Microbiologist and entrepreneur Jesse Labbé excels at cultivating discovery and innovation. As the new director of the Biosciences Division at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, he’s leading a team focused on science and technologies to boost U.S. competitiveness, strengthen national and energy security and advance human health.
Labbé sees enormous potential to use the power of biology to solve challenges in manufacturing, improve energy and food crops, treat disease and detect security threats at the nation’s borders. He is enthusiastic about applying ORNL’s world-class capabilities and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence to develop biological solutions to big problems.
“ORNL has always been a place where complex problems are tackled head-on, and I see incredible opportunities to build on that legacy by focusing on the intersection of computation, engineering and biology,” Labbé said. “I want to further strengthen the connections between discovery and application — ensuring that the groundbreaking science happening here not only advances knowledge but also leads to new capabilities that drive innovation in industry, healthcare and the broader bioeconomy.”
In leading these efforts, Labbé will draw on his firsthand experience bringing technologies to market in the private sector and his many years as a staff scientist and inventor at ORNL.
Bringing biotechnologies to market
Labbé spent the last several years working at technology incubators and helping to spin-off new companies. As part of that work, he held a pivotal position at Invaio Sciences in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where researchers are developing biotechnologies for agriculture, targeting pathogens ravaging olive and citrus groves.
Labbé contributed to the leadership of TekHolding, a company advancing technologies in partnership with the Department of Defense and public-private partnerships focused on increasing biomanufacturing in America. He spearheaded a revitalization of the organization’s structure and technology development initiatives, facilitating the spin-off of CleanJoule Inc., a Utah company producing bio-based, domestically sourced fuels. Labbé also launched his own start-up, Sustainomics, which engineers biotechnologies for manufacturing and precision agriculture.
In the midst of all that activity, Labbé worked at a fertility clinic in Utah, leveraging his background in infectious disease research. While at the clinic, he co-developed the first commercially available genetic test to evaluate markers associated with Peyronie’s disease, a localized fibrotic disorder.
“These experiences — spanning bioengineering innovation, venture capital, industrial leadership and clinical science — have only reinforced my perspective on how research, business and policy come together to drive real-world impact,” Labbé said.
This Oak Ridge National Laboratory news article "Jesse Labbé: Innovating biotechnology for energy, security and health" was originally found on https://www.ornl.gov/news
