From observing ants to looking after snails, Julie has been passionate about Life Sciences since she was a child and dreamed of being a scientific journalist. During her studies, she was accepted into AgroParisTech where she studied Nutrition & Health, then Product Design and Development. She landed her first job at Danone as a Research and Development Engineer, then joined Ÿnsect, excited by how innovative the young company was: “I joined Ÿnsect for its strong technical approach. The R&D is anchored in real innovations and patents in growing fields. I want to help build the food business at Ÿnsect, at a time when alternative proteins are meeting growing demand and important challenges!” On a daily basis, Julie works on the development and valorization of insect-based products such as proteins or fat.
The vast scope of her mission keeps her motivated:
“There is so much to do! What I really like is the multidisciplinary nature of my job: lab research, production, regulation, partnership building… there are rarely two days that look the same!” According to Julie, R&D is a job that requires you to have your feet on the ground: “it requires precision and connection to the Business Development teams to meet real market needs, as well as collaboration with engineering and production“. A taste for exploration and creativity are also qualities essential to her mission: “curiosity is the mother of discovery, and creativity allows for innovation“.
In terms of challenges in her role, Julie refers quite simply to the human condition: “If I could, I would give the human brain the ability to find solutions to problems more easily! Emotions and mental shortcuts are human, but in science, they lead to pitfalls, and have an impact on how we deal with environmental challenges. ” Determined to find solutions to the major issues of our time, Julie is a true modern-day explorer!
