Linda Kinkel
USA | Crop Protection
Linda Kinkel is a leading expert in plant microbiomes and sustainable agriculture, with over three decades of groundbreaking research in soil and endophytic microbial communities. A Professor of Plant Pathology at the University of Minnesota since 1990, she has advanced scientific understanding of microbial interactions critical to plant health. She holds a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology and an M.S. in Biostatistics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and completed postdoctoral research in phyllosphere ecology at UC Berkeley. In 2019, she founded Jord BioScience, where she serves as Chief Science Officer. The company, built on her proprietary bank of over 6,500 microbial isolates, has significantly improved the performance and consistency of biofungicides across major crops. Her “biological playbook” model has revolutionized product development timelines in the agricultural biologicals sector. As Associate Editor-in-Chief of Phytobiomes Journal and a Phytobiome Alliance leader, Kinkel continues to bridge research and innovation, driving sustainable solutions for global food security.