Ocean Biomedical (NASDAQ: OCEA) Announces New Glioblastoma Results Validating Profound Tumor Suppression with Anti-Chi3L1 Antibody – Yahoo Finance

Ocean Biomedical, Inc.

Results published in peer-reviewed Cancer Research share novel insights into Chi3L1s role in modulating Glioma stem cells and reinforces the potential therapeutic impact of Anti-Chi3L1

Providence, RI, April 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ocean Biomedical (NASDAQ: OCEA), a biopharma company working to accelerate the development and commercialization of scientifically compelling assets from research universities and medical centers, announced today that its Scientific Co-founder, Jack A. Elias, MD, published new findings in the peer-reviewed journal Cancer Research that detail the mechanisms behind the role of chitinase 3-like-1 (Chi3L1) in the growth of glioblastoma tumors, providing further evidence of the potential impact of Oceans anti-Chi3L1 antibody in suppressing severe glioblastoma tumor growth.

Results of the research conducted at the Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics and Plasticity at the Lifespan Health System and Brown University, showed that an independent team led by molecular neuroscientist Nikos Tapinos, MD, PhD, was able to uncover new data on the efficacy of Ocean Biomedicals anti-Chi3L1 antibody in human glioblastoma implanted mouse models, resulting in clear reduction in glioblastoma tumor growth.

The paper also revealed groundbreaking insights into the mechanisms underlying stem cell differentiation in glioma stem cells, and how that differentiation process is altered by Ocean Biomedicals cancer therapeutic candidate. In two different study approaches, treatment with anti-Chi3L1 antibody in vivo resulted in over 60% reduction of human glioblastoma growth, and significant survival benefit. This can be seen in the MRI evaluations of the human tumors in the brains of mice (which appear in red) and the quantitation of tumor volume from these scans (see figures). This represents a medical breakthrough in understanding how the most aggressive glioblastoma tumors are formed, and how patients diagnosed with this challenging disease might possibly be treated.

Story continues

This is a completely new way of thinking about how to treat this tumor. Glioblastoma is so challenging partly because the cells adapt to the environment constantly but if you block Chi3L1 they cant seem to acquire the more aggressive mesenchymal phenotype. It gives us a clear path forward to being able to address glioblastoma with this novel approach, said Dr. Nikos Tapinos MD, PhD, Director of the Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics and Plasticity, and last author on the paper.

This targeted research data builds on prior discovery work by Dr. Jack A. Elias, who is the former Dean of Medicine and Biology, and Senior Vice President for Health Affairs at Brown University and former Chair of Medicine and Chief of Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine at Yale University and Yale-New Haven Hospital. Over the last year, Dr. Elias has published discoveries about the roles of CHI3L1 in the pathogenesis of a wide variety of cancers. He has also previously revealed discoveries that demonstrate that the metastasis of malignant melanoma cells can be inhibited by targeting immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPI) such as PD-1 and CTLA-4 and their ligands. The novel approach to tumor suppression being advanced by Ocean Biomedical is focused on simultaneously impacting multiple cancer pathways including those mediated by PD-1, CTLA4 by controlling CHi3L1, PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4, other immune checkpoint inhibitors, and T-cell co-stimulators. It has been known for a long time that optimal antitumor responses frequently require the simultaneous administration of more than one therapy.

We are excited that, step by step, we are gaining a deeper understanding of the multiple effects that CHi3L1 has in oncogenesis, commented Dr. Elias, This antibody is very effective every time we put it into an appropriate modeling system we get exciting results such as the findings in these two human-mouse GBM studies. Glioblastoma is a major area of unmet medical need, and these new studies are highly encouraging because they open the door to a new way of treating this devastating cancer.

We are pleased to see our glioblastoma candidate being validated by Dr. Tapinos and his team, and we hope this will be another step in moving us towards filing an IND for Glioblastoma, said Elizabeth Ng, CEO of Ocean Biomedical.

Oceans Chairman and co-founder, Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria added, There are so many challenges around finding effective treatments for glioblastoma, and we are working to advance this new approach that we believe can give hope to patients with glioblastoma, and can also be extended to potential therapeutics for non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, and other forms of cancer.

Prior research has established that elevated Chi3L1 levels are associated with many cancers, including glioblastoma, and may be targeted therapeutically. Recent studies from Ocean Biomedical have demonstrated that CHI3L1 is a critical regulator of a number of key cancer-causing pathways, highlighting its ability to inhibit tumor cell death (apoptosis), its inhibition of the expression of the tumor suppressors P53 and PTEN and its stimulation of the B-RAF protooncogene. Most recently Dr. Eliass research team has discovered that CHI3L1 is a master regulator of ICPI, including key elements of the PD-1 and CTLA4 pathways. In accord with the importance of these pathways, Ocean has also generated antibodies: 1.) a monoclonal antibody against CHI3L1, 2.) bispecific antibodies that simultaneously target CHI3L1 and PD-1, and 3.) a new bispecific antibody that simultaneously targets CHI3L1 and CTLA4. The impressive ability of these bispecific antibodies to control primary and metastatic lung cancer in murine experimental modeling systems have been discussed in detail in an earlier article in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, and this expanded approach in Frontiers in Immunology.

Suren Ajjarapu, an Ocean Biomedical Director commented, Were proud to be collaborating with some of our nations top scientists to move these important programs forward, and we are confident that each advancement will add long term value for our shareholders and for the doctors and patients who need innovative new treatments.

Discussing the future direction of his work Dr. Tapinos said, Now we know which proteins are expressed in response to Chi3L1, which are different in different subpopulations of cells, with Chi3L1 common to all of them. They just receive it in different ways and upregulate different pathways. Knowing the drivers for this heterogeneity, this is the holy grail for glioblastoma.

About Ocean Biomedical

Ocean Biomedical, Inc. (Ocean Biomedical or the Company) is a Providence, Rhode Island-based biopharma company with an innovative business model that accelerates the development and commercialization of scientifically compelling assets from research universities and medical centers. Ocean Biomedical deploys the funding and expertise to move new therapeutic candidates efficiently from the laboratory to the clinic, to the world. Ocean Biomedical is currently developing five promising discoveries that have the potential to achieve life-changing outcomes in lung cancer, brain cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, and the prevention and treatment of malaria. The Ocean Biomedical team is working on solving some of the worlds toughest problems, for the people who need it most.

To learn more, visit http://www.oceanbiomedical.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The information included herein and in any oral statements made in connection herewith include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as estimate, plan, project, forecast, intend, will, expect, anticipate, believe, seek, target, or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements include but are not limited to: the expected timing and success of investigational new drug (IND) filings for our initial product candidates; statements regarding the expected timing of our IND-enabling studies; the frequency and timing of filing additional INDs; expectations regarding the availability and addition of future assets to our pipeline; the advantages of any of our pipeline assets and platforms; the potential benefits of our product candidates; potential commercial opportunities; the timing of key milestones for our programs; the future financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and plans, and objectives of management for future strategy and operations; and statements about industry trends and other companies in the industry. These forward-looking statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified herein, and on the current expectations of the Companys management, and they are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction, or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions.

Any discoveries announced by the Company are based solely on laboratory and animal studies. Ocean Biomedical has not conducted any studies that show similar efficacy or safety in humans. There can be no assurances that any treatment tested by the Company will prove safe or effective in humans, and any clinical benefit of any such treatment is subject to clinical trials and ultimate approval of its use in patients by the FDA. Such approval, if granted, could be years away.

Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections, and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions, or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other important factors, many of which are outside the control of the Company that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include but are not limited to: recently transitioning to operating as a NASDAQ-listed public company with a limited operating history; our ability to successfully complete our pre-clinical trials and for those trials to produce positive results; our ability to timely file and obtain approval of INDs from the FDA in the future; the timing of the initiation, progress and potential results of our planned pre-clinical studies and clinical trials and our research programs; our ability to access additional product candidates from research universities and medical centers; the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals; the commercializing of our product candidates, if approved; our product development and marketing strategy; our ability and the potential to successfully manufacture and supply our product candidates for clinical trials and for commercial use, if approved; future strategic arrangements and/or collaborations and partnerships, and the potential benefits of such arrangements; our assessment that the early observations from our pre-clinical studies are encouraging; the potential for IND-enabling studies and future clinical trial results to differ from initial results or from our pre-clinical studies; regulatory developments in the United States and other countries; difficulties in managing our growth; our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements and needs for financing and our ability to obtain capital; the sufficiency of our existing and anticipated capital to fund our planned operating expenses; our ability to retain the continued service of our key personnel and to identify, hire and retain additional qualified professionals; the implementation of our business model and strategic plans for our business and product candidates; the scope of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights, product candidates and our pipeline; our ability to contract with third-party suppliers and manufacturers and their ability to perform adequately; the pricing, coverage and reimbursement of our product candidates, if approved; developments relating to our competitors and our industry, including competing product candidates and therapies; changes in the markets in which the Company competes, including with respect to its competitive landscape, technology evolution, or regulatory changes; changes in domestic and global general economic and market conditions; risks related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and response, including supply chain disruptions; the risk that the Company may fail to keep pace with rapid technological developments to provide new and innovative products and services or make substantial investments in unsuccessful new products and services; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the Company; the risk of product liability or regulatory lawsuits or proceedings relating to the Companys business; the risk of cyber security or foreign exchange losses; the risk that the Company is unable to secure or protect its intellectual property; the risk that the Company may not be able to develop and maintain effective internal controls; the ability to develop, license, or acquire new therapeutics; the risk that the Company will need to raise additional capital to execute its business plan, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all; and those factors discussed in the Companys filings with the SEC.

The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties that are described in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and which are described in the Risk Factors section of the Companys definitive proxy statement filed by the Company on January 12, 2023, and other documents to be filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC and which are and will be available at http://www.sec.gov. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. We do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements made by us. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Companys assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this filing. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.

Ocean Biomedical Investor RelationsOCEANIR@westwicke.com

Ocean Biomedical Media RelationsOCEANPR@westwicke.com

Kevin KertscherCommunications Director

Here is the original post:
Ocean Biomedical (NASDAQ: OCEA) Announces New Glioblastoma Results Validating Profound Tumor Suppression with Anti-Chi3L1 Antibody - Yahoo Finance

GeneTether Therapeutics Inc. Announces Fiscal Year 2022 … – TheNewswire.ca

Vancouver, BC - TheNewswire - April 27, 2023 - GeneTether Therapeutics Inc., (together with its wholly-owned subsidiary GeneTether, Inc., GeneTether or the Company) (CSE:GTTX), an early-stage genetic medicine company focused on developing its disruptive proprietary platform technology to significantly increase the efficiency of DNA insertion into the genome, announced today the filing of its audited financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022 and reported on corporate highlights from 2022. All dollar amounts are presented in the United States dollar, unless otherwise noted. Complete financial statements along with related management and discussion and analysis can be found in the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval, the electronic filing system for the disclosure documents of issuers across Canada, at http://www.SEDAR.com.

Commenting on the Companys progress, CEO Roland Boivin said, as previously announced, given the persistent weakness in the global capital markets, we have recently decided to significantly reduce the development of our GeneTether platform technology and conduct a review of strategic alternatives focused on maximizing shareholder value. Our disciplined approach to conserving cash and optimizing our cash runway position will serve us well as we embark on this crucial phase. Despite that, we have been able to make important progress that we believe will provide strategic advantages as we continue to explore our options. Finally, I would like to reiterate that our current cash position, which stood at $1,796,000 as of December 31, 2022 and our minimal cash burn rate, allow us the flexibility to explore investments in new technologies or add value to our GeneTether platform to increase the potential for M&A or collaboration opportunities.

R&D and Intellectual Property

Despite the challenging global markets conditions in 2022, GeneTether achieved R&D progress of its proprietary GeneTether platform:

In March 2023, the Company announced the results of a series of experiments conducted by a highly specialized contract research organization that confirmed the efficacy of its GeneTether technology in binding Lacl-Cas9 fusion proteins to template DNA. This validation specifically highlights the high level of template binding efficiency of the GeneTether platform, which is a crucial component of the Companys strategy to enhance gene editing efficiency. Further, cell-based experiments, conducted internally, as well as by third parties, confirmed that a GeneTether LacI-Cas9 fusion protein retains the ability to recognize and cut DNA when compared to unmodified Cas9. These studies were performed using several cell types and gene targets.

In October 2022, the Company announced pivoting RD efforts towards advancing its in-house programs versus outsourcing most activities, which would allow the Company to preserve cash and exert greater control over experimental designs and development protocols. Subsequently in February 2023, the Company announced the decision to scale back development of the GeneTether platform technology and explore strategic alternatives that will optimize shareholder value. This decision has been mainly driven by the current state of the global capital markets, which are experiencing persistent weakness.

On May 24, 2022, the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted patent #11,339,385 entitled Modified Nucleic Acid Editing Systems for Tethering Donor DNA related to its GeneTether platform technology. The claims cover a composition of matter for tethering a donor DNA template to a fusion protein of a nuclease and the lac repressor DNA binding domain, in particular the donor DNA includes the lac operator sequence. The patent term is scheduled to expire on July 14, 2040.

On May 11, 2022, a research paper co-authored by the Companys co-founder, Geoffrey Sargent, Ph.D. and titled Seamless Gene Correction in the Human Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Locus by Vector Replacement and Vector Insertion Events was published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Genome Editing. This publication describes novel HDR products and the subsequent derivation of seamless gene correction of the W1282X CFTR mutation in human induced pluripotent stem cells.

Completion of Initial Public Offering and Concurrent Private Placement (the Offering)

On March 29, 2022, the Company announced that it closed its Offering of Units at a price of C$0.60 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of C$4,500,000. Each Unit consists of one Common Share, and one Common Share purchase warrant (Warrant). Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire an additional Common Share at an exercise price of C$0.72 until March 29, 2025. Including the compensation to the agent in connection with the Offering, the total estimated cash share issuance cost in connection with the Offering was approximately $600,000 (C$751,000).

Financial Results

The Companys total assets as at December 31, 2022 were approximately $1,944,000, including approximately $1,796,000 in cash. Net and comprehensive loss for the twelve months ended December 31, 2022 were approximately $1,715,000 and 1,916,000, respectively.

About GeneTether

Founded by EGB Ventures founder and managing partner, William J. Garner, M.D., and veteran gene editing researcher, R. Geoffrey Sargent, Ph.D., GeneTether is focused on developing its disruptive proprietary platform technology to significantly increase the efficiency of DNA insertion into the genome for gene correction and complementation strategies. The Companys wholly-owned platform technology uses a proprietary method to tether donor DNA templates to the genome editing complex, making the template readily available for use during the genome editing repair stage. The Company is leveraging its platform technology to develop curative therapies for the treatment of rare genetic diseases. GeneTethers proof of concept study demonstrated an approximately 7x higher gene editing efficiency as compared to the same gene editing payload without application of GeneTethers technology.

For more information, visitwww.genetether.com.

Contacts:

Roland Boivin, CEO

(833) 294-4363 ext. 1

roland@genetether.com

Jean Jen, CFO and Corporate Secretary

(833) 294-4363 ext. 2

jean@genetether.com

Forward-Looking Disclaimer

This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause GeneTethers actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur.

Forward-looking statements in this document include the expectation that the Company will significantly advance its research and development plan, the expectation that the Company will develop collaboration opportunities with other genetic medicines companies or develop M&A opportunities, and all other statements that are not statements of historical fact.

Although GeneTether believes the forward-looking information contained in this news release is reasonable based on information available on the date hereof, by their nature forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. By their nature, these statements involve a variety of assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, levels of activity and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements.

Examples of such assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, assumptions, risks and uncertainties associated with the global COVID-19 pandemic; general economic conditions; adverse industry events; future legislative and regulatory developments; the Companys ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favorable terms; the ability of GeneTether to implement its business strategies; competition; the ability of GeneTether to obtain and retain all applicable regulatory approvals and other assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including those set forth under the heading Risk Factors in the Companys final prospectus dated March 21, 2022.

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE THE COMPANY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.

The Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Service has approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Link:
GeneTether Therapeutics Inc. Announces Fiscal Year 2022 ... - TheNewswire.ca

Matthews, Wise to receive ARA’s Gold Medal at 2023 Laureates … – Rice News

At the Association of Rice Alumnis 2023 Laureates Awards ceremony May 4, the group will bestow its highest honor the Gold Medal Award to Kathleen Shive Matthews and Scott W. Wise 71.

The annual ceremony will also honor several prominent alumni with the Distinguished Alumni Award and several members of the Rice community with the Meritorious Service Award.

Kathleen Shive Matthews

For nearly five decades at Rice, Matthews has set the highest standard for impactful research, mentorship and inclusive leadership. The Stewart Memorial Professor Emerita of BioSciences has dedicated her career to scientific discovery and expanding opportunities for women and minorities in STEM.

Matthews, who obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin and a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, joined Rice in 1972 as a founding member of the biochemistry department, where she conducted groundbreaking research on protein-DNA interactions underlying gene regulation. Her contribution to the field for more than five decades is noteworthy, as evidenced by her 170-plus publications, her service on numerous scientific committees and boards, and her impressive awards from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, to name just a few.

A thoughtful and engaging leader, Matthews chaired the biochemistry department from 1987 to 1995 and served as dean of the Wiess School of Natural Sciences from 1998 to 2009. Simultaneously, she helped found the Keck Center for Computational Biology and the Gulf Coast Consortia, which support many successful graduate student and postdoctoral training and research programs in Houston. After her tenure as dean, she continued to instill a sense of wonder in her students and provide guidance to both young and seasoned faculty, including as a founding fellow for the Center for Teaching Excellence. Notably, she helped create the NSF-sponsored ADVANCE program to increase the pipeline, presence and promotion of women in science and was instrumental in securing permanent support with creation of the Office of Faculty Development. Upon her retirement, Matthews became Rices faculty ombuds, a position held by a retired faculty member and reporting directly to the president.

Throughout her career, Matthews has expressed her love for Rice in tireless service to the students, faculty and staff, as well as alumni and retirees. As one nominator noted, Dr. Kathleen S. Matthews is one of Rice Universitys finest treasures.

Scott W. Wise 71

Throughout his decades of service, including as Rices former chief investment officer and as alumni trustee, Wise has stewarded the university through a period of transformative growth and impact.

Wise earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Rice in 1971 and a Master in Accounting degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1973. As a pitcher on the Rice baseball team, Wise was a four-year letterman and co-captain and posted the lowest earned run average in the Southwest Conference in 1970. During his 31-year career at Rice, including over 20 years as vice president for investments and treasurer at Rice, he was responsible for the management and oversight of all investment matters. From 2009-2010, he also served as the founding president of the Rice Management Co. By the end of his tenure, Rices endowment assets had grown from approximately $1 billion in 1989 to more than $4 billion. In 2010, Wise was recruited by TIAA to become founding president of Covariance Capital, an investment management company for nonprofit clients. For the last seven years, Wise has served as CEO and CIO for the Cullen Foundation, which supports health care, educational and civic initiatives in the Houston area, including at Rice.

Having previously served on the ARA Board of Directors, Wise became president of the ARA in July 2013 and later was selected as an alumni trustee. He has also served as a university associate of Will Rice College, a lecturer in the Jones School, a member of the Rice Owl Club board and a co-chair of his 50th class reunion. Wise chaired a number of search committees during his Rice tenure and recently served as a member of the presidential search committee that recommended to the Board of Trustees the appointment of Reginald DesRoches as Rices eighth president. Avid supporters of Rice Athletics and the arts, Wise and his wife, Geraldina Interiano Wise 83 85, are present at a myriad of Rice events and are enthusiastic ambassadors for the university.

In addition to Wises remarkable commitment to Rice, he is also active in the Houston community, sitting on the boards for the Houston Grand Opera Endowment, the Houston Symphony Endowment and several other institutions. As one nominator noted, Wise is a model for what graduates of Rice University should aspire to become.

Gilda Barabino 86

Barabino is a globally renowned bioengineering researcher and leader known for producing innovative health solutions and advancing engineering education. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Xavier University of Louisiana before becoming the first African American woman at Rice and just the fifth in the entire country to earn a doctorate in chemical engineering.

Barabino currently serves as the second president of Olin College of Engineering, where she is dedicated to educating the next generation of engineering innovators. Previously, she served as dean of the Grove School of Engineering at the City College of New York, where she developed programs to increase access to engineering education. She also held academic and administrative appointments at Emory University, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Northeastern University.

As an engineer, Barabino is known for integrating engineering innovation and entrepreneurship to solve medical challenges. Her research in the biomechanics of blood flow and thrombosis was foundational in the field, and her seminal research in sickle cell disease has informed current technologies and formed the basis for novel therapies. She is equally admired for promoting diversity and inclusion in STEM, as well as increasing the participation of minority women and men in entrepreneurial activities and interdisciplinary team science. Leading on a global stage, Barabino founded the National Institute for Faculty Equity and is a past president and chair of the board of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Barabino serves on multiple boards and advisory boards for universities across the United States, and she has received many of the highest honors in academia, including being elected to the AAAS, the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine.

Sandra K. Johnson 88

A pathbreaking engineer, leader and innovator, Johnson exemplifies the unconventional wisdom and entrepreneurial mindset that are advancing technology and bringing distinction to Rice.

Johnson earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees, both in electrical engineering, from Southern University and Stanford University, respectively. In 1988, she became the first Black woman to earn a doctorate in electrical engineering from Rice. Upon graduating from Rice, Johnson began her tenure at IBM, serving for more than 25 years in various capacities, including as a researcher, a business development executive with assignments in the Middle East and Africa, and chief technology officer for IBM Central, East and West Africa. Her research and management responsibilities have ranged from Linux performance and WebSphere database development to Java server performance teams. Notably, she was part of the team that developed the prototype for IBMs Scalable Parallel Processor, the base machine for the world-famous Deep Blue chess-playing machine.

After retiring from IBM in 2014, Johnson became CEO of SKJ Visioneering LLC, a technology consulting company, and Global Mobile Finance Inc., a fintech startup company, both based in North Carolinas Research Triangle Park. A true trailblazer in her field, she has authored or co-authored over 80 publications and is a Master Inventor with over 40 issued and pending patents. Her numerous awards include being named an Electrical and Electronics Engineers Fellow, an Association for Computing Machinery Distinguished Engineer and a member of the IBM Academy of Technology, which consists of the top 1% of IBMs 250,000 technical professionals. Throughout her journey as an engineer, startup executive and author, Johnson has remained committed to mentoring and inspiring young people with her education, career and personal experiences.

Andy Karsner '89

Karsner is a leading conservationist, venture capitalist, innovation strategist, energy entrepreneur and diplomat. With more than three decades of commercial, philanthropic and public service leadership that touches every continent and spans every natural resource, he has helped accelerate and scale the worlds response to energy transition and climate change.

Karsner is a senior strategist at X (formerly Google X), the innovation lab of Alphabet Inc., and chairs Manifest Energy, a clean technology development and investment firm he founded in 2008. He is regularly called upon by world leaders and leading corporations in energy, natural resources, semiconductors and cloud computing for his experience and strategic insight.

From 2006 to 2008, Karsner served as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy, responsible for policy, regulation and Americas applied science National Labs and multibillion-dollar research, development and commercialization. More recently, he served as managing partner of Emerson Collective and co- founded Elemental, with Laurene Powell Jobs, as an investment and philanthropic platform dedicated to scalable, equitable market-based solutions for energy, food, water and climate. In 2017, he helped cofound Nia Tero a leading global NGO advocating for indigenous peoples.

Karsner holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Rice and a Master of Arts degree from Hong Kong University. Through all of his high-profile international accomplishments, including advising and serving in the governance of numerous universities, nonprofits and privately held companies, Karsner remains connected to Rice, advising the university on its energy and climate strategy and its distinct work to advance economics and material science. He was described as a force of nature by one nominator, and another described him as relentless in the pursuit of achieving consequential solutions the world requires to address climate change (and) security, and uplift the human condition.

Eric Nelson 83

Throughout his 30-plus-year career in the United States Foreign Service, Nelson has distinguished himself in service to his country and in his advocacy of democracy, equality and human rights.

Nelson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Rice in 1983 and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin in 1988. After graduating from Rice, he volunteered for the Peace Corps in Liberia in West Africa, kicking off a long and dedicated career in public service that includes serving in Islamabad; Milan; Mexico City; Frankfurt, Germany; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; and Washington. He has held several senior management and diplomatic positions, including deputy chief of mission in Costa Rica, consul general in Munich and executive director at the Department of State, supporting three secretaries of state and accompanying them to 70 countries. From 2019 to 2022, he served as U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nelson is now the U.S. Ambassador in Residence at the George C. Marshall Center for Security Studies in Germany, guiding the institutes strategy to address regional, transnational and global challenges.

Throughout his award-winning career, Nelson has been a champion for peace and equality and social and economic progress. As a founding director of Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies (GLIFAA), he championed fair treatment for LGBT foreign service employees. He has worked for the empowerment and well-being of others, including through his advocacy for a youth leadership program in Bosnia and Herzegovina and his promotion of innovative technology such as the monitoring of air quality by U.S. embassies abroad.

As one nominator described Nelson, his commitment to making our world a better place reflects well on who he is as a person and brings honor and distinction to the larger Rice community.

Ikhlas Sabouni 81 87

An accomplished architect, devoted teacher and pathbreaking leader in higher education, Sabouni exemplifies excellence in her decadeslong commitment to her profession and her students.

As dean of the School of Architecture at Prairie View A&M University, Sabouni has helped transform a small, unaccredited department of architecture that was within the College of Engineering and Architecture into a well-recognized, autonomous school. Sabouni, who was the first female dean of architecture in Texas among the states eight schools of architecture, has led the school through several reaffirmations of accreditation and increased its enrollment fourfold. She initiated new programs in construction science, community development and digital media arts, in addition to establishing two service and research centers in the School of Architecture.

A champion for diversity, equity and inclusion, Sabouni is devoted to promoting architecture as a career choice to the many students she has taught, supported, interacted with and ultimately inspired. A devoted teacher, she has established several scholarship endowments to support her students' financial needs and worked to ensure that students have job opportunities upon graduating.

Sabounis tremendous service to the architecture community extends to the local, regional and national levels. She is a member of multiple boards and has earned numerous awards. She received a Master of Architecture degree in 1981 and a doctorate of architecture degree in 1987 from Rice, where she won the William Dunlap Darden Award in Architecture for her outstanding doctoral dissertation.

As one nominator summarized, Sabouni has used the education, the cultivation of values, habits and attitudes to teach students, to administer in an increasingly effective and efficient manner, promote the architecture profession and serve the greater community in ways that only a dedicated architect can do.

Donald Bowers 91

Known widely for his wisdom, kindness, equanimity and thoughtful leadership, Bowers has demonstrated an extraordinary passion for service that continues to sustain Rices excellence while inspiring the next generation of Rice leaders.

A native Houstonian, Bowers earned his bachelor's degree in managerial studies from Rice and an MBA with a concentration in banking and finance from Sam Houston State University. He is vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, where he leads its Industry Outreach Program and serves as corporate secretary for the Houston Branch Board of Directors. A dedicated mentor, Bowers has served on the Center for Career Development Alumni Advisory Board and the Initiative for Students Commission, hosted numerous externships and internships, and led student leadership experiences through the Doerr Institute for New Leaders. As a former athlete, Bowers has remained a staunch supporter of the Rice football program, has mentored athletes through the Student Athlete Leadership Development Program and spearheaded efforts to establish the O.J. Brigance Courage Award.

Bowers commitment to Rice extends to the highest levels of alumni leadership, including as the president of the Association of Rice Alumni and in a variety of executive capacities in the Association of Rice University Black Alumni. Elected to the Rice Board of Trustees in 2018, he served the presidentially appointed Task Force on Slavery, Segregation and Racial Injustice, chaired the Building and Grounds Committee and led efforts in the redesign of the Academic Quadrangle and Founders Memorial. He also serves on the Baker Institute Board of Advisors and supports a range of philanthropic causes at Rice spanning scholarships, the Owl Club and the Black Student Association.

John R. Eldridge 75

An engaging alumnus, parent, career mentor and advocate of the humanities and the arts, Eldridges contributions to Rice are deep and span decades.

Eldridge earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology from Rice in 1975, before doing community service work and then graduating from the University of Texas School of Law in 1980. Over his exemplary 40-year career in environment law, he has won numerous accolades working for top international clients, while also managing his substantial pro bono and public service efforts. Eldridge was recently named a knight in Frances National Order of Merit for his brilliant career and efforts to grow relations between France and the United States.

Utilizing his professional strengths, he has for years chaired Rices Humanities Advisory Board, where he helped advocate for the upcoming Susan and Fayez Sarofim Hall for student arts. He has served diligently to advance the mission of Rices Center for Career Development, serving as chairman of its advisory board since 2016. He meets regularly with Rice students about careers, and his law firm Haynes Boone has hosted externships for many years.

Proud Rice parents of Graham 16 and Will 16, Eldridge and his wife, Annette, have been active leaders in Rices Parent Leadership Council, in addition to serving as community associates at Lovett College for over a decade. They routinely earn the award for best community associates, and Eldridge was vital to making Lovetts 50th anniversary celebration a success. Their considerable generosity extends to financial support spanning the humanities, the Rice Annual Fund, Fondren Library, fellowships and more. Eldridges nominators praised him as insightful and intelligent, but also so progressive and kind and applauded his tireless service and support.

Andrea Galindo

A dedicated staff member, volunteer and founding member of Rices Mariachi Luna Llena, Galindo has made incredible strides to raise cultural awareness not only of mariachi music but of Mexican culture throughout campus and the broader Houston community.

Galindo, who earned her bachelors and masters degrees in biology, is a pre-award specialist in Rices Office of Sponsored Research and Compliance, as well as an active associate at Wiess College, where she won Associate of the Year twice. Since Mariachi Luna Llenas founding in 2013, she has served as a lead singer and guitar player, helping cement the mariachi as a pillar of Rice culture on campus. Over her decade of involvement with the group, Galindo has performed at an array of public events, including at local schools, the Miller Outdoor Theater and the Houston Rodeo. She also sang the national anthem several times at professional sporting events, including Houston Astros and Rockets games.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Galindo spent considerable energy and effort to keep the mariachi going, organizing Zoom meetings, keeping up with current and past members, and, as one nominator noted, serving as the glue that has held together the mariachi family through the years. Additionally, she serves as an instructor for the Rice Salseros and is a familiar face at the weekly Spanish Tables at Wiess College.

In her extraordinary efforts to build up those around her, Galindo has fulfilled the ideals of Rice in cultivating a diverse and welcoming community of future researchers, artists and leaders.

Frank Jones 58 61

Jones, the Noah Harding Professor of Mathematics, has invested his entire academic and professional life in making Rice a better institution and Rice students better people. One nominator summarized Jones as a legend who has inspired countless generations of students through his decades of mathematics instruction at Rice.

After receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in chemical engineering at the then-Rice Institute in 1958, Jones completed his Ph.D. in mathematics at Rice in 1961, winning the Sigma Xi Award for proficiency in research at the doctors degree level.

A member of the Rice faculty since 1962, Jones has received several awards for his commitment to excellent teaching. He received his first George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching in 1968, then won again in 1972, 1973, 1978, 1985 and 1990. In 1980 and 1991, Jones received Rices highest teaching honor, the George R. Brown Prize for Excellence in Teaching. Additionally, he is a two-time winner of the Nicolas Salgo Distinguished Teacher Award, receiving it in 1977 and 1994. Jones was also named the 2007 Texas Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

Joness extraordinary teaching ability is matched by his dedication to encouraging and mentoring the hundreds of students he has taught over the years. He welcomes the opportunity to interact with his students anytime they reach out to him, spending as much time as needed with each student, in person or virtually, to maximize their learning experience. As one nominator described Jones, he has the rare and wonderful combination of giving superb classes, with apparently effortless, beautiful and clear lectures, and caring deeply about his students as people.

Tamara Siler 87

Siler, who received her Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Rice, has dedicated her professional life to strengthening the Rice undergraduate community by recruiting, admitting and enrolling top scholars from historically excluded backgrounds.

As the deputy director of admission, access and inclusion at Rice, Siler serves as a senior leader in the Office of Admission and plays a vital role in mentoring staff in the fundamentals of the evaluation process at Rice and the importance of diversity and inclusion to the university. Recognized nationally as a thought leader in admissions, she is a sought-after speaker and has served as a former board member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling and a past president of the Texas Association for College Admission Counseling. She currently serves as a College and University Resource Committee member for International Baccalaureate-North America.

A consummate ambassador, Siler has recruited hundreds of faculty, staff and students to support on-campus programming, while engaging numerous Rice alumni in the effort to increase diversity at Rice. She supports many affinity groups, including the Association of Rice University Black Alumni and Rice Pride, where she helps organize the annual Pride Parade, and her devotion to her beloved Brown College is legendary.

Whenever she is not working passionately to move Rice forward, Siler is giving back to the community as a leading performer for local theater. As one nominator summarized, All these talents that she has cultivated over the years communicator, connector, singer and actor have contributed to making Rice an excellent and bold university. Her presence at Rice has been invaluable.

Read the original post:
Matthews, Wise to receive ARA's Gold Medal at 2023 Laureates ... - Rice News

Aspect Biosystems, Novo Nordisk Partner to Develop Bioprinted … – BioPharm International

Aspect Biosystems and Novo Nordisk A/S have announced a collaboration, development, and license agreement to develop bioprinted tissue therapeutics.

On April 12, 2023, Aspect Biosystems and Novo Nordisk A/S announced a collaboration, development, and license agreement to develop bioprinted tissue therapeutics designed to replace, repair, or supplement biological functions inside the body with the aim of delivering a new class of truly disease-modifying treatments for diabetes and obesity, according to a release.

The agreement states that Novo Nordisk will receive an exclusive, worldwide license to use Aspects bioprinting technology to develop up to four products for the treatment of diabetes and/or obesity. Meanwhile, Aspect will receive initial payments of US$75 million, including an upfront payment, research funding, and an investment in the form of a convertible note. According to the press release, Aspect is also eligible to receive up to US$650 million in future development, regulatory, commercial and sales milestone payments per product, as well as tiered royalties on future product sales.

We are thrilled to partner with Novo Nordisk, a global leader and pioneer in the fight against diabetes and chronic diseases, to create breakthrough therapeutics that could transform the lives of millions of people around the world, said Tamer Mohamed, chief executive officer, Aspect Biosystems, in a press release. This partnership leverages Aspects full-stack tissue therapeutic platform, talented team and bold vision, and reinforces our strategy to create bioprinted tissue therapeutics through partnerships with global industry leaders while also advancing our internal therapeutic pipeline.

A new platform technology from Aspect may allow for the development of a novel class of cell-based medicine designed to be biologically functional, encapsulated to be immune-protective, and suitable for surgical implantation. For Novo Nordisk, their team has developed expertise to differentiate stem cells into a wide array of cells that may be used to replace damaged and lost cells which could lead to a specific disease, like insulin-producing beta cells in type 1 diabetes, or manufacturing capabilities to produce the cells at scale.

The goal of the partnership is to create implantable bioprinted tissues to replace, repair, or supplement biological functions. Further, these tissues will be designed to be allogeneic, which means the cells used are derived from a single source to increase the practicality of future large-scale manufacturing.

Novo Nordisk has built strong capabilities when it comes to producing functional and highly pure therapeutic replacement cells at the highest quality and at scale, said Jacob Sten Petersen, corporate vice president and head of Cell Therapy R&D, Novo Nordisk, in a press release. Collaborating with Aspect Biosystems adds an important component to our strategy to develop comprehensive cell therapy products. We are excited to co-develop solutions for cell therapy delivery that could lead to life-changing treatments for those living with a serious chronic disease.

Source: Aspect Biosystems

Follow this link:
Aspect Biosystems, Novo Nordisk Partner to Develop Bioprinted ... - BioPharm International

Cell Isolation Technology Market to Eyewitness Increasing Revenue Growth during the Forecast Period by 2029 – openPR

Cell Isolation Technology

Get Upto 25% Discount on Report @ https://www.deepresearchreports.com/contacts/inquire-before-buy.php?name=2906253

The research report includes specific segments by region (country), company, Type, and Application. This study provides information about the sales and revenue during the historical and forecasted period. Understanding the segments helps identify the factors that aid the market growth. The Cell Isolation Technology research report provides information about the market area, which is further subdivided into sub-regions and countries/regions. In addition to the market share in each country and sub-region, this report chapter also contains information on profit opportunities.

The Cell Isolation Technology research report is an expert's analysis that mainly includes companies, types, applications, regions, countries, etc. Also, the reports analyse sales, revenue, trade, competition, investment, and forecasts. Industrial Analytics market research covers COVID-19 impacts on the upstream, midstream, and downstream industries. Also, this study offers detailed market estimates by emphasising statistics on several aspects covering market dynamics like drivers, barriers, opportunities, threats, and industry news & trends.

The future of cell isolation technology is an exciting area of development in biotechnology. Cell isolation involves separating specific cells from a complex mixture of cells in order to study them or use them for therapeutic purposes. Advances in cell isolation technology are essential for developing new treatments and therapies for a wide range of diseases.

One key area of development for the future of cell isolation technology is the use of microfluidics. Microfluidics involves using tiny channels and valves to manipulate small volumes of fluids. This technology can enable the isolation of individual cells with high precision and throughput, making it a powerful tool for studying rare cell populations and developing personalized medicine.

Another area of development is the use of magnetic cell isolation. This technology uses magnetic beads coated with antibodies to selectively isolate specific cells from a mixture. Magnetic cell isolation can be highly specific and efficient, enabling the isolation of rare cell populations with high purity.

In conclusion, the future of cell isolation technology looks incredibly promising, with the potential to transform the way we approach biotechnology and healthcare. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see more innovative uses of cell isolation technology, enabling the development of new treatments and therapies for a wide range of diseases.

Overview of the market:The report presents the overview of the market with the production of the cost, dispatch, application, use volume and arrangement. The Cell Isolation Technology research report offers significant bits of information into the business focus from the early stage including some steady techniques chalked out by perceptible market pioneers to develop a strong foothold and development in the business. Moreover, the important areas of the Cell Isolation Technology market are also assessed on the basis of their performance.

This Cell Isolation Technology research report delivers key insights and gives clients a competitive advantage through a detailed report This report focuses on the key global players, defining, describing, and analyzing the market value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis, and development plans over the next few years. Also the report provides a detailed analysis of global market size, regional and country-level market size, segmentation market growth, market share, competitive Landscape, sales analysis, impact of domestic and global market players, value chain optimization, trade regulations, recent developments, opportunities analysis, strategic market growth analysis, product launches, area marketplace expanding, and technological innovations.

The report provides an in-depth assessment of the growth and other aspects of key countries (regions), such as the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Australia, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia, among others. It also sheds light on the progress of key regional, including those in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and the Middle East and Africa.

Buy Complete Report @ https://www.deepresearchreports.com/contacts/purchase.php?name=2906253

Segmentation Analysis of the market The market is segmented on the basis of the product, type, end users and application. Segmentation is considered to be the most vital part of the report which helps the reader to understand the market in prcised way.

By ManufacturersThermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

Merck

BD Biosciences

Beckman Coulter, Inc.

Terumo BCT

GE Healthcare

Stemcell Technologies

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

By TypeCentrifugation

Flow Cytometry

Cell Electrophoresis

By End usersStem cell research

Cancer research

Tissue regeneration

In-vitro diagnostics

Others

Download Free PDF Brochure at https://www.deepresearchreports.com/contacts/request-sample.php?name=2906253

Geographical SegmentationNorth AmericaSouth AmericaAsia and PacificMiddle East and AfricaEurope

Reasons to buy ReportThe report offers in depth analysis of the market by providing the definition, application and classifications.The SWOT analysis and strategies of each vendor in the market in provided in the report.The offers comprehensive insights into current industry trends, trend forecast and growth drivers.The report provides a detailed overview of the vendor landscape, competitive analysis and key market strategies to gain competitive landscape.

DeepResearchReportsYour Market Research LibrarianCorporate HeadquartersTower B5, office 101, Magarpatta SEZ,Hadapsar, Pune-411013, India. + 1 888 391 5441sales@deepresearchreports.com

Deep Research Reports is digital database of syndicated market reports for global and China industries. These reports offer competitive intelligence data for companies in varied market segments and for decision makers at multiple levels in these organizations.

This release was published on openPR.

Read more:
Cell Isolation Technology Market to Eyewitness Increasing Revenue Growth during the Forecast Period by 2029 - openPR

Seres Therapeutics Announces $250 Million Debt Financing with … – BioSpace

Company to receive proceeds of $110 million upon closing of the agreement

Financing to support commercial launch of VOWST and fund pipeline development

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: MCRB), a leading microbiome therapeutics company, today announced that it has entered into a new $250 million senior secured debt facility (Term Loan Facility) provided by funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. (Oaktree). The Company drew the first tranche of $110 million at closing, with three additional tranches available. These additional tranches include $90 million that will be available in two tranches of $45 million each based upon the achievement of certain applicable VOWST sales targets, and an additional $50 million will be available to the Company at Oaktrees discretion to support potential future business development activities.

Of the $110 million advanced by Oaktree at closing, approximately $53 million retires outstanding debt, and after deducting fees and expenses, the net proceeds to the Company are approximately $50 million. The Term Loan Facility carries an interest rate equal to the three-month secured overnight financing rate (SOFR) plus 7.875%, with the interest rate capped at 12.875% per annum. The Term Loan Facility is expected to mature six years from funding and carries an initial interest only period for the first three years, which may be extended to six years based upon the achievement of certain VOWST sales targets.

This flexible debt offering from Oaktree provides Seres with support for the upcoming commercial launch of VOWST, the first orally administered microbiota-based therapeutic to prevent recurrence of C. difficile Infection (CDI) in adults following antibacterial treatment for recurrent CDI (rCDI), as well as for the advancement of Seres additional microbiome therapeutic candidates, including SER-155. Oaktree is one of the top capital providers for innovative biopharma companies, and we look forward to working closely together, said David Arkowitz, Chief Financial Officer at Seres.

With the approval of VOWST, Seres has firmly established itself as a leader in the exciting microbiome therapeutics field. We see a tremendous opportunity for VOWST and Seres multiple innovative pipeline programs to fill significant unmet medical needs across a variety of therapeutic areas. We are delighted to be collaborating with the Company during its next phase of growth and playing a role in bringing an entirely new treatment modality to patients, said Aman Kumar, Co-Portfolio Manager of Life Sciences Lending at Oaktree.

Oaktree is a leading provider of debt and royalty financing for the global life sciences industry. Since 2020, funds managed by Oaktree have committed over $3.0 billion across 31 investments for companies across the healthcare spectrum.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC acted as sole structuring agent to the Company. Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal counsel to Seres. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP served as legal counsel to Oaktree.

About Seres Therapeutics Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: MCRB) is a commercial-stage company developing novel microbiome therapeutics for serious diseases. Seres lead program, VOWST, obtained U.S. FDA approval in April 2023 as the first orally administered microbiota-based therapeutic to prevent recurrence of C. difficile infection (CDI) in adults following antibacterial treatment for recurrent CDI and is being commercialized in collaboration with Nestl Health Science. Seres is evaluating SER-155 in a Phase 1b study in patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to reduce incidences of gastrointestinal infections, bloodstream infections and graft-versus-host disease as well as additional preclinical stage programs targeting Infection Protection in medically compromised patients. The Company is also conducting research to inform further development of microbiome therapeutics for ulcerative colitis.

For more information, please visit http://www.serestherapeutics.com.

Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including the receipt of future funding tranches; future business development activities; the achievement of sales milestones; and other statements which are not historical fact.

These forward-looking statements are based on managements current expectations. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: we have incurred significant losses, are not currently profitable and may never become profitable; our need for additional funding; our limited operating history; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; our unproven approach to therapeutic intervention; the lengthy, expensive and uncertain process of clinical drug development; our reliance on third parties and collaborators to conduct our clinical trials, manufacture our product candidates and develop and commercialize our product candidates, if approved; and our ability to retain key personnel and to manage our growth. These and other important factors discussed under the caption Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), on March 7, 2023, and our other reports filed with the SEC could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent managements estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230427005329/en/

Follow this link:
Seres Therapeutics Announces $250 Million Debt Financing with ... - BioSpace

Cell and Molecular Biology Student Wins $50000 ‘Faculty for the … – University of Arkansas Newswire

Cassandra Thomas

Selom Ametepe

Selom Ametepe, an international doctoral student in the Cell and Molecular Biology Program in the Graduate School and International Education of the U of A, won a $50,000 Faculty for the Future Fellowship from the Schlumberger Foundation.

The fellowship program works to accelerate gender equity in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics by breaking down barriers women face in pursuing scientific careers, specifically in developing and emerging nations. Specifically, the fellowships are awarded to women who are preparing for Ph.D. or post-doctoral study in STEM disciplines to pursue advanced graduate study at top universities in their disciplines abroad.

The funds will help Ametepe, who is a native of Togo, focus on her research toward her goal of becoming a faculty member.

"I'm excited about resources to advance my research," Ametepe said. "I'm excited to meet other women working in other STEM fields and getting to know about their research. I want to thank my adviser, Dr. Timothy Evans, for his unconditional support of my academic endeavors which led to me getting this fellowship. I am very grateful to him for creating a positive working environment where he facilitates our learning opportunities."

"I'm proud of Selom's development as a scientist, and I'm delighted that her potential for leadership has been recognized by the Schlumberger Foundation," said Evans, who is an associate professor of biological sciences. "She's been an essential part of our lab for the last couple of years, and I look forward to seeing her continue to grow her scientific and leadership skills with the support of this fellowship."

Ametepe's research focuses on the nervous system in fruit flies in hopes of transferring knowledge to the human nervous system. She is interested in the mechanisms that guide neurons extensions, axons to form connections with other neural or non-neural cells. She focuses specifically on the gene Roundabout3, which is critical to the development of the nervous system. Using a sophisticated genetic engineering technique called CRISPR gene editing, Ametepe is cutting some portions of the gene to see what parts are crucial for the function of the protein.

"My research will help us know specific ways that the gene controls development of the nervous system," she said.

Before coming to the U of A, Ametepe completed her undergraduate studies at the Universite de Lome, where she graduated with a bachelor's in biomedical sciences. She then worked for five years as a lab analyst at the National Institute of Health in Togo.

Her decision to undertake graduate studies was influenced by two people who she considers as role models: her father, who was a dedicated lab technician, and one of her professors, Dr. Satoguina, professor of immunoparasitology.

"Getting close to her and learning her work ethics gave me hopes and wings and reassured me that I could become a scientist as well," Ametepe said.

Faculty for the Future Fellows are expected to return to their home countries upon completion of their studies to contribute to the economic, social and technological advancement of their home regions by strengthening the STEM teaching and research faculties of their home institutions, as well as through their leadership in science-based entrepreneurship. They are also expected to contribute to the public sector ,where their newly acquired technical and scientific skills can help provide evidence-based support for STEM policy making, including topics of gender representation.

Since its launch in 2004, the program has awarded fellowships more than 800 women from 86 countries for Ph.D. and post-doctoralSTEM research programs. Faculty for the Future is the SLB Foundation's flagship program, a nonprofit organization that supports science and technology education.

Continue reading here:
Cell and Molecular Biology Student Wins $50000 'Faculty for the ... - University of Arkansas Newswire

Bio-IT World Announces 2023 Innovative Practices Winners – PR Web

Recognizing and Celebrating Innovation that Advances Life Sciences Research

NEEDHAM, Mass. (PRWEB) April 20, 2023

Bio-IT World today announced the 2023 Innovative Practices Awards winners. Six projects were honored; companies involved in the winning entries included AbbVie, Inc. Information Research; Bayer G4A; Carenostics; City of Hope; Generate Biomedicines; Hackensack Meridian Health; Higher Steaks; Regeneron Pharmaceuticals; SciBite; and Synthace. The awards ceremony will be held during the opening plenary program on Tuesday, May 16, at the 2023 Bio-IT World Conference & Expo in Boston.

Since 2003, Bio-IT World has hosted an elite awards program with the goal of highlighting outstanding examples of how technology innovations and strategic initiatives can be applied to advance life sciences research. This years winning projects represent excellence in innovation in the categories of Informatics, Personalized & Translational Medicine, Knowledge Management, Research, Laboratory Technology, and Clinical Diagnostics.

Each year, the Innovative Practices Awards call out the highest levels of collaboration and creativity, said Allison Proffitt, Bio-IT World Editorial Director. This year, our panel of peer judges was particularly impressed with data commons efforts, augmented design experiments, and proven efforts to streamline and optimize the research progress.

2023 Bio-IT World Innovative Practices Awards WinnersHere are the six winning groups and their projects, as described in their own words.

AbbVie Project: AbbVie R&D Convergence Hub (ARCH)

The AbbVie R&D Convergence Hub (ARCH), is driving convergence in AbbVie R&D as a central knowledge platform that brings together harmonized, normalized, and curated data from over 170 internal and external sources. Giving scientists across R&D access to this integrated knowledge platform provides them unparalleled access and potential to extract insights and generate hypotheses in novel and powerful ways. Helping AbbVies community of researchers to access this knowledge faster, easier, and in automated ways is leading towards a goal to double the productivity of AbbVie R&D. Ultimately, the ARCH and the applications and utilities developed from it are already helping AbbVie to deliver innovative medicines and solutions to patients.

City of Hope nominated by SciBite LimitedProject: POSEIDON - Precision Oncology Software Environment Interoperable Data Ontologies Network

Precision Oncology Software Environment Interoperable Data Ontologies Network (POSEIDON) is an enterprise-wide data platform developed by The City of Hope Research Informatics and the Center for Precision Medicine to support their precision medicine program. Built on the DNAnexus technology stack with custom features and functionality created by City of Hope Research Informatics, POSEIDON unifies patient data and comprehensive germline and somatic genomic profiling for every patient, supporting data from more than 670,000 patients. Within the POSEIDON platform, SciBite supports data armonization; with data standards being managed with CENtree, SciBites award winning ontology management platform and normalization being provided by SciBites named entity recognition engine, TERMite. POSEIDON enables de-identified and harmonized clinical and multi-omic data to be analysed and visualised by researchers, supporting cohort discovery and exploration as well as preliminary feasibility testing to derive patient specific insights from real world data (RWD) and real-word evidence (RWE). POSEIDON supports clinico-genomic research at City of Hope, driving the development of more effective therapeutics and improving outcomes.

Generate BiomedicinesProject: Intrinsically Digital, Audaciously Ambitious: Building a data platform to support ML-driven drug discovery

Generate Biomedicines goal of leveraging machine-learning powered generative biology to discover and develop new drugs faster and cheaper is supported by an integrated and cohesive R&D data platform. This platform creates a common source of truth for the research organization with robust and nimble data modeling capabilities, flexible integrations with third-party software, and a core suite of powerful tools designed to streamline research and maximize the value of experimental results. FAIR to its core, this integrated data platform leverages industry best practices and lessons-learned from a talented team of informatics engineers to form the critical foundation of a unique company with equal parts bio and tech.

The Hackensack Meridian Health & Carenostics CKD Collaboration, nominated by Bayer G4AProject: AI for earlier clinical intervention in chronic kidney disease

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a leading cause of mortality, affecting >800M people worldwide. Early detection and intervention have been shown to slow disease progression, saving lives and reducing costs. Unfortunately, ~85% of CKD cases are estimated to be undiagnosed. To tackle this, Carenostics has developed machine learning (ML) models that have retrospectively identified 50% of the undiagnosed CKD population at 3x the specificity of current testing practices. Carenostics is deploying these models into clinical practice at Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH), an 18-hospital health system with >6M patient records. The solution identifies undiagnosed & untreated CKD patients using existing EHR data, addresses health inequities through bias-adjusted ML, and activates clinicians with an intuitive, EHR-integrated interface. In the next 12 months, Carenostics projects to help HMH diagnose 50,000 previously undiagnosed CKD patients and will expand its platform to help HMH identify and proactively treat patients with other chronic diseases.

Higher Steaks nominated by SynthaceProject: DOE-led media optimization for porcine stem cell lines

HigherSteaks is a lab-grown meat company on a mission to reduce traditional meat consumption by having a 5% share of the global pork market by 2030. HigherSteaks is ushering in a new era of sustainable food production through lab-grown meat and is doing so through design of experiments (DOE) to accelerate media optimization, and by running factor screens based on different cell lines of porcine stem cells. Synthace, a life sciences SaaS platform, and HigherSteaks core experimental solution, allows them to use DOE and fractional factorialsscreening 22 factors, as well as interaction profiles, in only 320 experimental runs. Synthace saved HigherSteaks 6-9 months of work and delivered an optimized media for pig stem cells 15x cheaper compared to commercial media. This experiment proves the concept, and demonstrates the viability, of DOE methodologies for the cultured meat sector, without additional lab investment.

Regeneron PharmaceuticalsProject: Regeneron Optimization of Instruments (ROI)

Regeneron's Research and Preclinical Development organization invests millions of dollars each year to acquire and operate specialized lab instruments that support scientists in the discovery of potential new medicines. To optimize the usage of these instruments across finite lab space, a project was undertaken to measure instrument utilization. We sought to answer questions like: Are there opportunities to better utilize existing instruments? and Could we plan and budget more effectively if we better understood existing instrument usage? Additionally, this data enables new opportunities to optimize instrument maintenance and other lab processes to increase the likelihood Regeneron is achieving the most value from its investments. Regeneron is now measuring utilization across 600 of the most expensive and/or lab space constrained instruments and using this data to make informed decisions to change processes or defer capital purchases that optimize utilization of a given instrument.

Beyond the Innovative Practices Awards, the conference & expo is packed full with 12 unique tracks, 2 symposia, workshops, a Hackathon, Best of Show Awards, exhibit hall of 150+ leading technology service providers, and networking receptions and activities. Visit https://www.bio-itworldexpo.com for more information and to register.

About Bio-IT World Conference & ExpoFor over 20 years, the Bio-IT World Conference & Expo has been the worlds premier event showcasing technologies and analytic approaches that solve problems, accelerate science, and drive the future of precision medicine. Bio-IT World unites a community of leading life sciences, pharmaceutical, clinical, healthcare, informatics and technology experts in the field of biomedical research, drug discovery & development, and healthcare from around the world.

About Cambridge Healthtech InstituteCambridge Healthtech Institute Your Life Science Network

Cambridge Healthtech Institute (CHI) is the preeminent life science network for leading researchers and business experts from top pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic organizations. CHIs portfolio of products includes Cambridge Healthtech Institute Conferences, Barnett Educational Services, Cambridge Meeting Planners and Healthtech Publishing, which includes publications such as Bio-IT World, Clinical Informatics News, and Diagnostics World, as well as numerous e-newsletters. Founded in 1992, Cambridge Healthtech Institute strives to develop quality information sources that provide valuable new insights and competing points of view while offering balanced coverage of the latest developments. Basic research related to commercial implications is covered, with a heavy emphasis placed on end-user insights into new products and technology as well as coverage on the strategy behind the business. The executive team has a combined 170+ years of experience and drives the CHI portfolio to deliver cutting-edge information and the most up-to-date research.

Read more here:
Bio-IT World Announces 2023 Innovative Practices Winners - PR Web

Biology major Andy Shar discovers 3D printable ink that ‘everyone … – VCU News

By Mary Kate Brogan

Finding a 3D printable ink that conducts electricity, yet is strong, flexible and stretchable, has been a goal of materials scientists around the world since 3D printing began, says Daeha Joung, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Physics at Virginia Commonwealth Universitys College of Humanities and Sciences.

So last year, when Andy Shar came into his lab eager to look for the solution, Joung was apprehensive but gave Shar a chance. And he is grateful he did.

I was trying to find that ink myself, Joung said. But somehow, Andy discovered the recipe.

The discovery has opened up new opportunities for Shar, now a sophomore majoring in biology in the College of Humanities and Sciences and minoring in religious studies in the School of World Studies. He has been working with Joung and his research team through the VCU Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.

Alongside Phillip Glass, a student in the Ph.D. in nanoscience and nanotechnology program, Shar has published two academic papers, including one in the journal Advanced Functional Materials for which he served as the first author. He also has submitted another plus a book chapter and has been invited to present at conferences about the discovery.

The material we discovered was a composite of silicone polydimethylsiloxine, or PDMS and we dispersed carbon nanotubes, or CNT, inside of that silicone, which is something that is kind of difficult to do, Shar said. We used a pretty simple environmentally friendly technique to do it that can occur at room temperature. The fabrication process being easy allows it to be accessible to other people and maybe even companies who want to use it commercially.

Joung, Shar and Glass continue to use the 3D printable ink in the development of customizable patient health monitoring devices and of electronic skin, or eSkin wearable sensors to detect motion of joints or monitor cardiac and respiratory health.

What Dr. Joung has been really pioneering is using 3D printing to create scaffolds that can simulate the spinal cord architecture, Shar said. He and Joung hope this technology, infused with bioprinted information that would allow cells to regrow, can help people with spinal cord injuries regain sensory and motor function.

Here, student and mentor share thoughts on what they learned working together.

What attracted you to this project?

Ill start from the beginning and go to what attracted me to Dr. Joungs lab in the first place: [my] past experience with high school research. Ive always really liked hands-on stuff, and materials science and nanotechnology were two of my main interests coming into VCU. So I liked how he incorporated that with 3D printing which was something Ive never done before but was also excited to use with biological applications. I intend to go into the medical field, so that would be something that would relate to my future profession. So that was definitely something of interest.

For that specific project, I actually started by working with Phillip Glass, whos a physics graduate student, on his project, and it just became a natural progression because I was helping him. I had some interest in chemistry and the process of making the ink and making the material. And as I was helping him, I decided to do my own trials. And I really credit Dr. Joung for giving me the flexibility and independence to do that. I was experimenting around, and once I found an ink that I thought would work, then we decided that if it was unique enough and if it had certain advantages over what was seen in the literature, then we could write a paper about it. So I did more research there.

What did you get out of the experience?

There were a few things I got out of it. Definitely knowledge, learning about the materials science aspect of it, a lot of lessons in perseverance. It took dozens of trials Dr. Joung has seen my array of vials with hundreds of failed attempts. So just being able to learn from your past mistakes. And I didnt give up, because I knew I was getting closer and closer to the end result.

That was really a lesson that I learned, and I also think teamwork. As a group, we held meetings where we presented our findings, so you learn communication skills, how to interact with the group, how to just work with different (technologies) how to use the gantry, how to use the texture analyzer, different machines and then spreading that knowledge as well, and teaching other people who join the lab how to use those same machines.

And then, because of the project, Ive also been able to present at multiple conferences for example, the UROP Symposium, which I will be presenting at this spring, and the annual Network for Undergraduate Research in Virginia conference at Christopher Newport University, which was in January. Being able to present to the public and explain to them our findings in terms that they can understand is definitely a skill that Ive learned.

Whats one lesson you learned from Dr. Joung?

From Dr. Joung, Ive learned really just how to be an effective PI [principal investigator]. Its about the coordination of an effective team and really encouraging teamwork and making sure everybodys staying involved, everybody is going at a pace thats comfortable for them but also making sure to push them a little bit. I remember Dr. Joung helping me out whenever I had certain trials not go the way I wanted to and then also setting certain deadlines for me, making sure I met them and just encouraging me to do my best.

I remember, especially during the summer, I was there for maybe 15 to 20 hours a week. And we were really trying to get the paper published. At the very end, it was a lot of data collection, a lot of writing. And I credit Dr. Joung with coordinating me and Phillip, and just making sure that we got everything done in time and that time management wasnt a problem. Thats definitely a lesson I learned from him.

Why does this research matter?

eSkin technology is the future of wearable devices. So what Andy, Phillip and I found is that 3D printable electronic skins can be useful for patients who suffer from skin diseases. Or we can have one that does health monitoring so that its a system where we can directly 3D-print into human organs. We can actually offer new therapeutic options. [As a physicist] Im not going to use these directly with patients. However, this technology can be transferred to the operating room in the future. Then the patients can have the advantage to use this technology. That is our long-term goal for this project.

Lets say we developed a 3D printable electronic device, or wearable flexible device. Now we want to make a connection from this technology into the spinal cord regeneration project. With spinal cord regeneration, there are always issues because of the structural complexity, right? So one of the therapeutic options is stem cell and electrical stimulation therapy. What Andy is doing is adding to it. As Andy mentioned, I am a pioneer of printing stem cells for spinal cord injury regeneration. So now Andy is combining these stem cell printing technologies and these flexible electronics.

We want to test how these two different elements of technology can combine to create a new opportunity for spinal cord regeneration. Everything is kind of related. As physicists, as material scientists, as engineers, our long-term goal is we want to produce and provide new therapeutic options and potential future applications for treatments.

How did Andy help advance the project?

Even before Andy joined, Ive been working on 3D-printing flexible electronics. But the point is that every researcher in the world has the problem of printing flexible and conductive ink. I think Andy spent around four or five months [on it].

He did the hard work on developing that ink that everyone, most every 3D-printing researcher, was looking for. Then Phillip, our graduate student, expanded the inks capabilities and applied it to 3D-printed wearable devices. Thats why their paper is in one of the top-tier materials science journals. When we talk about this paper, whenever I mention that the first author of this paper is a sophomore, people are amazed. Based on this, we got a lot of conference invitations. This is amazing work.

Whats one lesson you learned from Andy?

Although Andy is an undergraduate, there are many things I learned from him, but the main thing was that I had doubted myself: Can I give an independent project to an undergraduate student? In general, many PIs do not really give independent projects to undergraduates, but Andy wanted to be very independent. He actually emphasized to me, I can do it. I can do it. I was a little bit doubtful the very first time; however, I saw his motivation, so thats why I gave him independent projects. He did a great job, and Im continuously giving him very independent projects.

The way Ive trained Andy is like a graduate student. So for me, with Andy and the other graduate students, our training for Andy is all the same.

Beyond the knowledge hes developed and the ink discovery, Andy is a very motivated student-researcher, so he has a strong sense of responsibility. Research is not only about being smart. Research is about where you get the motivation and what excites you. Andys an undergraduate student and sophomore who wants to apply to medical school, especially M.D.-Ph.D. programs. I give a lot of credit to Andy consider how busy he is; however, he still spends a lot of time in the lab. I could see that. I could see hes so excited, and he enjoys his time in the research lab. Hes always smiling, and he always has energy to do new challenges.

So to come back to the question of what I learned from Andy: Motivation is the most important factor to be successful in research.

Subscribe to VCU News at newsletter.vcu.edu and receive a selection of stories, videos, photos, news clips and event listings in your inbox.

Read more:
Biology major Andy Shar discovers 3D printable ink that 'everyone ... - VCU News

The Future of Fertility – The New Yorker

In 2016, two Japanese reproductive biologists, Katsuhiko Hayashi and Mitinori Saitou, made an announcement in the journal Nature that read like a science-fiction novel. The researchers had taken skin cells from the tip of a mouses tail, reprogrammed them into stem cells, and then turned those stem cells into egg cells. The eggs, once fertilized, were transferred to the uteruses of female mice, who gave birth to ten pups; some of the pups went on to have babies of their own. Gametes are the cells, such as eggs and sperm, that are essential for sexual reproduction. With their experiment, Hayashi and Saitou provided the first proof that whats known as in-vitro gametogenesis, or I.V.G.the production of gametes outside the body, beginning with nonreproductive cellswas possible in mammals. The mice that had descended from the lab-made egg cells were described as grossly normal.

The Japanese experiment may change the science of human reproduction. The first successful in-vitro fertilization, in 1978, made it possible to conceive an embryo outside the body. Today, approximately two per cent of all babies in the United States are conceived in a lab, through I.V.F.last year, analysts valued the global I.V.F. market at more than twenty-three billion dollars. Egg cells have become commodities that are harvested, bought, donated, and preserved. But egg cells, some of the most complex cells in the body, and large enough to be visible to the naked eye, are difficult to obtain; as a woman ages, their number and quality decline. If ripe human eggs could be derived from a persons skin cells, it would avoid most of the cost, almost all of the discomfort, and all of the risk of IVF, the Stanford bioethicist Henry Greely wrote in his 2016 book, The End of Sex and the Future of Human Reproduction, addressing new techniques to make stem cells which had won the Nobel Prize in 2012. He predicted that in the next twenty to forty years sex will no longer be the method by which most people make babies (among humans with good health coverage, he qualified).

A hundred years ago, many Americans died in their mid-fifties. Today, we can expect to live into our seventies and eighties. In the U.S., as in many other countries, women give birth for the first time at older ages than they did several decades ago, but the age at which women lose their fertility has not budged: by forty-five, a persons chances of having a pregnancy without assisted reproductive technology are exceedingly low.

Biologists have theories, none of them conclusive, about why women have such a sharp decline in fertility at midlife, and why ovaries age at least twice as fast as the other organs in the body. Deena Emera, an evolutionary geneticist and the author of a forthcoming book about evolution and the female body, told me that the vast majority of female mammals, including chimpanzees, maintain the ability to get pregnant for most of their lives. Elephants, which can live up to seventy years, can conceive and give birth into their sixth decade. Human females share their long post-reproductive life span with only a few other mammals, mostly species of toothed whales. We are connected in this strange and frustrating reality with narwhals, belugas, and orcas. Theres much debate, if not a definitive answer, about why.

In the U.S., according to census data, the number of births to women under the age of twenty-five has dropped significantly since 1990; an increase in births to women over thirty-five has not compensated for the decline. The United Nations has estimated that in 2019 nearly half the global population lived in countries with below-replacement fertility rates, which the U.N. defines as fewer than 2.1 births per woman. (In our country, population growth is also driven by immigration.) While the over-all growth in human population is not anticipated to plateau until the mid-twenty-eighties, economists say that aging populations in countries with fewer children can affect, among other things, the continued growth of economies, the provision of health care, and the funding of pension systems. Although there are also social and environmental benefits to a decrease in the global population, many countries are recognizing that they can no longer take a passive approach to fertility issues.

In recent years, the science of extending female reproductive longevity has seen a new flurry of interest, and biotech companies are attempting to begin clinical trials of a number of therapies, including new I.V.F. techniques and pharmaceuticals. (The research has earned philanthropic attention as wellHayashis and Saitous labs are funded in part by Open Philanthropy, a foundation set up by the Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and his wife, the former journalist Cari Tuna.) But the ability to make egg cells without human ovaries would apply not only to people who are designated female at birth. This March, Hayashi, who is not currently trying to make a human egg, had another announcement: his lab had repeated the I.V.G. process in mice, but this time it had produced fertilized embryos whose egg cells had been developed using stem cells from male micemice with two dads, as the headline in Nature put it. Futurists have speculated about broader possibilities, such as an embryo formed with the DNA of four people instead of two, or even a so-called unibaby, the result of a person reproducing with herself. In a less hypothetical realm, in-vitro gametogenesis may have applications in livestock breeding, and might one day play a role in preserving endangered speciesa group of scientists, including Hayashi, have been attempting to use the method to generate eggs from the northern white rhinoceros, a species of which only two females remain.

In some circles, I.V.G. is already seen as the future of reproductive science. Bianka Seres, a co-founder of a startup called Conception Biosciences, which is trying to make egg cells from stem cells, told me that I.V.G.along with a related, though more far-fetched, prospect, artificial wombswas a prominent theme at the American Society for Reproductive Medicines annual conference in 2021, hinting at a time when gestation could happen outside the human body. It wasnt Oh, maybe this will happen, she said. It was very factual: when this happens, this is how were going to use it. She and her colleagues believe that one day dozens of egg cells might be generated from a simple biopsy or blood sample, perhaps even one taken from someone who is biologically male. Conception might not be the company that figures out I.V.G., but the prevailing sense is that its only a matter of time before someone does.

In late January, I visited the headquarters of Conception, in Berkeley. The company was founded in 2018, and has since raised almost forty million dollars in venture capital in pursuit of in-vitro gametogenesis. The staff was temporarily based in a single-story co-working space near Aquatic Park, and things had gotten crowded. Conceptions C.E.O., a thirty-one-year-old entrepreneur named Matt Krisiloff, was working from an armchair wedged between two desks. Krisiloff first tweeted about his interest in I.V.G. in 2017. At the time, he was the director of a nonprofit wing of Y Combinator, the startup incubator, established to fund technological research for the benefit of the world, as the company put it. Sam Altman, who was then running Y Combinator, told me that he and Krisiloff were both interested in what he called hard-tech companies that invest a long time in developing a difficult technology first and then dont bring a first product to market for many, many years. Krisiloff had helped out in the early months of OpenAI, which went on to invent ChatGPT, Dall-E, and the transcription service Whisper, an experience he has cited as formative in learning how to set up a research-oriented company with an ambitious end goal.

Krisiloff has close-cropped hair and a gap-toothed smile, and on the day of my visit he was dressed in jeans, a black crew-neck sweatshirt, and sneakers made by the Swiss brand On. He does not have a degree in the hard sciencesas an undergraduate, he majored in Law, Letters, and Society at the University of Chicagoand was still in his twenties when he and two scientists founded Conception, which was initially known as Ovid Research. Krisiloffs interest in I.V.G. was partly personal: he is gay, and liked the thought of one day being able to have biological children with a male partner. (Krisiloff once dated Altman; he is now in a relationship with Lucas Harrington, the co-founder of Mammoth Biosciences, which is focussed on the gene-editing technology CRISPR.)

While visiting Hayashis lab in Japan in 2018, Krisiloff met Pablo Hurtado Gonzlez, a Spanish biochemist who was a visiting scholar there. Over dinner at a ramen restaurant in Fukuoka one evening, the mission of Conception began to take shape. Hurtado Gonzlez, who is thirty-two, is also gay, and has a Ph.D. in reproductive health and a particular interest in male-male reproduction. (The bio on his Instagram profile reads Trying to make genetic gaybies at Conception Bioscience.) After placing an ad in Nature, Krisiloff and Hurtado Gonzlez hired their third co-founder, Seres, who was born in Romania and raised in Hungary. She had worked as an embryologist at a fertility clinic in England before completing her Ph.D. at Cambridge University under Melina Schuh, a German cell biologist who is an expert in meiosis, the type of cell division unique to reproductive cells, which leads to the production of eggs and sperm. Coming from I.V.F., in-vitro gametogenesis was the single most important solution to not having enough eggs, Seres told me. Seres, who is thirty-six, has a daughter conceived without assisted reproductive technology, but her experience working at fertility clinics had made the issue personal to her: she had seen many patients with infertility issues for which no clear cause could be found.

Krisiloff had secured an initial million dollars from Hydrazine Capital, a fund, co-founded by Altman, in which he was an investor. (Conceptions investors now include Jaan Tallinn, the founder of Skype, and Laura Deming, who has a fund devoted to technologies that target the aging process to treat disease.) At first, Conceptions plan was more modest: to try to bring undeveloped eggs from a human to maturation in vitro. But a conversation with a surgeon convinced Krisiloff that immature eggs would be too difficult to extract. One of our investors gave us really good advice, like, Hey, if in-vitro gametogenesis is the main thing you care about, you can probably go surprisingly far if you just choose to focus on that rather than defer it for later, Krisiloff said. That changed our trajectory.

The rest is here:
The Future of Fertility - The New Yorker