ABOUT US
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to provide best-in-class instrumentation to the industrial and academic research communities. Founded by membrane biologists and experienced instrument developers, the user experience is at the core of our design.
THE MANAGEMENT TEAM
Photoswitch Biosciences has assembled an experienced team of scientists, executives, and advisors with drug discovery and development expertise and a proven history of bringing new high-value cell-based assays and instrumentation to market.
Co-founder. Experienced pharmaceutical research, and life science instrument development, executive. VP Discovery Research & Technology at Cytokinetics; VP/CEO at SEQ/Praelux (through acquisition by Amersham); Scientist at AT&T Bell Labs.
Chief Executive Officer
Jay Trautman, PhD
Co-founder. Internationally recognized expert in ion channel physiology, drug discovery and life sciences instrument development. VP at Axon Instruments, Inc.
Chief Scientific Officer
Andy Blatz, PhD
Co-founder. Seasoned finance professional with more than twenty years experience in entrepreneurial business management, investment underwriting, venture capital, corporate finance and business development at Convexus Advisors, Babcock & Brown, GATX Capital, Cargill Financial Services and Piper Jaffray
Chief Financial Officer
Jonathan Ross, MBA
Experienced assay development scientist formerly with Arete Therapeutics, Cytokinetics and Microcide.
Senior Scientist
Tom Lila, PhD
Former ion channel screener at Lexicon Pharmaceutical and Director of Client Services at ChanTest. Extensive experience deploying new platforms to market at Axon Instruments, Molecular Devices, Fluxion Biosciences and Essen Bioscience
Business Development Manager
Stephen S Smith, PhD
SCIENTIFIC ADVISORS
Professor and Head of Division of Neurobiology, UC Berkeley; Member, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Director of UC Berkeley-LBNL Nanomedicine Development Center. Internationally recognized expert in ion channels and synaptic function. Co-inventor of photoswitched ion channels.
Ehud Isacoff, PhD
Co-founder
Professor of Neurobiology; Member, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Associate Director, UC Berkeley Nanomedicine Center. Internationally recognized expert in ion channels and retinal physiology. Co-inventor of photoswitched ion channels.
Richard Kramer, PhD
Co-founder
Janice Cutler Professor of Chemistry at NYU. Member, Center for Integrated Protein Science, Munich (CIPSM). Internationally recognized expert in chemical biology of ion channels and natural products. Co-inventor of photoswitched ion channels.
Dirk Trauner, PhD
Co-founder