Posted: August 8, 2026
As PhD candidates with dual-titles in INTAD, Tyler Lesko and Bryan Panek are working at the intersection of plant breeding, high-throughput phenotyping, and technology commercialization.
Our research focuses on developing flavonoid-expressing specialty maize and sorghum hybrids designed to deliver higher nutritional value and input efficiency without sacrificing yield.
Building on our field and lab evaluations at Penn State, we co-founded Aurora Genetic Innovations to commercialize these hybrid grain technologies. After participating in the regional NSF Mid-Atlantic I-Corps short course, our startup was officially accepted into the National NSF I-Corps program. Through this program, we are conducting extensive customer discovery across commercial grain markets, livestock feeds, and international agricultural systems to validate market demand, establish university technology transfer pathways, and transition our specialty genetics from research fields into impactful agricultural products.
INTAD
Address
Melanie Miller Foster106 Agricultural Administration Building
University Park, PA 16802
- Email mjm727@psu.edu
- Office 814-863-0249
- Fax 814-865-3055
INTAD
Address
Melanie Miller Foster106 Agricultural Administration Building
University Park, PA 16802
- Email mjm727@psu.edu
- Office 814-863-0249
- Fax 814-865-3055
