Pacific Biosciences: Michael Phillips, Denis Zaccarin

Pacific Biosciences announced that Senior VP of R&D Michael Phillips will retire, effective April 1, 2020.

Phillips joined the company in 2005 and oversaw development of all sequencing systems, including the PacBio RS, launched in 2011; RS II, launched in 2013; Sequel, launched in 2015; and Sequel II, launched in 2019.

Denis Zaccarin, PacBio's VP of semiconductor integrated devices, will succeed Phillips as the head of R&D. Zaccarin, who holds a doctorate, joined the firm in 2004 and oversaw designs and development of SMRT cells.