Meet the Founder
Ik-Jung (Joe) Kim, Ph.D.
Founder
“Biology should be studied as it actually exists, not as we simplify it.”
Ik-Jung founded Myriad Labs after recognizing a critical gap in microplastic research. While studying how microplastic exposure may drive aging and chronic disease, he found that most studies rely on synthetic plastic beads that do not reflect real-world materials. He is now focused on addressing this bottleneck by producing mechanically generated micro- and nanoplastic fragments and making them accessible to enable biologically and environmentally relevant research.
Degrees and Training
Ph.D. at the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Scientific scholar training at Stanford University
Postdoctoral Scholar/Scientist at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Scientist/Principal Investigator at the University of California, San Francisco
Publications: Google Scholar
Our Scientific Advisors
Eric Verdin, MD
“The biology of aging cannot be fully understood without considering the environment in which aging occurs. Environmental exposures like microplastics may be an overlooked driver of aging and chronic disease.”
CEO and President at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Professor of Medicine at University of California, San Francisco
Advisor to major pharmaceutical companies and longevity biotech companies
Leader in aging biology/longevity field (citations >90k, H-index: 142)
Publications: Google Scholar
Professor at University of Southern California, Los Angeles
More advisors to be announced soon
Who We Are
Based at MBC BioLabs in the San Francisco Bay Area, we build tools that make biology more real.
We develop nanoplastic fragments and experimental systems that reflect real-world exposure, enabling more meaningful and reproducible research. We are supported by world-class scientific advisors across microplastics, immunology, and aging biology.
