About Us

Matthew Kane - Chief Executive Officer

Matthew Kane, a co-founder of Precision BioSciences, has served as Precision's Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors since its formation in 2006. Mr. Kane brings a wealth of life science business development and technical experience. While leading Precision, the company has formed alliances with DuPont/Pioneer, Bayer, BASF, and several leading biopharmaceutical firms. Previously, Mr. Kane was an integral part of Suros Surgical Systems, a venture-backed, breast cancer-focused firm. Suros was acquired in 2006 by Hologic in a deal valued at $300 million. Mr. Kane was named one of the "40 Under 40" by the Triangle Business Journal and has worked with two seed stage venture capital firms. He received his M.S. in Bio Engineering and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and holds an MBA from Duke University.

Jeff Smith, Ph.D. - Chief Science Officer

Jeff Smith, Ph.D., a co-founder and the Chief Science Officer of Precision BioSciences, has been recognized as a leader in the field of protein engineering for the past 14 years and is the co-inventor of Precision’s DNE technology. Previously, Dr. Smith was engaged at the Duke University Medical Center where he led the development of novel approaches to protein engineering and synthetic biology. Dr. Smith is the co-inventor on multiple patents and has published numerous papers on the characterization and utilization of engineered nucleases and biosensors. He holds a B.A. in Chemistry and Biology from Franklin and Marshall College. Dr. Smith received his Ph.D. in Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry from Johns Hopkins University and played a key role in the initial characterization of and in advancing the use of zinc finger nucleases in stimulating homologous recombination.

Derek Jantz, Ph.D. - Vice President, Scientific Development

Derek Jantz, Ph.D., a co-founder and the VP of Scientific Development at Precision BioSciences, is a highly regarded authority in the field of rational protein design. Dr. Jantz received a B.A. in Biology from the University of Colorado and then spent two years working as a part of the early team at Sangamo BioSciences. Dr. Jantz received his Ph.D. from the Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry at Johns Hopkins University for characterizing the DNA-binding characteristics of synthetic zinc finger proteins. This work established his expertise in the field of Protein-DNA interactions. Previously, Dr. Jantz was a Ruth R. Kirschstein Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry at the Duke University Medical Center where he pursued his interest in rational protein design. He has published numerous scientific reports and is co-inventor of Precision BioSciences’ core DNE technology. Dr. Jantz also serves on the Board of Directors at Precision.

Todd Melby - Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operations Officer

Todd Melby, MBA, joined Precision BioSciences in 2006 and currently holds the dual roles of Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer. Previously, Mr. Melby was a Management Consultant with Accenture where he specialized in improving financial and operational efficiencies at several Fortune 500 companies. He brings with him a robust set of management, operational, and financial skills. While at Precision, Mr. Melby has led and closed multiple financing events and has thoroughly revamped and streamlined Precision’s operational procedures. He earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Mr. Melby also holds an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management with concentrations in Biotechnology and Entrepreneurship.

Michael Nicholson, Ph.D. - Director of Cell Biology

Michael Nicholson, Ph.D., joined Precision BioSciences in 2007 and is viewed as a leading expert in the use of designed nucleases in multiple cell types. Dr. Nicholson was the first to demonstrate the utility of designed homing endonucleases for targeting endogenous loci in human and CHO cells. Dr. Nicholson received his B.S. in Chemistry from the State University of New York, College at Brockport. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine for the discovery and characterization of a novel simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) protein. Prior to joining Precision BioSciences in 2007, Dr. Nicholson implemented his research efforts at the Carolina Vaccine Institute at the University of North Carolina, where he examined novel approaches within the study of alphavirus-induced mucosal immune responses. Dr. Nicholson’s work has been published in many leading virology and immunology journals.

Current Opportunities

Precision BioSciences is always looking to add talented new members to our growing team. To inquire about available positions, please contact us at:
work@precisionbiosciences.com