ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Recombinetics, a leader in gene-editing of livestock for lifesaving human therapeutics and safe and healthy food production, announces the expansion of its Scientific Advisory Board, led by Recombinetics’ co-founder and Board Director, Dr. Perry Hackett. The advisory board consists of renowned leaders in academia and biotechnology who will bring valuable insights and highly-acclaimed expertise to the Company.
Recombinetics’ Scientific Advisory Board now includes:
- Perry Hackett, Ph.D. (Chair) is an inventor and preeminent scientist with more than 50 years of experience in genetic sciences. He is a professor and research scientist in the University of Minnesota’s Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, and co-founder of the Center for Genome Engineering. Dr. Hackett’s research success in using DNA transposons for gene-transfer led to his co-founding of a gene therapy company, Discovery Genomics, Inc., where he previously served as Chief Scientific Officer and Chairman.
- Jef Boeke, Ph.D. is an expert in yeast genetics including transposon dynamics and assembling artificial chromosomes. He is the founding director of the Institute for Systems Genetics and a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at the NYU Langone Medical Center. Dr. Boeke is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences.
- Dana Carroll, Ph.D. is a pioneer in the development of zinc-finger nucleases as gene-targeting tools and an expert in the applications and regulation of gene-editing technologies. Dr. Carroll is a distinguished professor in biochemistry at the University of Utah School of Medicine and is a member of the Nuclear Control of Cell Growth and Differentiation Program at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City. He is an awardee of the Novitski Prize from the Genetics Society of America for establishing the field of genome editing.
- George Church, Ph.D. is a leader in the fields of computational genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, systems biology, bioengineering, and technology development. He is a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and a professor of health sciences and technology at Harvard and MIT and a founding member of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. Dr. Church is director of the U.S. Department of Energy Technology Center, director of the National Institutes of Health Center of Excellence in Genomic Science and director of the Personal Genome Project. He has co-founded nine biotech companies and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering.
- Ina Dobrinski, D.V.M., Ph.D. is a pioneer in germ-line, stem-cell biology in large animals. She is a professor of reproductive biology and the head of the Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine at the University of Calgary. Dr. Dobrinski is board certified by the American College of Theriogenologists (Animal Reproduction).
- Stephen C. Ekker, Ph.D. is a pioneer in the use of diverse genome engineering tools in zebrafish and other organisms. He is a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Mayo Clinic and associate director of the Clinical and Translational Sciences Ph.D. program. Dr. Ekker is president of the Zebrafish Disease Models Society and editor-in-chief of the Zebrafish journal. He is co-founder of three biotech companies and one non-profit, and the founding director of the Center for Genome Engineering at the University of Minnesota.
- Lee Hood, M.D. is a leading biomedical scientist-inventor-entrepreneur, best known for his inventions and systems approaches that were the foundation for determining the sequence of the human genome, and for reading and writing genomes and polypeptides. He is co-founder and president of the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, WA where he is focusing on Systems Medicine (P4 medicine). Dr. Hood has been awarded the Lasker Prize, Kyoto Prize, National Medal of Science, and numerous other international awards. He is a co-founder of 13 biotechnology companies, and is one of only 15 scientists to be a member of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, and the National Academy of Engineering.
- Jerry Taylor, Ph.D. is one of the top scholars and influencers in the field of agricultural genomics. He is best known for establishing ways to use DNA-based genomic improvement in livestock and crops. Dr. Taylor is a professor of genetics and animal sciences at the University of Missouri and the Wurdack Chair of Animal Genomics. He is a founder of GenomicFX, Inc., and fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
- Bruce Whitelaw, Ph.D. is a pioneer in the development of genetically engineered and genome edited livestock for biomedical and agricultural applications. He is head of the Division of Developmental Biology at the Roslin Institute and a professor of animal biotechnology at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh, Scotland. Dr. Whitelaw is the editor of Transgenic Research, and serves on several scientific advisory boards.
About Recombinetics: Founded in 2008, RCI is widely recognized as the global leader in livestock gene editing and applied technology for biomedical research, regenerative medicine, and agriculture.
Delivering viable products and generating revenues today, RCI is rapidly growing to commercialize the sale and distribution of its gene-edited animals to the large biomedical and agricultural markets. RCI develops precise swine models of patient congenital and progressive diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. RCI is also adding value to animals and the protein production chain, accelerating the addition of genetically preferable traits that enhance productivity while improving animal health and welfare.
Learn more at Recombinetics.com.
