In a town hall meeting on June 28, Laboratory Director Mike Witherell announced that Biosciences Associate Lab Director (ALD) Jay Keasling has agreed to take on an important new role as Chief Science and Technology Officer (CSTO) for the Biosciences Area, and Mary Maxon, currently the principal deputy for Biosciences, will replace Keasling as ALD for Biosciences, effective July 1, 2017.
Keasling will drive new entrepreneurial approaches to developing foundational biological tools to solve important societal problems, and will devote significant efforts 
toward development activities in support of Lab-wide initiatives. In addition, he will continue in his critical roles as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), professor at UC Berkeley, and leader of his groundbreaking research program focused on engineering microorganisms to produce biofuels, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.
As the Principal Deputy for Biosciences, Maxon has been integral to developing the Biosciences Strategic Plan (BSP), a visionary plan that lays out 
a detailed strategy for applying biology to address national challenges in energy, environment, and health issues, while advancing the engineering of biological systems for sustainable manufacturing. Mary will take over the lead role in implementing the BSP, oversee the Biosciences’ Division Directors and the Facilities Director of the DOE Joint Genome Institute, and collaborate with the Area’s Chief Science and Technology Officer to ensure the attainment of the Laboratory’s multidisciplinary short- and long-term scientific and operational goals. For more, information, please read the Director’s Message.
