Precision BioSciences Leadership

Derek is a 15-year veteran of the genome editing industry. As a protein engineer, he was an early developer of zinc finger technology and has spent most of his research career designing proteins for genome editing applications. He has a B.A. in biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Derek’s passions include writing holiday themed poetry and finding ways to slip sci-fi references into corporate presentations. Derek Jantz co-founded Precision BioSciences in 2006 after co-inventing a novel method for modifying the DNA-recognition properties of homing endonucleases. Since that time, he has served as VP of Scientific Development, Chief Scientific Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Jeff is one of the true pioneers in the genome editing industry and made some of the key observations that led to the first successful engineered editing nucleases. Dr. Smith received his graduate degree from Johns Hopkins while developing and characterizing custom nucleases for genome engineering. Continuing his work in protein engineering at Duke University, Dr. Smith helped create the foundation for the ARCUS platform. Jeff’s only known hobbies outside of the lab involve smoking pork and celebrating the Kentucky Derby, preferably at the same time. He is an inventor on more than twenty-five foundational, issued patents involving the production and use of genome editing tools.

Matt Kane is the CEO and co-founder of Precision BioSciences, a privately held gene editing biotech that uses the therapeutic grade editing platform, ARCUS. Matt has led Precision since its inception in 2006 and serves on Precision’s Board. He has over fifteen years of experience in the life sciences industry and was formerly with Suros Surgical Systems, later acquired by Hologic. When he isn’t working, you can find Matt enjoying time with his wife and daughters, hiking with his dogs, or stuck under a squat bar. He received his B.S. and M.S. from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and holds an MBA from Duke University.

Derek is a 15-year veteran of the genome editing industry. As a protein engineer, he was an early developer of zinc finger technology and has spent most of his research career designing proteins for genome editing applications. He has a B.A. in biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Derek’s passions include writing holiday themed poetry and finding ways to slip sci-fi references into corporate presentations. Derek Jantz co-founded Precision BioSciences in 2006 after co-inventing a novel method for modifying the DNA-recognition properties of homing endonucleases. Since that time, he has served as VP of Scientific Development, Chief Scientific Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Jeff is one of the true pioneers in the genome editing industry and made some of the key observations that led to the first successful engineered editing nucleases. Dr. Smith received his graduate degree from Johns Hopkins while developing and characterizing custom nucleases for genome engineering. Continuing his work in protein engineering at Duke University, Dr. Smith helped create the foundation for the ARCUS platform. Jeff’s only known hobbies outside of the lab involve smoking pork and celebrating the Kentucky Derby, preferably at the same time. He is an inventor on more than twenty-five foundational, issued patents involving the production and use of genome editing tools.

Matt Kane is the CEO and co-founder of Precision BioSciences, a privately held gene editing biotech that uses the therapeutic grade editing platform, ARCUS. Matt has led Precision since its inception in 2006 and serves on Precision’s Board. He has over fifteen years of experience in the life sciences industry and was formerly with Suros Surgical Systems, later acquired by Hologic. When he isn’t working, you can find Matt enjoying time with his wife and daughters, hiking with his dogs, or stuck under a squat bar. He received his B.S. and M.S. from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and holds an MBA from Duke University.

Derek is a 15-year veteran of the genome editing industry. As a protein engineer, he was an early developer of zinc finger technology and has spent most of his research career designing proteins for genome editing applications. He has a B.A. in biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Derek’s passions include writing holiday themed poetry and finding ways to slip sci-fi references into corporate presentations. Derek Jantz co-founded Precision BioSciences in 2006 after co-inventing a novel method for modifying the DNA-recognition properties of homing endonucleases. Since that time, he has served as VP of Scientific Development, Chief Scientific Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Matt Kane is the CEO and co-founder of Precision BioSciences, a privately held gene editing biotech that uses the therapeutic grade editing platform, ARCUS. Matt has led Precision since its inception in 2006 and serves on Precision’s Board. He has over fifteen years of experience in the life sciences industry and was formerly with Suros Surgical Systems, later acquired by Hologic. When he isn’t working, you can find Matt enjoying time with his wife and daughters, hiking with his dogs, or stuck under a squat bar. He received his B.S. and M.S. from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and holds an MBA from Duke University.