Howdy,
I wanted to let you know I am retiring as Director of the Texas A&M AgriLife Genomics and Bioinformatics Service (TxGen) at the end of August.
Dr. Marcel Brun will take over as Director. Most of you already know him from his time as Assistant Director. He’s been with TxGen for 11 years, and I have known him for nearly 24. He has been a key part of this operation for a long time, and he knows what it takes to deliver the low-cost, fast-turnaround, high-quality data that we’re known for. I trust him completely, and I’m glad he’s the one leading TxGen into the future. You’re in good hands.
I founded TxGen 16 years ago. Since then, we have worked with more than one thousand clients across 45 countries, completed nearly six thousand projects, and processed over one million samples. Looking back, I’m amazed by the scale and breadth of what we accomplished. I’m grateful for the trust so many researchers around the world have placed in us, and I’m proud of how hard our team worked to earn it.
I was fortunate to spend my career working with remarkable scientists at the leading edge of genomics technology. I could never have imagined where that journey would take me or the wonderful people I would come to know along the way. I had the privilege of working closely with exceptional collaborators at Illumina, Revvity, and many other organizations whose partnership and friendship made this career even more rewarding. I am deeply thankful for the support, encouragement, and friendship so many of you have shown over the years. Most of all, I had the privilege of working with the team at TxGen, whose commitment to advancing genomic research across AgriLife, Texas, and the world made all this possible.
For any ongoing or future projects, please continue to contact the team at TxGen@ag.tamu.edu.
My last day is August 28, 2026. After that, I am off to enjoy some time with my family on Lake Michigan. Then we’ll see what comes next and what adventures lie ahead. To the many of you whom I count as friends, please stay in touch. My personal email is Charlie@BiomathSolutions.com.
Thank you for your trust over the years. It has been a great honor to serve in this position and an even greater privilege to work with you.
Sincerely,
Charlie Johnson, Ph.D.
