Nicholas J. Baltes

Nicholas J. Baltes is the chief scientific officer of BlueAllele and oversees all platform research and development activities. Before co-founding BlueAllele, he served as an IP portfolio manager and research scientist at Calyxt where he assisted in the development of gene-edited plant products and the protection of the corresponding intellectual property.

Nicholas' background comprises more than 15 years of experience in molecular biology and gene editing, and more than 10 years experience in patent law and IP protection. Nicholas is also a registered patent agent.

Nicholas brings an extensive background in research and development to BlueAllele. He has expertise in a wide range of systems, including yeast, fungi, plants, animals, and bacteria. He also has diverse experience in gene-editing tools, including zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), TALE nucleases, and CRISPR nucleases. Nicholas was one of the first scientists to apply ZFNs and CRISPR in plants and has extensive experience applying repair templates in eukaryotic cells. His research has resulted in more than 20 peer-reviewed scientific papers and over 100 patents and patent applications.

Nicholas received his B.S. in human physiology and biology, and his Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Minnesota.