CS Genetics names life science entrepreneur Bill Colston as CEO

Colston founded QuantaLife, where he pioneered the invention of droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), leading the company as CEO until its acquisition by Bio-Rad.

He also founded Sestina Bio, a synthetic biology company, and HealthTell, a diagnostics firm. Earlier in his career, he directed the U.S. biologic and chemical defense R & D program at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and has served on numerous private and public boards.

“I could not be more excited to welcome Bill to the team,” said Luke Edelman, founder and Chief Technology Officer at CS Genetics, which has boots on the ground in San Diego.

“He's a successful multi-time founder and CEO who knows the unique challenges of leading venture-stage companies, and the opportunities that come from successful execution. He has a rare mix of technical vision and aggressive commercial ambition that will serve in good stead as we build a large and enduring company through the years to come.”

Privately held CS Genetics has developed a nextgen instrument-free platform for single cell genomics that leverages a molecular process known as Kinetic Confinement to produce simple, scalable, and accessible workflows that plug seamlessly into standard lab infrastructure.

This disruptive platform will expand the reach of single cell genomics to major underserved segments such as new-to-single cell customers and biopharma and significantly broaden the use of single cell as a tool for scientific discovery, molecular diagnostics, and the development of new vaccines and therapeutics.

Colston said: “I've been fortunate to be at the forefront of several breakthroughs in digital biology and believe now is the perfect time to introduce a new single cell technology.

“The market is evolving rapidly, and there's a clear demand for tools that offer deep biological insights at unprecedented scale. CS Genetics has the right vision, talent, and technology to lead this next phase of innovation.”