Biologically Inspired Engineering, synbio, synthetic biology, crispr
Simons Chase 
Verve Therapeutics, a biotech company innovating new approaches to the care of cardiovascular disease with single-course gene editing medicines, announced terms for its $201 million IPO on today. Insiders Wellington Management and Casdin Capital and new investor Fidelity have indicated an interest in purchasing up to an aggregate $75 million worth of shares in the … Read more
Scientists have identified more than 1,000 potential new biomarkers for cancer that they hope will aid in the early detection of many of these complex diseases, including one of the most challenging, pancreatic cancer. In the alternate universe of reward-sensitive entrepreneurs, Jo Bhakdi has rolled out a new liquid biopsy product that detects potentially cancerous … Read more
Cancer’s craftiness is perhaps on its greatest display in the cases when genetic lesions in cancer stop a person’s genes from working. Losing certain genes (tumor suppressors) that are designed to prevent uncontrolled cell growth suggests cancer has more up its sleeve than random linear growth. Some scientists believe cancers act more like parasites that … Read more
Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc.’s (“Ginkgo”) founders have been working together for nearly twenty years since they first met at MIT. They launched Ginkgo in 2008 with the consistent goal of developing a platform that makes cell programming easier for their customers and partners. Ginkgo’s platform leverages advanced robotic automation, proprietary software, and data analytics to continuously … Read more
Shape Therapeutics (ShapeTX) is developing a new generation of gene therapies for some of the most daunting genetic. Its RNA technologies leverage machinery already present in human cells to correct genetic mutations, while avoiding immunogenicity and DNA damage. This process aims provide safer treatments that work with the body, not against it. Here is how … Read more
The PC gaming market inflected upwards in 1999, sparking the geometric growth of parallel processing computer chips designed to optimize gaming. More recently, GPU deep learning ignited modern AI — the next era of computing — with the GPU acting as the brain of computers, robots, and self-driving cars that can perceive and understand the … Read more
Biosensing is the main component of the future personal area network. The Apple Watch is the most widely known biosensing device. The latest version (Series 6, released September 2020) sparkles with features that lean perpetually towards health including a class II FDA clearance for electrocardiogram for atrial fibrillation (AFib) detection and wellness-grade daily blood oxygen … Read more
Infinitus is a voice robotic process automation (VoiceRPA) company that is targeting the complexity and cost in U.S. healthcare. Another player in the healthcare robotic process automation (RPA) arena just completed a large capital raise. These RPA companies are bringing enterprise cloud/SaaS dynamism towards a much-needed re-platforming of the ailing and inefficient U.S. healthcare industry. … Read more
Insitro, an early-stage company based in South San Fracisco, CA, is a data-driven drug discovery and development company using machine learning and high-throughput biology to transform the way that drugs are discovered and delivered to patients. The company is applying state-of-the-art technologies from bioengineering to create massive data sets that enable the power of modern … Read more
Strand Therapeutics, a private company based in Massachusetts, is building a platform based on technology developed by biological engineers at MIT including scientific co-founders, Professor Ron Weiss, Ph.D., a pioneer of the field of synthetic biology, and Professor Darrell J. Irvine, Ph.D., a leading researcher of materials for immune-engineering. The co-founders sought to apply synthetic … Read more