Darren’s interest in new technologies has driven much of his work over the last twenty-plus years, and the intersection of plant science and technology is the outgrowth of his insatiable curiosity. Darren started a career in sciences and worked for thirteen years at The Washington University Medical School Genome Sequencing Center on the Human Genome Project, with particular focus on cutting-edge, automated lab equipment in the Technology Development Group. After leaving The Genome Center, Darren worked for ten years at The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in the Todd Mockler Lab. Hired originally to work on a large custom automated system, he later moved into plant studies, including greenhouse and field trials of corn and sorghum as part of EPSCoR and Terra-Ref projects. Much of the work on these projects involved developing remote imaging technologies for plant phenotyping. That work led to work in the Mockler Lab that resulted in the creation of The PheNode, a field-based sensor system, and a company called Agrela Ecosystems. Darren was a member of the team that created the system and won an Arch Grant for Agrela in 2017.

In 2022, Darren completed a certificate in Cannabis Science and Operations at Saint Louis University and in March of 2023 started at Lone Wolf Genetics as Director of Breeding Operations.

Darren is a lifelong Saint Louisan who lives in South City with his wife and two kids. His passion and first career is music and he continues to play.