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Cultivating Connections: From Plant Genetics to Customer Success

Sharon Page, DNASTAR Senior Content Developer
June 6, 2025 | Lasergene

Lutsen2 — During a ski trip at Lutsen Mountain MN with colleague Thomas, Carl-Erik snaps a photo in front of Lake Superior.

In celebration of DNASTAR’s 40th Anniversary, we are featuring monthly profiles of Lasergene users and DNASTAR employees. This month, meet DNASTAR Account Manager, Dr. Carl-Erik Tornqvist, whose scientific roots stretch from New Jersey to California to Wisconsin.

With a Ph.D. in plant genetics and a passion for helping researchers succeed, Carl-Erik brings a unique blend of research expertise and customer care to our team. Whether supporting users through a global pandemic, collaborating with developers on software enhancements, or sharing a love of skiing and international cuisine with his family, Carl-Erik’s journey is grounded in curiosity and connection.

Tell us about yourself and your role at DNASTAR

I’ve lived on the East and West coasts of the USA, but I’ve lived the longest in the Midwest, where I am now.

I was born and raised in New Jersey, and after high school moved to the Bay Area of California where I received my undergraduate degree in Genetics and Plant Biology from the University of California – Berkeley. After graduation, I worked as a Research Assistant for three years, studying disease resistance in the Solanaceous plants, tomato and potato. I was part of the team that cloned the potato R1 gene conferring resistance to late blight, the cause of the Irish Potato Famine in the 1800s. After three years on the potato project, I felt the urge to conceptualize and undertake my own research.

I then applied to the plant genetics doctoral program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where I was graciously invited to join the labs of Drs. Tony Bleecker and Sara Patterson. At UW-Madison, I studied genetics of plant development, using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. During this time, I came to love Madison and made it my permanent home.

Hops4 — Two varieties of hops growing in Carl-Erik’s garden.

NIHshow — Carl-Erik represents DNASTAR at a recent vendor show at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

As an Account Manager for DNASTAR, I am involved in sales and customer success. My role is not only to sell software but also to understand our customers’ research and support it with personalized help. Since I have a direct line of communication with the Product Development and Developer teams, another key part of my job is to relay user feedback and enhancement requests.

When did you start working at DNASTAR, and what did you do before that?

Before starting at DNASTAR, I was a postdoctoral researcher at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, investigating flowering time in switchgrass, a biofuel feedstock.

I joined DNASTAR in November of 2017, and spent the first 2 1/2 years working on-site at DNASTAR’s office in Madison. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, I joined most of the staff in shifting to work from home. During lockdown, I felt fortunate to be able to assist with users’ remote work by providing our customers with free temporary “at home” licenses. When I returned to the office post-pandemic, everything on my desk was the same as when I had left, like time had frozen – my calendar was still on March 2020.

WFH — During the COVID pandemic, Carl-Erik joined much of the world in working from home.

What are some of your hobbies?

A few things I enjoy are downhill skiing, cooking, gardening, pickup soccer, live music shows, and traveling.

I have enjoyed visiting my relatives in Sweden and Finland. Now, I’d like to take my kids there to see where their grandfather was from and to try some authentic Swedish food and candy. I would also love to travel to Australia and New Zealand; perhaps I will be fortunate enough to visit our customers there in the near future!

I’ve been skiing since I was a kid and now get to ski with my kids. Our favorite place is the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, but we live about half an hour drive from a small ski hill that we go to several times per week during the season. My son especially likes hitting the rails at the terrain parks, whereas I go for the snow features, like jumps and the halfpipe.

Aspen2 — Carl-Erik with his son at Buttermilk Mountain in Colorado

granitePk — Carl-Erik and his kids at Granite Peak in Wausau, Wisconsin

I have always liked cooking and try to incorporate new flavors and spices into dishes I create at home. My kids also like to cook and are my best critics. We often make things together, like the “Dubai” chocolate bar shown below.

Birria_2 — Homemade birria tacos with consommé

Homemade “Dubai” chocolate bar, with kataifi (shredded pastry dough) and pistachio filling

What do you find most interesting about your job?

I love connecting with scientists, learning about their research, and helping them navigate their bioinformatics workflows. It’s rewarding to collaborate with investigators from around the world and to help them build customized workflows to meet their scientific goals. Scientific conferences are especially enjoyable, as I get to meet some of these researchers in person, and can also network with fellow solution providers.

Special 40th Anniversary pricing on Lasergene software

From exploring plant genetics to helping scientists streamline their research, Carl-Erik brings passion and expertise to everything he does—whether it’s in the lab, on the slopes, or in the kitchen. His commitment to supporting researchers and building lasting relationships is what makes DNASTAR special.

During our 40th anniversary celebration, there’s never been a better time to experience that support firsthand. Take advantage of our limited-time anniversary offers and see how DNASTAR software can help you advance your work.

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