In Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Captain Nemo describes the sea as “everything,” the “vast reservoir of Nature.” A pair of UF Ph.D. students are diving into these vast depths. They are harnessing the power of marine microbes and unlocking their potential for sustainable chemical applications. Jessica Tittl Nielsen (CEO) and Monica Schul (Chief Science Officer) founded a biotechnology company, Cordelia Biosciences, to create sustainable chemicals from ocean microbes. In their graduate programs, Jessica and Monica share an advisor, Dr. Julie Meyer, an assistant professor of microbial ecology and bioinformatics in the UF/IFAS Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences (SWES). Monica is a SWES student. Jessica is in the UF School of Natural Resources and Environment, studying interdisciplinary ecology with a focus in business administration.

Cordelia Biosciences’ mission is to elevate the role of chemistry in preserving our planet. This start-up enlists ocean microbes to create a clean blue chemical portfolio. Blue is a novel term for their market centered around ocean-based products.

The company is rooted in biomimetics, the study of natural and biological processes to solve human problems. Jessica founded the company in 2019 as a biomimicry consulting firm. She intended to teach other chemical companies how to tap into the power of nature to create sustainable solutions. However, when Monica Schul joined the company as co-founder and chief science officer in December 2022, the team realized their idea was bigger than consulting. Monica’s scientific expertise and Jessica’s industry experience empowered the company to pivot. They would be a chemical innovation firm with a focus on creating sustainable chemical technologies.

Connecting science to business

While Jessica and Monica have strong science backgrounds, neither had experience starting a company. Through a collaboration between UF/IFAS and UF Warrington College of Business, Jessica and Monica were able to combine scientific innovation and business to turn their high-level blue chemical company idea into a reality. The pair joined Warrington’s Gator Hatchery and began their entrepreneurial journey. In doing so, they also competed in UF’s Big Idea Competition, in which they received an astounding first place in the 2024 cohort.

“This is a very exciting achievement for Monica and me!” Jessica said. “It really shows how far we’ve come in such a short time.”

Jessica previously worked as a new technology scientist for GOJO Industries. That prepared her for a future in STEM with some introductions to the world of business. However, as the CEO of a biotech start-up, there were still a lot of opportunities for growth.

“I knew some of the ins and outs of running a business, but as first-time founders, we knew we needed mentors and support. And we found that through the support of our Ph.D. advisor, Dr. Julie Meyer, the professors at Warrington College of Business, and some incredible UF alums who spend so much of their time helping us grow our company and our skills,” explained Jessica. “UF really helped our company get off the ground!”

“Chemical” is a common buzzword that denotes a product as “unnatural” or “foreign.” Jessica and Monica seek to change that presumption. They are developing and extracting natural chemicals directly from marine microbes. Their work centers on creating chemicals from coral reef bacteria. The goal is to introduce new and sustainable chemistries into the cosmetics and personal care market.

“Nature is innovative and inspiring. Jessica and I are attempting to harness the power of marine microbes to make an impact in the chemical industry for the better,” Monica said. “We still have a long way to go, but we are motivated by the passion and support for our company and the need for more sustainable chemical alternatives.”

With the mentorship from UF faculty and industry leading experts, the Ph.D. candidates are making big leaps and have their own lab at UF Innovate Sid Martin Biotech. The collection of laboratories is part of the UF Office of Research but is based at Progress Park in Alachua. Because of the association with UF, Jessica and Monica have access to a comprehensive amount of equipment and expertise to start research and development with Cordelia Biosciences.

“UF Innovate has been catalytic for matching us with mentors who had similar experiences. It also is providing an office, lab space, and access to over $1.7 million in scientific equipment,” said Monica.

“Before accelerators and incubators like UF Innovate existed, testing our idea would have been a multimillion-dollar investment,” Jessica added. “Being in UF Innovate has allowed us to hit the ground running. It helped us to overcome some of the biggest hurdles in starting a biotech company.”

Building the business

Pursuing a Ph.D. while founding a biotechnology start-up provides some unique challenges. For the pair, teaching classes and dissertation writing take as much precedence as building the business. But Jessica and Monica have found that building the business has been an essential part of their Ph.D. experience, allowing them to build marketable skills for their future careers. One way they do this is by participating in business competitions. This allows them to promote their company to target markets and hone their ideas alongside industry experts and business leaders.

“We thought competing in these events would be vastly different than presenting at scientific conferences, but we found that many of the skills are transferable. It has been an amazing learning experience for us to better communicate and market our science,” Jessica said. “We have gained valuable feedback on all aspects of our company, technology, and business. It’s been an exceptional opportunity for professional growth and development.”

“Business executives and scientists both contribute to biotechnology companies like ours. We have learned that both sets of expertise are necessary and important for success,” Monica added.

With the help from UF mentors and fellow professionals at UF Innovate, the pair have honed their focus. They can better highlight the marketability of natural chemicals and the “why” behind caring about the environmental impact of people’s everyday products. Similarly, through conferences and competitions, Jessica and Monica have learned to clearly communicate the investment potential of their company.

Scientific communication is essential to growing a company like Cordelia. This is one of the biggest overlaps between the company and the work Jessica and Monica do in their Ph.D. Dr. Meyer’s lab places a strong emphasis on communicating the science research it conducts.

“Effective communication is leadership and at UF, we are building leaders,” Dr. Meyer said. “Whether talking about the impact of their scientific results or their business ideas, Jessica and Monica are becoming thought leaders in blue biotech.”

“By learning to communicate the value of the science and our research, we were able to fine tune the ‘business side’ of Cordelia. This is catapulting our business to new heights,” Jessica noted.

What’s next

Life for Jessica and Monica has not slowed down in 2024. They are continuing their Ph.D. programs as well as growing their start-up. The Seaworthy Collective Cohort recently accepted Cordelia into its incubator program to grow early-stage blue tech startups. The Cordelia team also had the opportunity to pitch at EarthX and TechConnect World this year, garnering even more recognition for their growing business.

Jessica and Monica are already paying it forward and helping other UF gators build their careers in biotech. They recently hired a UF graduate as a lab technician. A diligent team of UF-based interns is helping them streamline their lab research and build market awareness of their natural products.

“It has been a pleasure to work with organizations such as UF REM on Campus and UF interns to propel us forward in our business. We know UF grads and students are some of the best in the world. As we build our team, we’ll hopefully have the privilege to hire more talented and hardworking gator alumni,” Jessica said.

As the company continues to take off, these young female entrepreneurs owe much of their success as a start-up to the wealth of resources that UF offers.

Jessica said, “One question I get all the time is, ‘How are you starting a company without 20 years of experience in this field or without multiple advanced degrees?'”

“I’m not doing it alone, and nobody is ever doing it alone,” she said. “We have so many incredible resources and mentors here in the Gator Nation. We hope our story inspires fellow students with big ideas to follow in our footsteps.”

“We’re very passionate about what we do. We hope that other scientists and Ph.D. students aspire to do amazing research both in and beyond academic institutions,” Monica added. “I believe we all share a love for scientific discovery and innovation. We are honored to work alongside innovators from all backgrounds and industries.”

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