Biologically Inspired Engineering, synbio, synthetic biology, crispr
Staff 
Many things must work together at many different levels – from organs to cells to genes – for your body to develop properly and stay healthy. From both inside and outside the body, cells are constantly receiving chemical cues prompted by such things as injury, infection, stress or even the presence or lack of food. … Read more
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded $2.5 million in grants to 12 institutes around the world to support research on bacteriophage therapy. These awards represent NIAID’s first series of grants focused exclusively on research on this therapy, an emerging field that could yield … Read more
In February, Quantum-Si Incorporated, a pioneer in next generation semiconductor chip-based proteomics, and HighCape Capital Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by HighCape Capital LP, announced a business combination agreement. Upon completion of the transaction, the combined company’s Class A common stock is expected to be traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) … Read more
Founded in 2018, Biotheus is a Zhuhai, China-based clinical development stage company with the mission of treating cancer and autoimmune diseases through next-generation therapeutics. The company’s product pipeline consists of over ten novel monoclonal and multispecific antibodies focused on curing malignant tumors and autoimmune diseases. Biotheus currently has two bispecific antibodies in phase I clinical … Read more
Since taking office in January, President Joe Biden has reaffirmed a national commitment to integrity in scholarship and research, appointing scientists to numerous leadership roles. Educators and experts applaud these appointments and say elevating intellectual integrity in research and science will take the combined effort of universities, industry and the public, too. Biden appointed Eric … Read more
Sensei Biotherapeutics, Inc., a Phase 2 biotech company based in Rockville, MD, is a developing bacteriophage-based platform for cancer therapies. In the first week of February, the company raised $133 million by offering 7 million shares at $19, above the range of $16 to $18. Sensei’s ImmunoPhage platform uses bacteriophage to induce an innate and … Read more
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), established in 1958, is an agency within the Department of Defense (DOD) responsible for catalyzing the development of technologies that maintain and advance the capabilities and technical superiority of the U.S. military. In short, it’s the way the U.S. military tries to prevent technical surprise. DARPA is seeking … Read more
NexImmune, Inc, based in Gaithersburg, MD, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing immunotherapies that employ the body’s own T cells to generate a specific, potent and durable immune response that mimics natural biology. The company’s nanotechnology platform was originally developed at Johns Hopkins University. The backbone of the company’s approach is its Artificial Immune Modulation, … Read more
T-cell transfer therapy is a type of immunotherapy that makes your own immune cells better able to attack cancer. There are two main types of T-cell transfer therapy: tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (or TIL) therapy and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T-cell) therapy. Both involve collecting your own immune cells, growing large numbers of these cells in … Read more
Living systems are not only complex, they are relentless in their demands to be kept alive, with all the attendant limitations and challenges for experimentation and measurement. So-called “cell-free systems” inhabit the space between chemistry and biology proper, obviating some of the requirements of living, cell-based systems and enabling biochemical processes and experimental interventions toxic, … Read more