Marc Salit, Ph.D.

Marc Salit, a MITRE Fellow, is an expert in developing standards for biology, chemistry, and physics, and has been working on standards in synthetic biology for more than a decade. He leads the development of the MITRE’s Open BioFoundry, which provides tools and applied capabilities in engineering biological systems, including creating standards for synthetic biology to improve collaboration and innovation.

As a subject matter expert and advisor to mission critical programs and MITRE leadership, Salit drives innovation in science and technology to accelerate solutions for the nation’s biggest challenges and deliver on our pioneering vision.

He believes that the most powerful work is done in community and partnership. He has been involved in establishing and leading consortia in laboratory automation and genomics. Most recently, he founded and fostered the Coronavirus Standards Working Group, a cross-sector consortium to coordinate development of infrastructure for a reliable and robust SARS-CoV-2 testing enterprise.

Salit co-founded and directed the Joint Initiative for Metrology in Biology (JIMB), a partnership between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Stanford University, homed at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) National Accelerator Laboratory. In that role, he focused on innovation and development of measurement science, standards, and tools for biomedicine and synthetic biology. Synthetic biology is a vital technology with broad implications across a variety of critical areas including national security, healthcare, and climate.

Prior to his role at JIMB, Salit spent 28 years at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). During his time at NIST he developed new approaches in metrology in chemistry and led the development of a new Genome-Scale Measurements Group.

Salit holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Skidmore College and a doctorate in chemistry from Arizona State University.