4532 Mercurio Street
San Diego, CA 92130
(619)742-3651
m@5z.com
www.5z.com/mlebl
SPYDER INSTITUTE,
San Diego, CA and Praha, Czech Republic 2010
- present
Spyder Institute is dedicated to research in the areas of peptide synthesis and proteomics assays focused on cancer diagnostics.
Formed the company to comercialize technologies abandoned during his involvement in companies with different focus in the last 20 years and apply them in development of new tools potentially useful in human medicine.
ILLUMINA,
San Diego, CA 1999
- 2011
Illumina
develops tools for the large-scale analysis of genetic variation and function,
the results of which will pave the way for personalized medicine, a key goal of
genomics and proteomics. Their technology platform also extends to other
applications such as high-throughput screening of pharmaceutical compounds and
chemical detection.
As the head of Department of High Throughput Synthesis developed automated DNA synthesizers capable of the world highest throughput and most economical synthesis of DNA. These instruments enabled Illumina’s technology of self-assembled arrays. In parallel managed the programs of cross-reactive optical sensors, proteomics and peptide arrays. As the principal investigator of three grant applications brought to Illumina $2.8 million.
SPYDER
INSTRUMENTS, San Diego, CA 1993 - 2002
Spyder
Instruments was the small company dedicated to providing affordable
instrumentation to laboratories interested in high throughput organic synthesis.
Spyder's flagship technology for solid phase synthesis was the centrifugation
based solvent removal from solid support. Spyder's technology was acquired by
Illumina, Inc.
Formed the company for commercialization of automatic synthesizer COMPAS 242 based on centrifugal solvent removal and inclusion volume coupling. Technology was invented by Michal Lebl and licensed from Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechoslovakia. Cross-licensed technologies owned by Spyder and Trega for centrifugal synthetic techniques. Sold the company to Illumina, Inc.
TREGA
BIOSCIENCES, INC., San Diego, CA 1996
- 1999
Trega Biosciences was a drug discovery company, utilizing combinatorial
chemistry and other technologies to pursue the discovery of novel,
small-molecule drug therapies. The company was acquired by Lion Biosciences,
AG.
Built and served as the head of the Department of Robotic Synthesis. Developed automatic stations allowing for semi-automated synthesis of large arrays of small organic molecules with capacity of 5000 compounds/day. Invented and validated synthetic technology using centrifugation of tilted plates. This technology was later licensed to Spyder Instruments.
SELECTIDE
CORPORATION, Tucson, AZ 1991
– 1996
The first combinatorial chemistry company in the
world developed the one-bead-one-compound technology (invented by Kit Lam) that
allows the simultaneous synthesis and screening of millions of organic
compounds for their potential biological activity leading to the development of
new drugs. Selectide was purchased by Marion-Merrel-Dow in 1995 and later by
Hoechst. Now it is part of Aventis.
As the head of Chemistry Department validated the technology of one-bead-one-compound libraries on model and real targets. Developed technique for screening libraries in solution, designed and built the first automatic library synthesizer APLS-1 and automatic continuous synthesizer MARS-1 utilizing synthesis in disposable syringes. Michal Lebl was one of the key individuals responsible for the sale of Selectide to Marrion-Merrel-Dow (MMD). Participated in the merge of MMD into Hoechst, becoming thus a part of the largest chemical company in the world.
UNIVERSITY
OF ARIZONA, Tucson, AZ 1983,
1986, 1989
Developed solid phase synthesis of cyclic peptides utilizing cyclization of tethered linear peptides. Designed and synthesized analogs of MSH, MCH, neurohypophysial hormones, in the projects leading to several clinical candidates.
INSTITUTE
OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY (IOCB) 1974
- 1991
OF THE
CZECHOSLOVAK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, Prague, Czechoslovakia
Studied structure-activity relationships of peptide hormones and developed several drug candidates, one of which is used as a veterinary drug in Europe. Developed the technique of continuous solid phase synthesis utilizing continuous solid support, designed and built an automated multiple peptide synthesizer based on the centrifugation synthesis method COMPAS 242.
As a department head was in charge of four scientific groups (35 scientists), dealing with synthesis, structure-activity and physico-chemical studies of peptides. In parallel served as an Editor-in-Chief of the largest international chemical journal in former Eastern Europe – Collection of Czechoslovak Chemical Communications. Modernized the journal production and transferred the operation from state into the IOCB, where it became one of the major revenue creating centers.
MS, Organic Chemistry, 1973, University of Chemical Technology (VSCHT), Prague,
Czech Republic
Military service, Officer, 1973-1974, Czechoslovak Army
Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, 1978, Institute of Organic Chemistry &
Biochemistry of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
D.Sc., Organic Chemistry, 1992, Institute of Organic Chemistry &
Biochemistry of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
Post doctoral studies, University of Arizona, Tucson, Prof. Hruby
American Peptide Society
European Peptide Society
Czech Peptide Society
American Chemical Society
Czechoslovak Chemical Society
Faculty 1000, USA/United Kingdom
Scientific Committee of the Association of Laboratory Automation
Track Chair LabAutomation05
Scientific Advisory Board of The Institute of Organic Chemistry and
Biochemistry, Prague
Scientific Advisory Board of Polypeptide Laboratories, USA
Scientific Advisory Board of Combio, Denmark
Board of Directors of HT-Labs, USA
Founder and owner of CSPS, USA (1991-2003)
Advisory Board of Collection of Czechoslovak Chemical Communications
(Editor-in-Chief 1987-1991)
Editorial Board of Molecular Diversity (Co-founder and Co-Editor-in-Chief
1996-2003)
Editorial Board of Journal of Combinatorial Chemistry (1999-2003)
Editorial Advisory Board of Current Drug Delivery
Editor Diversity Information Pages
Co-Chairman of International/American Peptide Symposium 2001
Organizing committee of International/European Peptide Symposium 2004
Go (member of American Go Association)
Orienteering (member San Diego Orienteering Club)
Geocaching
Photography (member of San Diego Art Institute and Spanish Village Art Community)