Nutrition - Technology - Business Consultants - Ideas and implementation for health and well being

Mr. Alex Merolli, M.B.A.

Life Sciences Alliance

2440 Via de los Milagros,

Pleasanton, CA 94566

USA

Tel: +1 925 462 7428

Fax: +1 925 462 5339

Mobile: +1 925 989 1948

Email: AM@nfbconsultants.com

Alex Merolli is Co-founder and principal in Life Sciences Alliance, a consultancy devoted to enhancing life quality by bringing new technology and opportunities to the agriculture, foods/food ingredient, and nutrition markets.

What is Nutrigenomics? Find out here: Nutrigenomics: The Next Wave in Nutrition Research

Other interesting articles by Alex:

GLA: The 'Good' Omega 6

Flavor Enhancement: Taking a Closer Look

Culinary Cures - Nutraceuticals

Education

MBA: Marketing Management, Iona College, New Rochelle, New York

BS: Food and Nutrition Science, Pennsylvania State University

Work Experience

• General Foods, Product Development & Sensory Scientist

• The Pillsbury Company, Director, Sensory Evaluation, Experimental Design and Statistics Groups

• Haarmann & Reimer, formerly subsidiary of Bayer AG, now Symrise, Director New Products Marketing

• Genencor International, Director of Marketing, Food, Dairy, and Animal Feed

Expertise

Areas of specialization

• Understanding the marketing opportunity for new technology: specifically,

o Is there a market need?

o What are the highest-value solutions to unmet needs?

o Does the new technology meet the needs?

o What is the size of the opportunity?

o What is the projected return on investment?

• TechQuest(tm), creative, tenacious searching for technologies meeting clients' strategic and business needs

• Qualitative and quantitative market research with consumers and experts to understand commercialization issues and to inform investment decisions

• International liaison and introductions to potential partners, other external services and researchers

• Assistance with deal structure and management

• Product development process and project planning

• Competitive intelligence - collecting critical, hard-to-get information

• Acquisition advice and due diligence

• Technical and commercial due diligence

Special skills & interests

• Examining the potential marketing opportunity for technology with emphasis on understanding any unmet needs, estimating the size of the opportunity, financial analysis including profitability, and return on investment estimates

• Searching for and identifying enabling technologies which satisfy client's business or strategic needs

• Primary quantitative and qualitative market research with consumers, experts, opinion leaders, or industry specific participants including development of interview guides, respondent identification, and data analysis

• Sensory evaluation of foods and beverages

• Business development agreements for technology providers and channel partners

• Commercial opportunity assessment for Nutrigenomics; test kits and products for specific genotype/diet interactions

• Food safety market assessment

• Application of industrial enzymes to various food products and as functional in vivo dietary supplements

Some consulting examples

• Examined the marketing opportunity for:

o Oils from genetically modified plants for use as a functional food ingredient

o Structured lipids delivering cardiovascular benefits

o Carotenoids for poultry and aquaculture

• Analyzed market for novel ingredient in the pet food industry

• Generated consumer reactions to novel lipid from a genetically modified plant, that delivers health benefits

• Commercial assessment of a new, recently commercialized structured lipid delivering weight management benefits

• Evaluation of novel carbohydrate technology for use in the nutrition / food ingredient and industrial markets

• Found enabling technology to deliver extended efficacy and controlled release benefits

• Extensive due diligence of business plans for venture capital investment

• Complete assessment supporting strategic move into nutrition market by major global company

• In conjunction with his advisory board role with Burrill & Company's Life Sciences Nutraceuticals Capital Fund, helped to incubate a start up, Efficas, Inc., a nutraceutical discovery, development and marketing company