Logo

Geoff Smith, Robert Nicol

Feb 26, 2019

DNA Script has formed a scientific advisory board, appointing Geoff Smith to serve as chair and Robert Nicol to serve as a second board member.

Smith is an expert in genomic technologies and their applications, having spent more than 10 years working as a vice president at Solexa/Illumina where he led the development of many aspects of the core SBS sequencing chemistry, workflows and platforms, and cell-free DNA pregnancy testing portfolio. After leaving Illumina, Smith served as CEO of Cambridge Epigenetix, and he now works as an advisor to a variety of companies in the genomics space.

Nicol serves as director of the technology labs at the Broad Institute. He is also the cofounder of the MIT-Broad Foundry for Synthetic Biology. Nicol joined the Whitehead Institute/MIT Center for Genome Research in 2001, and directed the sequencing operations and technology development groups at the Broad for more than 12 years.

Breaking News
The Scan

Positive Framing of Genetic Studies Can Spark Mistrust Among Underrepresented Groups

Researchers in Human Genetics and Genomics Advances report that how researchers describe genomic studies may alienate potential participants.

Small Study of Gene Editing to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

In a Novartis-sponsored study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that a CRISPR-Cas9-based treatment targeting promoters of genes encoding fetal hemoglobin could reduce disease symptoms.

Gut Microbiome Changes Appear in Infants Before They Develop Eczema, Study Finds

Researchers report in mSystems that infants experienced an enrichment in Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Finegoldia and a depletion of Bacteroides before developing eczema.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Specificity Enhanced With Stem Cell Editing

A study in Nature suggests epitope editing in donor stem cells prior to bone marrow transplants can stave off toxicity when targeting acute myeloid leukemia with immunotherapy.