Biologically Inspired Engineering, synbio, synthetic biology, crispr
A change of instructions in a computer program directs the computer to execute a different command. Similarly, synthetic biologists are learning the rules for how to direct the activities of human cells. “Cells are intricate machines that have evolved many interacting circuits—sets of genes that coordinate functions like migration, metabolism, and cell division,” explains David … Read more
Dr. Derrick Rossi is a leading innovator doing work on some of today’s most promising and exciting therapies in the life sciences. Dr. Rossi, currently the CEO of the biotech startup Convelo, also helped found three other promising startups that are working to bring advanced treatments to patients: Moderna, Magenta Therapeutics, and Intellia Therapeutics. These … Read more
Scientists and oncologists at the National Cancer Institute share their thoughts on the NEXT HORIZON IN PRECISION ONCOLOGY – proteogenomics. In a recently published article on April 1, 2021 in the journal Cell, Drs. Henry Rodriguez, Jean Claude Zenklusen, Louis Staudt, James Doroshow, and Douglas Lowy at the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of … 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
Changes that affect the structure of chromosomes can cause problems with growth, development, and function in all living systems. This is because changes can affect many genes along the chromosome and disrupt the proteins made from those genes. Structural changes can occur during the formation of egg or sperm cells (germline), in early fetal development, … Read more
NASA is investigating two potential applications of synthetic biology—one to advance nutrition and one to increase in-space manufacturing capabilities. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station receive regular resupply shipments from Earth, providing them with nutritious food during their expeditions. Future astronauts on the journey to Mars will be much farther away, outside the reach of … Read more
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
In October 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two blood tests, known as liquid biopsies, that can help guide treatment decisions for people with cancer. The tests, Guardant360 CDx and FoundationOne Liquid CDx, are made by different companies and were approved separately. Doctors have traditionally based treatment decisions on features like the organ … Read more
Proteins, which are the workhorses of the cell, are made up of long, interconnected strings of amino acids that fold into a wide variety of 3D shapes. Understanding the precise shape of a protein facilitates efforts to figure out its function, its potential role in a disease, and even how to target it with therapies. … Read more
The DNA Data Storage Alliance, an organization of more than 25 leading companies formed by Twist Bioscience Corporation, Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) and Western Digital together with Microsoft Research, today announced its first white paper titled “Preserving our Digital Legacy: An Introduction to DNA Data Storage.” The white paper, which can be found on the … Read more