22nd Century Group has appointed Calvin Treat as chief scientific officer, effective May 23, 2022. In this new role, Treat will lead the expanding scientific, research and technological operations of the company, leveraging its expertise, IP and partnerships across all three of its alkaloid plant franchises toward becoming a global leader in specialty plant science.
“Dr. Treat brings a wealth of plant-based biotechnology and crop technology experience to 22nd Century at a pivotal time when we are rapidly expanding our global capabilities across all three of our alkaloid plant franchises—tobacco, hemp/cannabis and hops,” said James A. Mish, CEO of 22nd Century Group, in a statement.
“Dr. Treat has spent his career at the largest plant science names in the world, leading their innovations on major crops like corn, soybeans and cotton. We look forward to his leadership as we continue to leverage our extensive technology platform comprising hundreds of patents, extensive know-how and global partnerships supporting our leadership in plant genetics, breeding and cultivation underpinning our growth opportunities across a growing $1.3 trillion worldwide market opportunity.”
“22nd Century is rapidly establishing itself as the global alkaloid plant technology leader, bringing to bear an extensive upstream capability to optimize plant lines and enhance critical commercial traits that directly benefit quality, cost and consumer confidence in the end products. The company is leveraging the most advanced plant science techniques and building a global IP and capability set that may be unrivaled in their respective crops,” said Treat.
“I am excited to join 22nd Century at this pivotal moment to lead the company onto the global stage as more and more of the world’s leading alkaloid plant growers come to recognize the incredible value of 22nd Century’s portfolio.”
Treat previously served as senior vice president and head of crop technology for corn, soybean and cotton at Bayer, where he oversaw more than $2 billion in R&D spending dedicated to seeds, traits and crop protection while also driving tailored solutions to meet grower needs.
Previously, he was the technology lead for Monsanto’s global corn and soy crops, where he merged the soy and corn technology teams to garner synergies across the platforms. While part of the Monsanto teams, he was involved in the launches of multiple technologies, including Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans, Intacta RR2 Pro soybeans in South America and Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybean technology across North America, one of Monsanto’s largest and most complex trait launches. His additional roles at Monsanto included global corn technology lead, global oilseeds technology lead and global soybean breeding lead, among others.
