Primary Job Title Founder Primary Organization 
Ablexis
Location San Francisco, California, United States Regions San Francisco Bay Area, West Coast, Western US Gender Male
Dr. Shizuya is the creator of bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) technology. He is an author on more than 50 research publications on bacterial genetics, DNA vector creation, genomic library construction and genome characterization, including that of the initial sequencing and characterization of the human genome. Dr. Shizuya’s contributions to
the field are reflected in his experience as an inventor of several patents on methods and tools for genetic engineering.
Dr. Shizuya founded Aliva Biopharmaceuticals in 2001 to capitalize on the unique capabilities of BACs to stably capture and maintain up to several hundreds of kilobases of genomic DNA and to use them for purposes of modifying mammalian genomes. Prior to founding Aliva Biopharmaceuticals, he co-founded Tellus Genetics, which was acquired by Maxygen in 2000. In addition, he has served as advisor to several corporate and governmental entities.
Dr. Shizuya received his M.D. and Ph.D. from Keio University School of Medicine in Japan and conducted postdoctoral work at Stanford University and Harvard University. Most recently, he was a member of professional staff, division of biology at California Institute of Technology.
