A man with dark hair and a beard, wearing a navy blue long-sleeve shirt, standing outdoors with arms crossed in front of green leafy trees.

John Sittmann, PhD

Co-founder | CEO

Dr. Sittmann is the green thumb at Deep Root Biolabs. After earning his PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Maryland, Dr. Sittmann continued his work as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Carnegie Institution for Science, further exploring the way microbes leverage symbiosis. Now, John is focused on building a platform that advances food, agricultural security and critical mineral reclamation.

A man with gray hair and a beard, wearing a beige button-up shirt with sleeves rolled up, standing outdoors on a sunny day with green trees in the background.

Tom Curtis, PhD

Co-founder | CTO

Dr. Curtis is Deep Root’s microbial guru, with deep experience in harnessing environmental microbes for real-world impact in areas ranging from natural products drug discovery and high-throughput screening to cutting-edge synthetic biology applications. He earned his Ph.D. at the Technical University of Denmark, completed postdoctoral research at Northeastern University, and is now focused on bringing microbial science from the lab to the field.

Close-up of a smiling young woman with light brown hair, wearing a maroon shirt and layered gold necklaces, outdoors with green trees in the background.

Darby Sweeney, PhD

Project Manager

Dr. Sweeney completed her PhD at Johns Hopkins University where she investigated the regulation of intestinal lipid metabolism using the zebrafish. Dr. Sweeney is passionate mentorship, community building, and learning about mysteries of the natural world. She is dedicated to translating scientific discovery into real-world solutions that advance sustainability for both human and environmental health.