Leon van Paassen is Associate Professor at Arizona State University (ASU) and Senior Investigator at the NSF Engineering Research Centre for Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics (CBBG). He received an MSc in Applied Earth Sciencesin 2002 from Delft University of Technology with a specialisation in Engineering Geology. During and after his graduation he worked several years as a geotechnical engineering consultant at IFCO Foundation Expertise and at research institute Deltares. In 2009 he obtained his PhD from the Department of Biotechnology of Delft University of Technology. His thesis on Biogrout: Microbially induced carbonate precipitation as ground improvement method resulted in several publications, patents and was awarded with several national and international awards. In his research he integrates the fields of environmental biotechnology and geotechnical engineering, aiming to develop sustainable solutions, which improve resource efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of civil and mining engineering industry.