Today, Recombinetics named Dr. Tad Sonstegard the first Chief Executive Officer of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Acceligen. 
Sonstegard will lead Acceligen’s efforts to raise capital and strategic partnerships for its products that genetically improve the health and well-being of livestock and aquaculture. With Acceligen now entering into significant commercial transactions, Sonstegard’s leadership will ensure that Acceligen reaches its full potential in applying its unique, groundbreaking technologies.
Sonstegard will maintain his role as the Chief Scientific Officer of Acceligen where he also leads research, development, deployment, and commercialization of products made through its state-of-the-art precision breeding, gene editing, and advanced reproduction platform. Sonstegard is an internationally recognized leader in livestock genetics with more than 20 years of experience in the field. He has made seminal contributions to the sequencing of livestock genomes, development of industry-standard genetic diagnostic platforms and elucidation of the genetic basis for traits impacting food animal health, production, and well-being. Prior to joining the Recombinetics/Acceligen team, Sonstegard developed and led federally funded projects in applied genomics for ruminant genetic improvement at the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory. He holds a doctoral degree in molecular, cellular, developmental biology and genetics from the University of Minnesota.
“Our company is poised to bridge the gaps in animal breeding for specific well-being and health traits that are wanted by farmers, retailers, and consumers,” says Sonstegard. “We firmly believe our technology platform can provide value to food production systems ranging from large elite operations to small operators in need of more sustainable genetics for regenerative farming. I look forward to serving our scientific and sales teams as they fulfill these various types of commercial opportunities.”
“Tad’s standing as one of the world’s top scientists in the field of Animal Genomics along with his strong reputation and values-based leadership style make him the ideal choice to lead Acceligen as it revolutionizes the field of animal health and welfare,” says Mark Platt, Chief Executive Officer of Recombinetics.
Recombinetics also named Dr. Dan Carlson, Chief Scientific Officer. Carlson has been with the company since its inception in 2008 and has been responsible for the research and development of applications and products 
from the company’s proprietary gene-editing platform as Senior Vice President of Research and Development. Carlson will continue to oversee the development and deployment of the Recombinetics’ core technologies, build strategic partnerships, and drive commercialization. Carlson attended the University of Minnesota where he earned a doctoral degree in animal sciences with an emphasis in biotechnology and molecular genetics.