Biologically Inspired Engineering, synbio, synthetic biology, crispr
Simons Chase 
Dr. Bradley Harding is a scientist specializing in DNA-based computing. His research, recently published in the prestigious journal Nano Letters, holds the potential to advance the field reusable biodevices controlled by logical operations. Dr. Harding’s research was co-supervised by the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Dr Joanne Macdonald and Dr Nina Pollak, assisted by collaborator … Read more
In February, biotechnology company Beam Therapeutics Inc closed its initial public offering (IPO) of 12,176,471 shares of common stock, including the exercise in full by the underwriters of their option to purchase up to 1,588,235 additional shares of common stock, at a public offering price of $17.00 per share. The aggregate gross proceeds to Beam … Read more
U.S.-based cancer testing startup Grail Inc has filed for a U.S. initial public offering (IPO) to complete the commercialization of its population-scale multi-cancer early detection testing capability based on a technology called liquid biopsy. Grail was spun out of gene sequencing company Illumina Inc in 2016, with investments from ARCH Venture Partners, Sutter Hill Ventures … Read more
Quantgene started in 2015 in a small UC Berkeley Lab under the leadership of Jo Bhakdi and Dr. Monika Hagen. Their theory was that most disease can be detected far earlier by introducing quantitative science and a new level of precision into medical practice. Since then, the Quangene team has spent over 4 years building … Read more
I interviewed Dr Nina Pollak via Zoom to discuss her research interests and career aspirations. She is presently a CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Fellow at the Molecular Engineering Group led by A/Prof Macdonald at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia. Originally from Austria, Dr. Pollak has completed a number of international research projects … Read more
One of the many shock waves created in COVID-19’s wake is a flood of companies employing artificial intelligence (AI) to quickly develop a safe and effective vaccine. AI is a broad term that encompasses many technologies. The AI subfield that holds the most promise for vaccine development is machine learning (ML). ML is an AI … Read more
Intrexon offered its common equity shares to the public in 2013 making it the first pure synthetic biology company to IPO. I wrote about the company in 2014. In its IPO disclosures, Intrexon said, “We believe we are the first company focused exclusively on applying synthetic biology across a broad spectrum of end markets and … Read more
China is slowly tightening its grip on one of its most valuable resources: health data. On July 3, China’s National People’s Congress of China published a draft Data Security Law, that represents a shift in the country’s data strategy. According to the National Information Center, China will pursue “asymmetric advantages in this new round of … Read more
Recent face offs at the Sino-Indian border are part of a long-term, low-grade military conflict over a border dispute. What’s different this time is India’s response. Rather than escalate militarily, the Indian government chose to express its sovereignty by banning Chinese apps from India. This is an economic response, and one remedy that is not … Read more
Freeline Therapeutics is a UK-based biotechnology company that develops liver-directed gene therapies for bleeding disorders and other diseases. Its therapies are based on a next-generation proprietary AAV vector platform, specifically a gene therapy to treat haemophilia B. The company plans to raise $125 million by offering 7.4 million ADSs at a price range of $16 … Read more