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Global Innovation Summit 2026

6 May 2026 | Basel, Switzerland

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Fengzheng Gao

Established Researcher, Team Leader

ETH Zürich - Humaniche

Zurich, Switzerland

26 profile visits

I am an Established Researcher and Team Leader of the Microalgae and Plant-based foods in Human Nutrition and Health R&D at ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

My organisation

ETH Zürich - Humaniche

ETH Zürich - Humaniche

Research Institution/University

Zürich, Switzerland

Humaniche is an ETH Zürich spin-off in formation, developing a family of off-the-shelf and disease-specific human bone marrow niche proxy kits and in vitro systems that provide structured insights into efficacy and hematopoietic toxicity at the stage immediately prior to first-in-human trials, where development risk and capital exposure are highest. Until now, it has raised CHF 588K in non-dilutive funding. By introducing functional human bone marrow biology into late preclinical decision-making, Humaniche reduces costly late-stage clinical failures and supports the pharmaceutical industry’s transition toward validated New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). By developing human-relevant, scalable, and reproducible bone marrow disease model tools, Humanishe aims to enable safer, more effective advanced therapies to efficiently reach blood cancer patients.
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About me

Dr. Gao is an Established Researcher and Team Leader of the Microalgae in Human Nutrition and Health R&D at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. He holds two PhD degrees, one in Bioprocess Engineering obtained from Wageningen University, The Netherlands and another one in Aquatic Product Processing and Storage Engineering obtained from Ocean University of China, China.

He is the Vice President of the China Algae Industry Association-Microalgae Branch and the Etuoke Spirulina Industry International Chief Advisor, and he is an external PhD student supervisor of University of Technology Sydney, Australia, and external MSc program supervisor of Hainan Tropical Ocean University, China.

He obtained several prestigious grants such as the Science XS project funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO), the Scientific Exchange Grant from the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), the Eurostars project (European Partnership on Innovative SMEs) co-funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe, the Spark grant and Swiss Postdoctoral Fellowship (Swiss transitional measure for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie program) from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), and grant funded by the Foundation for the encouragement of Nutrition Research in Switzerland (SFEFS). He is also the Task Leader in two large grants: the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at the National University of Singapore and the SNSF Bridge Discovery, and is/was involved in several large international grants such as the EU Horizon 2020 MAGNIFICENT algae project and the SNSF Sinergia.

Dr. Gao has working/exchange experience in several countries including China, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal, and the UK. He has given more than 50 talks during multiple large international conferences, including multiple keynote talks. Dr. Gao won the Youth & Outreach Award (2025, European Algae Biomass Association), European Union-Young Algaeneers Innovation Award (2021, Silver Medal, funded by the European Commission) and the Best Microalgae Awards (2020, AlgaEurope 2020).

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