at GreenLight – namely, introducing RNA as a safe, sustainable and scalable option for growing food and developing vaccines to stop the spread of disease."

Zarur has excelled as an entrepreneur, inventor, academic and philanthropist during his 25-year career in the areas of engineering, health sciences and sustainable technology. He has led the creation, launch and acquisition of more than a dozen companies in the health care and clean energy sectors. He co-founded GreenLight Biosciences to solve big problems facing society. The company harnesses the power of RNA, one of the basic building blocks of life, to promote the health of people and the planet. The company developed a proprietary, cell-free bioprocessing method, which has reduced the cost of producing safe and environmentally friendly RNA. Under Zarur's leadership, GreenLight is pioneering this groundbreaking RNA technology to improve the sustainability of the agricultural industry, providing a safe and natural alternative, compared to the traditional chemical pesticides that contribute to global warming and the destruction of natural ecosystems. The company also is exploring life science applications to increase the speed of vaccine production and stop the spread of infectious disease.

Zarur has a history of leveraging fundamental engineering principles to improve biomanufacturing for the benefit of patients.

• Zarur founded Bioprocessors, where he invented a platform for miniaturization of bioreactors for the synthesis of human therapeutics, enabling the production of multiple drugs to treat cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia and osteoporosis.
• While chairman of the board at Allegro Diagnostics, he helped bring the Bronchogen^® (now Percepta^®) test to detect lung cancer in its early stages to market, changing the paradigm of treating the disease.
• He also served as chairman of the board at Lumicell, where he helped design an innovative lighting and detection device to help cancer surgeons detect the presence of residual cancer when removing a patient's tumor.
• As co-founder and chairman of the board at Solid Biosciences, Zarur participated in the development of one of the first genetic interventions against muscular dystrophy, with the potential to save the lives of tens of thousands of young people affected by the disease.

"Andrey's career has demonstrated a pattern of excellence in translating innovative science into solutions for important problems, and a focus on the betterment of people and society through health and the environment," said Charles Cooney, professor of chemical engineering, emeritus, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and chairman of the board of GreenLight Biosciences. "His dedication of energy and intellect to help others is an inspiration to me, his colleagues and his students."

Zarur mentors the next generation of scientists as a senior lecturer at MIT, and served as an overseer of the Museum of Science in Boston. He was named a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, and held the role of chairman of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Biotechnology. He holds more than 100 provisional and issued patents. He earned a Master of Science and a doctorate in chemical engineering from MIT, and an undergraduate degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

About GreenLight Biosciences, Inc. 
GreenLight is a bio-performance company with a unique, cell-free production platform that delivers high-performing RNA solutions to human, plant and animal challenges. GreenLight develops RNA products for plant and life science applications, and collaborates with industry leaders to advance vaccine development, pandemic preparation, crop management, and plant protection. The cutting-edge, natural platform delivers higher-quality RNA at a lower cost and higher speed than was ever before possible. The GreenLight team values diversity, inclusion, and equality and promises to use collaboration to remain scientifically imaginative and passionately focused on making a difference in the world. For more information, visit https://www.greenlightbiosciences.com/.

Media contact:
Catie Lee, 617-616-8188
clee@greenlightbio.com  

SOURCE GreenLight Biosciences, Inc.

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