>FASTA_20

Finalspark's organoid matrix; Optical protein seq; CZI x IGI collab; Del Monte bankrupt; A beverage for PMS; GLP-1 competitor; TerRaNA; 67 AI drugs in clinical trials; soft robotics; Bio-complacency

>FASTA: weekly short reads of the global biotech ecosystem | Papers and patents, acquisitions and bankruptcies, biotech philosophy | Read in under 5 min | Follow on LinkedIn, X, and now Instagram too!

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1/10: Use FinalSpark’s brain organoid matrix

I’ve covered other biocomputing companies in the past. FinalSpark too has built a NeuroPlatform to use their brain organoids to run simulations remotely, with real-time neural stimulation and reading, data storage, and backup. Some researchers recently used it to simulate a 3D butterfly!

2/10: $50M for Quantum-Si’s optical prot-seq

Their benchtop equipment enables real-time kinetic-based single-molecule protein sequencing for barcoding, post-translational modification analysis, antibody sequencing, biomarker identification, LNP and AAV screening, etc.

They could be using the cash to keep developing Proteus, their novel optical protein sequencing platform. In this new device, each sample in a well is excited with light and emits energy that is directed to a sensor by a might “optical element” — No more semiconductors for protein seq either?

Single pixel of the assay chip and a single pixel of the sensor chip

3/10: CZI x IGI collab

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is funding the Innovative Genomics Institute with USD $20M to establish the Center for Pediatric CRISPR Cures, where UC Berkeley will design and test base editing cures and UCSF will do clinical treatment for severe pediatric genetic diseases, starting with 8 patients.

“With all appropriate confidentiality considerations, the Center will ensure that data from all investigative new drug-enabling studies, regulatory documentation, and clinical trials is available to other U.S. academic centers in pediatric disease that wish to design and deploy their own CRISPR-based therapies for similar cases”.

Priscilla Chan and Jennifer Doudna in conversation with Eric Topol. TELL ME: are you really going to find a newsletter that is nearly as fun as this one? LET’S FUCKING MAKE CRISPR CURES FOR ALL!!!

4/10: Del Monte bankrupt.