Education
Dr. Sheila Colby completed her Bachelor of Science with Highest Honors in Zoology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1984. She was awarded honors for her research on genetic transformation in Agrobacterium rhizogenes.
Sheila then worked as a Laboratory Technician under Dr. Jack Griffith at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center where she studied the role of RecA protein in genetic recombination by TEM. Sheila performed molecular cloning, over-expression and purification single-stranded binding protein, RecA protein, and DNA polymerase enzyme in E. coli. During this time, she volunteered at the Carnivore Preservation Trust in Pittsboro, North Carolina.
In 1986 Sheila attended the University of California, Davis, Genetics Graduate Group in the Department of Viticulture and Enology. She accepted several fellowships, including Wine Spectator and Harold P. Olmo fellowships, to study the molecular and cellular biology of grapevine in Dr. Carole Meredith's laboratory. Her doctoral work focused on developing a method for genetic transformation in Vitis vinifera, grapevines used in most wine and table grapes, to genetically improve disease resistance. She completed her Ph.D. in Genetics in 1990.
Postdoctoral Research
Sheila then accepted a McKnight postdoctoral fellowship at Washington State University, Institute of Biological Chemistry in Dr. Rodney Croteau's Laboratory. There she cloned the first gene for a monoterpene cyclase, limonene synthase, from spearmint glandular trichomes. These modified leaf hairs produce volatile compounds, like menthol, in kitchen herbs. This breakthrough in plant biochemistry led to several patents and enabled the cloning of other terpenoid cyclases.
In 1992 Sheila conducted postdoctoral research in forest tree genetics at the USDA Forest Service Western Regional Research Center. Her research in Dr. David Neale's lab involved mapping the chromosomal location of disease genes in Loblolly pine. In 1993, her proposal to clone chemical defense genes in tomato won her the only USDA NRI Competitive Grant Program Individual Award.
Industry Contributions
Since 1994, Sheila has contributed to marketing and education at leading life science companies in Silicon Valley, including Agilent, Affymetrix, and Applied Biosytems. She helped pioneer several genomic-era breakthroughs, such as the Clontech PCR-Select™ cDNA Subtraction Kit—the first commercial product for cloning differentially expressed genes.
In addition, she contributed to the original MatchMaker™ Yeast Two-Hybrid System for cloning genes encoding interacting proteins, and the One-hybrid system for cloning transcription factor genes. She also marketed Clontech’s membrane-based spotted arrays, predecessors to today’s DNA arrays. At Hitachi Genetic Systems, She managed a scientific applications laboratory for multicolor fluorescent imaging instrument and genotyping reagents used in human forensic identification.
At Affymetrix Sheila introduced the world’s first genome-wide SNP genotyping array with an unprecedented multiplex PCR assay. This was the pioneering technology for today’s leading genome-wide association study assays used to identify genes associated with disease.
At Applied Biosystems, she introduced the first TaqMan® real-time PCR assays in the first micro-fluidic array format. These devices for biomarker research provide exceptional accuracy, sensitivity and convenience in validating hits from genome discovery experiments. At DiscoveRx, she introduced the first PathHunter mammalian cell-based assays for drug discovery. Other contributions include the first system for gene expression analysis of laser capture microdissected cells, including PicoPure RNA Isolation Kits and RiboAmp RNA Amplification Kits.
Sheila also worked on automated, integrated systems for high-throughput research at Symyx Technologies, now called Freeslate. Most recently Sheila led the scientific marketing effort for pathway analysis software at Ingenuity Systems.
Since sequencing the first human genome over ten years ago, understanding the biological meaning of large-scale biological data has been a major roadblock to translating biomolecular research into medically actionable knowledge. The desire to change this inspired Sheila to lead the marketing effort for the premier software and content database used to analyze and understand the biological meaning of large-scale biomolecular data. Sheila also developed messaging and positioning for Ingenuity Variant Analysis - the fastest way to find disease-causing variants in DNA sequencing data from next generation sequencing instruments.
Today
After more than ten years, many of the technologies that she worked on are gold standards for genomic research. They have been cited in tens of thousands of scientific publications worldwide, highlighting the degree to which they advance our understanding of complex disease.
These contributions have aided our understanding of biological pathways, transcription factors, gene regulation, and the genetic basis of disease. Moreover, they speak to Sheila’s commitment to scientific and marketing excellence. She is currently an Independent Genomics Marketing Consultant in Sunnyvale, California. (See www.sheilacolby.com)
