About Us

Mission Statement

Why Bio::Neos?

We are a dedicated group of energetic programmers that emerged from a research background, and we are focused on the development and advancement of bioinformatics software. With combined experience of over 40 years in the area of bioinformatics, Bio::Neos has a unique perspective on software development. Communication is a key part of genomic and biological research. Every member of the Bio::Neos team has focused their studies in the areas of engineering, software development, bioinformatics and genetics. Approaching a development company without a similar background would make creating a software solution extremely difficult. There would be a large overhead of simply educating the developers to understand what you need and the possibility of many key details being lost in translation.

Bio::Neos also has advantages over other bioinformatics development companies. Our priority is to develop quality applications that will truly benefit our customers. We are easily accessible to our clients so we can ensure that the software we design for you is doing what you really want. In the area of software development, we have combined experience of more than 60 years. We have extensive experience with developing applications for multiple platforms and in multiple programming languages.

Contact us to see our portfolio.

Bio::What did you say??

We often get asked about the company name...so here is a brief explanation:

Bio is a Greek prefix meaning 'life' and Neos is a Greek lexicon meaning 'new'. Therefore, bioneos may roughly be translated to mean "new life". The two colons represent namespaces in various programming languages including Perl and C++. This is part of the company name because Bio::Neos, Inc. represents a union of biological and computational knowledge. Through experience and diverse backgrounds, the company will provide "new life" to genetics-related and bioinformatics software, especially in the field of target identification.

The Management Team

Steven G. Davis, Co-founder and President

Steven Davis earned a B.S. with distinction at the University of Iowa where he majored in Computer Science. During his undergraduate experience, he began working as a research assistant in the Coordinated Laboratory for Computational Genomics (CLCG). He was then accepted into the College of Engineering graduate program, from which he received a M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering. During his studies at the University of Iowa, Mr. Davis has augmented his computer science and computer engineering curricula by working in the fields of biology, genetics, and bioinformatics via his position in the CLCG. He has over three and a half years of experience in the field of bioinformatics. His graduate thesis involved the development of software tools that allow for a computer-aided mutation identification study. He also has studied the areas of Artificial Intelligence, Image Processing, and Multi-Agent Systems and is eager to apply his knowledge towards new bioinformatics methods. He is a hard worker with immense drive and is dedicated to advancing the areas of mutation discovery and genomics research through his work at Bio::Neos.

Michael F. Smith, Co-founder and Vice President

Michael Smith received a B.S. and M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Iowa. His studies have extended into the fields of genetics, image processing, artificial intelligence and algorithm design and optimization. As an undergraduate, Michael began working at the Coordinated Laboratory for Computation Genomics (CLCG) as a research assistant. He continued his research at the CLCG while working towards his Masters degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering, with an emphasis on Bioinformatics. Mr. Smith focused his research on developing computational methods to prioritize candidate genes for disease. He is committed to developing software solutions and techniques that can improve the capabilities of genomics researchers.

Brian M. O'Leary, Co-founder and Senior Programmer

Brian O'Leary received a B.S. and M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Iowa with a focus in Bioinformatics. He was considered a national student of distinction and graduated with honors. Mr. O'Leary performed bioinformatics research for four years as a research assistant in the CLCG. This experience has contributed to his strong multi-disciplinary background in computing and biology. Mr. O'Leary's distinct and diverse background gives him a competitive edge in today's market by bridging the gap between high-performance computing and biological applications. He is committed to applying himself in the field of bioinformatics through improved computer-based tools offered by Bio::Neos.

Dr. Thomas L. Casavant, Chief Scientific Adviser

Dr. Casavant earned a B.S. in Computer Science and M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Iowa. From 1986 to 1989 he taught at Purdue University before returning to the University of Iowa as an assistant professor. He is currently affiliated with the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Ophthalmology. He has a strong background in parallel computing and computational molecular biology. Since 1996 he has been leading efforts in Gene Discovery, Mapping, and Disease Gene Identification / Isolation as the Principal Engineering Professor and primary investigator at the CLCG. In 2003, he created the Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (CBCB) to enable departments to pool their resources in order to best aid genomic research. Dr. Casavant has been a world wide presence in the field of bioinformatics since its inception.

Dr. Terry A. Braun, Senior Scientific Adviser

Dr. Braun earned his B.S. and M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Iowa. He then moved on to acquire his Ph.D. in Genetics from the University. In 2002, he became an assistant professor at the University. He is appointed by the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Ophthalmology. He was promoted to the position of Principal Engineering Professor of the CLCG in January of 2003 when Dr. Casavant left the position to create and manage the CBCB. Dr. Braun is well versed in the fields of biology, genetics, and bioinformatics while maintaining a good background in engineering and computers.

Dr. Todd E. Scheetz, Senior Scientific Adviser

Dr. Scheetz earned his B.S and M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Iowa. He continued his studies by receiving his Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Iowa. Dr. Scheetz is a computational scientist for the CLCG and also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Iowa. Dr. Scheetz is knowledgeable in both the computational sciences and genetics. Dr. Scheetz's background in computing and engineering coupled with his extensive knowledge in genetics gives him a unique insight into the realm of bioinformatics.