People: Who we are

BioKey Engineering has wide expertise in biology, technology and business. Though all of these skills are seldom required by a single project, many problems span several of these areas and benefit from these synergies.

Officers

Edward Sternberg, Ph.D., President

Dr. Sternberg is a founder of BioKey Engineering, LLC, and is a co-inventor of Smart Bandages™. He has a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology, and postdoctoral and other experience in genetics, and has held faculty appointments in physiology, cancer research, cardiovascular research and biomedical engineering. He was among the first to demonstrate that cellular oncogenes encode a transduction pathway, from outside the cell to enhancer elements that control differentiation. This work was a first proof that the deranged genes that cause cancer, in their normal form, induce cells to specialize to perform and coordinate specific functions. This work, with that of others, underlies our understanding of the mechanisms that control normal embryological development and cancer. He enjoys observing how we and the biosphere hang together, from a molecular to a population level, and seeks to use such understanding to improve our lives.

Board of Outside Advisors

BioKey Engineering's Board of Outside Advisors advises the company's officers on all issues. The Board of Outside Advisors was formed in October, 1997, concurrent with the company's legal organization as a limited liability company. Members of the Board of Outside Advisors are selected for their ability to contribute good judgment to the company's current issues. The board includes the following people.

Judge Audrey Brooks, ret.

Professor Richard Burgess

Prof. Burgess is a molecular biologist and biochemist. His major research focus is mechanisms that control the reading, or transcription, of messages from DNA into RNA. More broadly, he specializes in protein biotechnology. From 1984 to 1996, Prof. Burgess founded and directed the University of Wisconsin Biotechnology Center to promote commercial use of technologies developed at the University of Wisconsin. From 1983 to 1984, on sabbatical leave, he served as the Acting Director of Biochemistry Research of Genetic Systems Corp., Seattle, WA. Prof. Burgess discovered key regulators of bacterial transcription at Harvard while a graduate student of Prof. James D. Watson.

Mr. Paul de Coriolis

Mr. de Coriolis, an electrical and biomedical engineer, is Senior Principal Engineer at Guidant Corp., where he is involved in the design of implantable cardiac atrial defibrillators. In addition to his study in psychology and medicine, he has 25 years of experience as an engineer, starting at MIT. For 14 years he has worked in R&D, engineering, manufacturing, and clinical and preclinical trials of implantable medical devices.

Dr. Thomas Laffler

Dr. Laffler is an Associate Research Fellow for New Business Development for Abbott Molecular, Inc., a subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories. He is a molecular biologist and a coinventor of the Abbott LCX Probe Diagnostic System.

Mr. Paul Lester

Mr. Lester, an attorney, was a commercial banker for 30 years until his retirement in 1998. Prior to retirement, he was in charge of international private banking for Bank One, Texas. He has also served as a president of subsidiary banks for Bank One. Before working for Bank One, he worked at Citibank, NY, in international planning, and in various positions in Latin America.

Dr. Morton Panish

Dr. Panish is a physical chemist of glasses and semiconductors. A member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, Dr. Panish retired in 1992 from Bell Laboratories, where he served from 1969 to 1986 as Head of the Materials Science Research Department. His work with injection lasers of III-V semiconductors provided a foundation for development of lasers that are a key component of fiberoptic communication systems. He developed precision crystal growth methods that permit the engineering of semiconductors on an almost atomic scale for optoelectronic devices and ultra-high speed circuits.

Employment

BioKey Engineering is an equal-opportunity employer. Prospective applicants should consider what they can do that will help them and BioKey Engineering to grow in human and business value, while having fun.