San Diego, California, USA
Spetember 2, 2009
Cibus, a leading plant trait development technology company, today announced the addition of three scientists to its team—the first phase of a growth strategy that will include the addition of 10 new staff members by the end of 2009. Dr. Uvini Gunawardena, Ph.D., who brings more than 20 years of experience, will join Cibus as Research Scientist, Molecular Biology. Brian Aevermann, M.S., and Tiffany Hsu have been appointed to the Cell Biology Department as Senior Research Associate and Research Associate, respectively. All three will be based at Cibus’ San Diego headquarters.
“Cibus has boasted consistent growth since the company was founded in 2001, and this year we have seen an exciting ramp up in our team as a result of new ventures and partnerships based on increased demand for our Rapid Trait Development System (RTDS™),” said Peter Beetham, Senior Vice President of Research, Cibus. “Uvini, Brian and Tiffany will complement our existing 35-strong staff, bringing unique talents that will propel our current operations. We welcome Uvini’s stellar reputation and comprehensive experience; Brian, who has a demonstrated zeal for the study of cell biology; and Tiffany, who brings great enthusiasm and a proven dedication to the field of science and biology.”
Dr. Uvini Gunawardena, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Molecular Biology
Dr. Gunawardena joins Cibus as a key player in the Molecular Biology sector, responsible for initiating, directing and executing all preclinical scientific research, planning and executing laboratory research, participating in patent applications, and contributing to scientific literature and conferences. In addition, she will be responsible for the management and professional development of the research group.
Dr. Gunawardena previously served as a senior scientist at Sapphire Energy and Gevo Inc. She also conducted work for Diversa Corporation and the Torrey Mesa Research Institute, all in Southern California. With four patents and a number of publications to her credit, Dr. Gunawardena holds a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of Arizona and a B.A. in Biology from Oberlin College.
Brian D. Aevermann, M.S., Senior Research Associate, Cell Biology
As the Senior Research Associate, Mr. Aevermann will have a leading, hands-on role in the research conducted within Cibus’ Cell Biology Group. He will be responsible for specific technical aspects of the research incorporating both plant cell culture and plant molecular biology, primarily focusing on plant cell biology with specific emphasis on plant regeneration techniques. Prior to joining Cibus, Mr. Aevermann served as a research associate for aTyr Pharma. He also brings a great deal of experience in academic research, most recently at Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland, Ore. Mr. Aevermann earned an M.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology from San Diego State University and a B.S. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Tiffany Hsu, Research Associate, Cell Biology
In her new role, Ms. Hsu will be responsible for researching special projects, analyzing data and interpreting results, and preparing technical reports, summaries, protocols and quantitative analyses, among other tasks. Ms. Hsu joins Cibus from Nanogen, where she served as an R&D Research Associate. She graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology.
Cibus LLC is a privately-held San Diego-based trait development company that produces crop traits for the agricultural community. Through the application of a proprietary technology called the Rapid Trait Development System (RTDSTM), Cibus creates traits in a directed way with more precision than traditional breeding techniques and without the introduction of foreign genetic material. RTDS has proven itself in the laboratory with several different crops, as well as in initial field trials of Cibus’ first commercial crop, canola.
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