Ai Digital Biology
Inscripta Appoints Jim Lalonde to Lead Microbial Digital Genome Engineering Business and Portfolio Strategy
Sep 6, 2019
September 05, 2019 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Inscripta, Inc., developer of the first benchtop platform for scalable Digital Genome Engineering, today named Jim Lalonde, Ph.D. to its management team. Dr. Lalonde has spent more than 25 years in research and development leadership, overseeing significant advances in methods for enzyme engineering and directed evolution. He will lead strategic business and portfolio development for Inscripta’s microbial genome engineering platform.
“As we prepare for the commercial launch of our Digital Genome Engineering platform, Jim’s invaluable experience and talent are exactly what Inscripta was looking for,” said Kevin Ness, CEO of Inscripta. “Jim has built world-class R&D teams, driven major increases in business unit valuation, and led development of important scientific applications in health sciences and nutrition. I am delighted to welcome him to the Inscripta family.”Most recently, Dr. Lalonde served as Senior Vice President of R&D at Codexis, Inc., a leader in protein engineering. He spent 15 years at the company in positions of increasing responsibility and oversaw development of more than 50 enzymes for drug manufacture, nutrition, biotherapeutics, and molecular diagnostics. He also led development of the best-in-class CodeEvolver® protein engineering technology which was licensed to major pharmaceutical companies in multimillion-dollar deals. Prior to his time at Codexis, Dr. Lalonde held a leadership role in chemical development at Altus Biologics and scientific research at Vista Chemical Company. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Lakehead University and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Texas A&M University.“Inscripta has that rare mix of elements needed for a highly successful company: its team, technology, and IP portfolio are truly impressive,” said Dr. Lalonde. “I am excited to be part of an organization that will take everything we’ve learned about enzyme engineering and apply it to genome engineering with a platform that will allow an individual scientist to perform transformative projects.”Inscripta’s benchtop platform for Digital Genome Engineering will be commercially launched at the SynBioBeta conference taking place October 1-3 in San Francisco.About InscriptaInscripta is developing the world's first benchtop platform for scalable Digital Genome Engineering. The company’s advanced CRISPR-based platform, consisting of an instrument, reagents, and software, will offer a fully automated workflow that enables multiplexed, trackable editing of cells at an unprecedented scale. Inscripta’s goal is to empower scientists whose gene editing research is stifled by current technical and licensing limitations. By providing this unique platform and engaging in collaborative business practices, such as making its MAD7 CRISPR nuclease free for research and development purposes, the company enables scientists to realize a new era of biological discovery. Headquartered in Boulder, Colo, with offices in Pleasanton, Calif., and San Diego, Inscripta is backed by leading investors including Venrock, Foresite, Mérieux Développement, Paladin Capital Group, MLS Capital, and NanoDimension. For more information, visit www.inscripta.com
