April 12, 2004 – Quantum Dot Corp. (News, Profile, Web) has hired a veteran life science executive and manager to be its chief executive.

George Dunbar Jr., who has more than 30 years experience in leadership roles at Amersham Biosciences, Molecular Probes, Motorola and Epic Therapeutics, most recently served as CEO of Targesome, an early-stage targeted drug-delivery firm. He also is on the business advisory board of Ultreia Capital in Zurich, and an outside director with Competitive Technologies, Sonus Pharmaceuticals and the Valley Medical Center Foundation.

Dunbar said his goals for Hayward, Calif.-based Quantum Dot include achieving profitability, branching out beyond the clinical and academic research markets, and exploring corporate partnerships with leading clinical diagnostic and imaging companies. He has worked with the company’s investors, and said he was attracted to the commercial potential of Quantum Dot’s fluorescent nanocrystals in biomedicine.

“It’s a real breakthrough in labeling (technology) … that I don’t think the industry has seen in many years,” said Dunbar, who also serves as board director. “If the rollout is done appropriately, it will really be not only a huge value driver for shareholders and investors in Quantum Dot, but we’ll begin to see in industry huge changes in size, cost and power of the instrumentation.”