Bryan Berger Wins Innovator of Year

University of Virginia Professor Bryan Berger has been named the 2025 Edlich-Henderson Innovator of the Year, the UVA Licensing & Ventures Group announced Thursday.

Berger, a professor of chemical and biomedical engineering at UVA’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, has invented novel protein-based biotechnologies that are the basis for his startup company, Lytos Technologies. Founded in 2018, the company’s goal is to make food safer by creating green, sustainable alternatives that improve the quality and safety of the food we eat while protecting the soil and water that produces it.

“We are thrilled to recognize Bryan for this award,” LVG Executive Director Richard W. Chylla said. “Bryan and his company are poised to transform food systems as we know them in multiple ways. His vision for the future is inspiring to our entire team here at LVG.”

Berger is known for his groundbreaking work in protein engineering and synthetic biology. His research has attracted national recognition, competitive grants, and industry partnerships that elevate UVA’s reputation in biotechnology, biomanufacturing and sustainability.

“I am delighted that Bryan Berger has been named Innovator of the Year,” said Jennifer West, dean of the UVA School of Engineering and Applied Science. “Bryan is a shining example of our school’s mission to make the world a better place through engineering for the greater good and our commitment to fostering an entrepreneurial culture.”

In 2019, with the help of LVG – the intellectual property management and innovation commercialization organization for the University’s research portfolio – Lytos licensed Berger’s patented novel biofungicide technology, which protects crops and safeguards public health. Today, that technology, along with other key inventions which Berger developed in his UVA Engineering lab, enable detection and removal of foodborne pathogens, protect animal health and reduce food spoilage. These technologies are of keen interest to companies that produce crop protection and animal health products, as well as growers and producers of specialty agricultural products, such as apples, cider and wine.

The Edlich-Henderson award is the highest honor bestowed on UVA innovators. The award recognizes an individual or team whose research discovery is making a major impact. Berger joins an illustrious group of previous Innovator of the Year winners that dates back to 1992.

“I'm truly honored,” Berger said. “It’s been a challenging, rewarding journey through UVA to get Lytos to this point, and this award really means a lot to me as both an engineer and entrepreneur.

“I care deeply about protecting our environment, so it is there for future generations to enjoy; this means we have to think about ways of food production that are sustainable and safe. With a projected 9 billion people to feed by 2050, this is a major challenge, even more so when we look at the cumulative impacts of agrochemical inputs on our food, water and soil.”

Last summer, Lytos moved into a new 4,000 square-foot R&D and manufacturing space in Waynesboro. Berger, who lives with his wife, Lisa, and their daughter Fiona in Charlottesville, said he is grateful for UVA Engineering’s entrepreneurial culture and LVG’s role in the commercialization process.

“LVG helped us early on with market analysis, business plan development and framing our potential market size for grant applications, such as the Virginia Catalyst grant that we successfully won,” Berger said. “LVG wrote a letter of support and provided market analysis for our successful NSF PFI grant to assist with proposed commercialization pathways. LVG also provided patent attorneys to ensure our technologies were strong from an intellectual property position early on.”

Berger will be honored at a ceremony at the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Link Lab on Thursday, March 19 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. It will include a talk from Berger and a reception afterward. It is open to all UVA faculty, staff, students and community members. Click here to register.