Hi ,

This week’s digest is brought to you by TJX Bioengineering. Founded in 2012 and backed by Sequoia China, T&J Bioengineering has become the leading high-throughput parallel bioreactor system provider in China and a significant player globally. As of 2023, the company has 4000+ units in operation across China, predominantly in research labs and production plants where automation features are obligatory.

 Last month, Richard Traherne had the pleasure of leading a discussion at SynBioBeta focused on “Accelerating the Bioeconomy.” During the discussion, they referenced a pioneering new World Economic Forum report that Capgemini has helped co-author. The report, published this week, provides a deep dive into the transformative strategies and opportunities to make the bioeconomy a commercial mainstream reality. Read more.

Congratulations to YDLabs. Last week, they celebrated their official AgriFoodTech industry-oriented opening event for a brand new and expanded fermentation facility

Are you ready to explore synthetic biology's limitless possibilities? Our flagship conference showcases the latest breakthroughs and trends in the field. Discover how synthetic biology transforms industries such as healthcare, food, agriculture, environment, consumer goods, chemicals, materials, and more. Join us at SynBioBeta, May 5-8, 2025, and be part of the bio revolution! Register before conference pass pricing increases this Friday, June 28.

Are you interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at the 2025 conference? Contact Anissa Cooke to learn about available opportunities.

Insights (Exclusive Content):

• Non-Model Organisms Expand the Repertoire of Synthetic Biology. Synthetic biology researchers are turning to non-model organisms to unlock new possibilities for environmental sustainability and human health.

Industry News:

• bit.bio Introduces ioAstrocytes, Pioneering Toolkit for Disease Research and Therapeutic Development: This innovation aims to advance disease research by addressing data reproducibility challenges and accelerating therapeutic development.

• Exsilio Therapeutics Emerges from Stealth with $82 Million Series A Financing to Develop Redosable Genomic Medicines: Exsilio plans to use the proceeds from this financing to advance its platform for developing genomic medicines based on naturally occurring, programmable genetic elements.

• $30M Purse: Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein Launches at Imperial: Bezos Earth Fund grant establishes a new center at Imperial to transform global food systems from environmentally damaging to innovative by creating sustainable solutions.

• Novel Enzyme Evolution Algorithm Yields High-Performance Mutations: Using evolutionary history, scientists have devised a strategy to significantly improve enzyme activity and stability, with promising applications in industries like food production and healthcare.

• Scientists Develop Digital Twin for Gut Microbiome to Enhance Nutrition: Researchers at the Institute for Systems Biology have developed a novel microbial community-scale metabolic modeling approach to predict personalized short-chain fatty acid production rates in response to different diets, aiming to improve health outcomes.

Additional Industry News:

• America hits Chinese biotech—and its own drugmakers. A sweeping bill in Congress could cost patients at home (The Economist)

• Ginkgo Bioworks lays off 158 employees, with more to come. Ginkgo had 1,218 employees at the end of last year, according to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (STAT)

• Microrobots made of algae carry chemo directly to lung tumors, improving cancer treatment. A team of researchers has spent the past five years developing biohybrid microrobots, tiny objects made of natural and synthetic materials that can be used in medicine. (The Conversation)

Regards

Jeff

Jeffrey S. Buguliskis, PhD

Director of Content, SynBioBeta

Who's hiring?

• Synthetic Biology Researcher – Developer (Term BioNet Fellow) at MITRE (US)

• Head of Informatics at Colorifix (Norwich or Cambridge)

• Head of Operations at NewLimit (South San Francisco, CA)
  

• Group Leader, Metabolism at NewLimit (South San Francisco, CA)