STARTUPS

It is inspiring to see evidence that the pace of innovation is narrowing the time between scientific curiosity and engineered scaling, leading to potential real world impacts within just a few years. One example is Sherlock Biosceinces. Its CRISPR-based SHERLOCK™ and synthetic biology-based INSPECTR™ will bring together the accuracy of PCR with the convenience and … Read more

Strand Therapeutics, a privately held biotech company developing next-generation, programmable mRNA therapeutics beyond vaccines, announced last week that the company was awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop an off-the-shelf chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) immunotherapy … Read more

Genome Medical, a genomic care delivery company, today announced that it will acquire GeneMatters, a telehealth genetic counseling and software solutions company.  The company also announced the closing of a $60 million Series C financing to accelerate commercial traction and advance its mission to advance genomic medicine.   “The addition of GeneMatters, along with our … Read more

Dyno Therapeutics applies artificial intelligence (AI) and quantitative in vivo experiments to gene therapy. The company’s proprietary CapsidMap™ platform discovers and systematically optimizes Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) capsid vectors that is designed to outperform current approaches for in vivo gene delivery, thereby expanding the range of diseases treatable with gene therapies. In a paper published recently … 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

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

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

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

The typical physician’s office visit is the closest most Americans will come to experiencing the conditions that characterized the waste and futility of the Soviet Union. Olive AI, a private company based in Columbus, Ohio, intends to fix the problem of massive inefficiency in the U.S. healthcare industry by addressing healthcare’s most burdensome issues — … Read more

A look inside a leading venture capital firm’s portfolio is like a lens for understanding the current state of the future of healthcare. Illumina Ventures’ is an independently-managed, healthcare-focused venture firm in a strategic partnership with Illumina, Inc. The portfolio illustrates as much about business models as it does about the science behind synthetic biology. … Read more