Our mission
EnGeniousAg LLC designs, manufactures and deploys low-cost, instant readout, high-performance, field-based nutrient sensors for crops, soils and water, thereby improving agronomic management practices, increasing grower profitability and sustaining the environment.
Our team
Dr. Patrick S. Schnable (Co-founder)
Pat Schnable is a distinguished professor and Iowa Corn Promotion Board Endowed Chair at Iowa State University where he also directs ISU's Plant Sciences Institute. He received his BS from Cornell University, his PhD from Iowa State University and conducted post-doctoral research at the Max Planck Institute in Köln, Germany. Previously, he co-founded Data2Bio LLC and Dryland Genetics Inc.
Dr. Liang Dong (Co-founder)
Liang Dong is a professor and Vikram L. Dalal Professor at Iowa State University where he also serves as Director of the Microelectronics Research Center. He earned his Ph.D. from Tsinghua University in Beijing and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He holds 16 issued patents, with four more pending in the areas of sensors, instrumentation, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing.
Dr. Michael J. Castellano (Co-founder)
Dr. Michael J. Castellano (Co-founder)
- Mike Castellano is professor of agronomy and the William T. Frankenberger Professor of Soil Science at Iowa State University where he founded and leads the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative. He currently serves as the US representative to the United Nations Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils. Mike received a Ph.D. from the Pennsylvania State University. His research focuses on understanding and managing carbon, water, and nitrogen dynamics to benefit agroecosystem productivity, profitability, and environmental performance. To advance these goals, Mike regularly communicates with a range of stakeholders and policy makers.
Dr. James Schnable (Co-founder)
James Schnable is the Nebraska Corn Presidential Chair at University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the co-founder of three agricultural startups. He received his PhD from the University of California-Berkeley. He uses advanced genomic, phenomic and machine learning technologies to improve crop resilience, profitability, and food quality.
James Schnable is the Nebraska Corn Presidential Chair at University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the co-founder of three agricultural startups. He received his PhD from the University of California-Berkeley. He uses advanced genomic, phenomic and machine learning technologies to improve crop resilience, profitability, and food quality.
Dr. Xinran Wang (Electrochemical Scientist)
Xinran Wang is an electrical engineer. She has extensive experience in design, manufacturing and testing of MEMS sensors, electronic circuits, and sensor systems. She received her Ph.D. from Iowa State University in Electrical Engineering. She has 2 patents issued relating to nitrate sensors.
Xinran Wang is an electrical engineer. She has extensive experience in design, manufacturing and testing of MEMS sensors, electronic circuits, and sensor systems. She received her Ph.D. from Iowa State University in Electrical Engineering. She has 2 patents issued relating to nitrate sensors.
Our intellectual property
EnGeniousAg has assembled an IP portfolio consisting of both exclusive licenses to technologies invented by our founders prior to the date we commenced operations and new intellectual property we have developed internally. A number of these patents have already been issued or the provisional patents published:
Patent No.: US 10,921,303 B1: Dong, L., et al. Miniature Sensors with Probe Insertable into and for Obtaining Measurements from Plants and a Variety of Other Mediums.
Patent No.: US 11,378,541 B1: Dong, L., et al. Self-Contained, Automated, Long-term Sensor System for Monitoring of Soil and Water Nutrients in Fields.
Provisional patent # 63/287,027: Dong, L., et al. Double Junction Reference Electrode.
Patent No.: US 10,921,303 B1: Dong, L., et al. Miniature Sensors with Probe Insertable into and for Obtaining Measurements from Plants and a Variety of Other Mediums.
Patent No.: US 11,378,541 B1: Dong, L., et al. Self-Contained, Automated, Long-term Sensor System for Monitoring of Soil and Water Nutrients in Fields.
Provisional patent # 63/287,027: Dong, L., et al. Double Junction Reference Electrode.