Meet the Calyx Team Series: Introducing Chief Scientist — Fan Yang

A year ago, our Chief Scientist Fan Yang joined us at our Berkeley office with extensive knowledge and experience in materials sciences. Headed by Fan, the R&D team has been able to continue developing durable, cost effective and reliable sensing products that puts us ahead of the competition. He brings not only his ideas to develop new sensor technologies, but also his passion for innovation and internal motivation.

Like most job seekers, Fan found an opening at Calyx through a job board and was intrigued to learn more. Our team consists of the best and the brightest in the field and Fan is no exception. We had the opportunity to catch up with him about his background in materials science, his passion for Calyx, and his vision for the future of Calyx sensors.

What is your background? How did you get into materials science?

I earned my doctoral degree from Stevens Institute of Technology in 2019 and published 8 peer-reviewed papers in the fields of functional materials and sensing applications during my studies. I have 5 years of academic experience in the development of functional materials and sensing applications, such as chemical ions monitoring, drug delivery measurement, bacterial detection and so on.

Materials science is a relatively new and very broad field. It involves applications from a number of scientific disciplines that contribute to the creation of new materials. I initially got into materials science driven by curiosity and strong interest in knowing what things are made of in terms of engineering and structures.

What made you want to join the team?

Calyx is an innovative and promising startup, which I found to be a great place to build upon my existing skill sets, gain experiences in various functional areas, and take on a ton of responsibility. Founders and colleagues have the same positive energy and excitement in creative work environments. Working at Calyx is like being part of a close-knit family where I can actually be myself.

Why are you passionate about the Calyx mission?

I am a consistent learner and am passionate about new trends in my profession. Calyx’s mission is to create versatile and robust sensor platforms that detect a wide variety of airborne chemicals with high specificity and sensitivity unseen in current technologies. The technology and mission of the company motivate me to perform R&D work in Calyx.

What problem do you want to solve with Calyx technology?

My purpose is to develop gas sensor chips that provide quality gas monitoring products to satisfy all safety and control needs with cheap, easily deployed and scalable detection applications.

What project(s) are you focused on?

I am mainly working on the R&D of gas sensors for ammonia, formaldehyde, benzene and methane in Calyx.

What is the best part about working at the Berkeley office?

The proximity to Stanford and University of California, Berkeley, has long been a paradigm for innovation ecosystems. Calyx has had the opportunity to forge long-term collaboration with professors and experts from these institutions to achieve technical and academic advancements.

What do you hope to bring to the team?

I would like to contribute my ability to manage and conduct scientific, technological, and research operations. I can bring not only my ideas to develop new technologies, but also my general passion for innovation and internal motivation to the team.

Calyx gas sensors use patented bioengineering technology. Our solutions are customizable to suit specific business and industry needs.

To learn more about our company and products, visit us at www.calyxtechs.com.

To contact us, you may email us at info@calyxtechs.com.