david abecassis
Meet the Mind that Planted the Seed
To understand the work of the Green Growers Technology Alliance, you first need to understand the minds behind it, and nobody has been more integral to the creation and growth of GGTA than David Abecassis, one of our founders and our current Managing Director. Learn some more about David, his background, and the work he does with GGTA.
David's Background
David is a biological chemist with an extensive background.
He studied undergraduate chemistry at the University of Toulouse in France, considered by many to be the 6th oldest educational institution in the world. After receiving his undergraduate degree there, he studied at Rutgers University in New Jersey, where he earned a joint Masters degree in industrial microbiology and environmental science with a focus in pollution microbiology. The latter of these is the oldest such program in the United States, where David got to work with Richard Bartha, the father of studies in bioremediation.
Since then, David has accumulated firsthand experience in a wide variety of pursuits related to biotech research. Most prominently, David has spent 20 years working as an industrial and applied polymer consultant with Industrial Polymer Research in New York. In this position, David has helped numerous clients with intellectual property claims as well as research and development.
Not only that, but he’s continued to make his mark on the academic world as well. As a Texaco Foundation Research Fellow, David has studied and published research on the biodegradation of hydrocarbons in soil, and continued to run experiments in using organic microbial amendments and organic technology to reduce pollution from chemicals.
He’s also a member of Program on Negotiation (PON), a consortium program of Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Tufts University that pulls together scholars and students from many disciplines to develop the theory and practice of negotiation and dispute resolution in a range of public and private settings.
On top of that, David teaches an online course training people to navigate intellectual property law, and recently accepted a consulting position as a chemical expert on a turpine-based project.
David and GGTA
For all his experience, though, GGTA is still one of David’s most ambitious projects yet.
It’s David’s research that much of GGTA’s work is based on. His 27 years of soil microbiology experience and research into soil amendments and polymers were the foundation for the ongoing research conducted at GGTA’s research labs, taking the core concepts David developed and expanding them into products. The creation of GGTA and the introduction of the GEO™ line is the next step in a decades-long process for David.
That said, he isn’t planning on slowing down anytime soon. David continues his research with GGTA, and is currently refining the scientific understanding behind our existing products as well as exploring new possibilities for how to revolutionize agriculture and cultivation.
Looking to the future, David is determined to forge ahead with the talented science team at GGTA and develop solutions that alleviate pollution, increase food security, and make it easier to get into the organic farming industry. GGTA is grateful for having such a focused visionary at the helm, and can’t wait to see what project David works on next.