Hi ,

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• $10M Series A Funding Fuels Camena Bioscience's DNA Synthesis Revolution. Camena Bioscience, a groundbreaking synthetic biology firm supplying genes to both the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, has announced a significant milestone—the closure of a $10 million Series A financing round led by prominent tech investor Mercia.

• Firefighting Fungi: Mycelium's Unexpected Flame Resistance. In a potential revolution for sustainable building materials, researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) are tapping into the surprising fire-resistant properties of mycelium—a network of fungal strands usually found thriving on organic waste in the absence of light.

Image created using DALL·E 2

• CRISPR at the Root of Forestry's Sustainable Revolution. NC State researchers have combined CRISPR gene-editing and machine learning to engineer poplar trees with lower lignin levels, marking a significant stride towards more sustainable forestry.

• Bio-Knit: How Fungi and Textiles Are Weaving the Future of Construction. In a groundbreaking fusion of architecture and biology, a team of multidisciplinary experts has cultivated a pioneering technique to fashion eco-friendly construction materials from fungi, breathing fresh life into the industry and signaling a potential departure from conventional practices.

Courtesy of the Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment

• Scaling Sustainability: Locus Amplifies Its Green Footprint and Commitment to Decarbonization. Locus Fermentation Solutions (Locus FS), a vanguard in the green technology arena specializing in biologically-sourced alternatives to conventional chemicals, has amplified its operational domain by an impressive 100,000 square feet.

• DARPA Taps Ginkgo Bioworks for $18M Project in Therapeutic Protein Manufacturing. The 4-year deal was awarded as part of DARPA's Reimagining Protein Manufacturing (RPM) project, with Ginkgo promising groundbreaking developments in on-demand protein manufacturing through Cell-Free Protein Synthesis (CFPS).

Other news:

• LanzaTech Promotes Dr. Zara Summers to Chief Science Officer and Dr. Michael Köpke to Chief Innovation Officer. Together, these promotions reflect LanzaTech’s emphatic investment in delivering disruptive commercial technology to pave the way for a circular carbon economy. (Press release)

• Twist Bioscience and Cancer Research Horizons Enter into Collaboration to Advance Cancer Research. Cancer Research Horizons will license Twist’s Library of Libraries, an expansive collection of synthesized antibody libraries that harness innovative structural and developability features to cover a wide range of antibody drug targets. (Press release)
  

• Minutia, Oregon Health & Sciences University and Go Pen Win First-Ever American Diabetes Association Innovation Challenge. Minutia developed the first functional cure that can be given broadly for Type 1 diabetes through subcutaneous transplants of immune evasive insulin-producing cells managed in real-time by proprietary cell-based sensors. (Press release)

• Lab-Grown Cotton Enters The Market With Galy-Suzuran Partnership. Boston startup Galy has inked a deal with Japanese manufacturer Suzuran Medical Inc. to use the startup’s lab-grown cotton in its products. (Forbes)

• Ginkgo Bioworks has been awarded a research contract from IARPA to develop a biosensor that records time-ordered cellular memory for improved traceability and biosecurity. (Press release)

• Ribbon Biolabs Appoints Roopom Banerjee as Executive Chairman. Ribbon Biolabs, the DNA synthesis company, today announced the appointment of Roopom Banerjee as Executive Chairman of its Board of Directors. (Press release) 

• Ginkgo Bioworks and Sumitomo Chemical Announce Expanded Partnership To Develop Functional Chemicals with Synthetic Biology. The announcement marks the start of a third project between the companies which aims to enable the mass production of functional chemicals via fermentation. (Press release)
  

Regards,
Jeff

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Jeff Buguliskis, PhD 

Director of Content, SynBioBeta

Who's hiring?

• Various Positions at Absci
  

• Various Positions at National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology
  

• Scientist - Bioprocessing at Macro Oceans (Sacramento, CA)

• Process Engineering Director at Macro Oceans (Sacramento, CA)

• Senior Government Team Coordinator at LanzaTech (Skokie, IL)

• Software Engineer at Latch Bio (San Francisco, CA)

• Summer 2023 Business Operations (Internship) at Latch Bio (San Francisco, CA)

• Bioprocess Lab Technician at Solugen (Houston, TX)

• Senior Scientist - Strain Engineering at Solugen (Houston, TX)

• Senior Scientist I – Protein Engineering at Solugen (Houston, TX)

• Scientist II – Heterogeneous Metals Catalysis at Solugen (Houston, TX)

• Sr. Compensation Analyst at Solugen (Houston, TX)

• Director/Senior Director, Quality & Compliance (GxP) at Bit.bio (Cambridge, UK)

• Director/Senior Director, Marketing (Research Products) at Bit.bio (Cambridge, UK)

• SVP, Pharma Business Development & Cell Therapy Partnerships at Bit.bio (Boston, MA)

• Scientist/Senior Scientist, Technical Operations at Bit.bio (Boston, MA)

• Scientist/Senior Scientist, Cell Type Development (Neuro) at (Cambridge, UK)

• Director- Laboratory Operations at Twist Bioscience (Quincy, MA)

• Senior Research Associate: Protein/Enzyme Engineering at Twist Bioscience (South San Francisco, CA)

• Account Manager, Antibody Discovery Services at Twist Bioscience (NY)

• Director – Molecular Biology and Antibody Engineering at Twist Bioscience (Quincy, MA)

• Director, SEC Reporting and Technical Accounting at Twist Bioscience (San Francisco, CA)

• Senior Scientist, RNA Therapeutics at Ginkgo Bioworks (Boston, MA)

• Senior Director, Gene Therapy at Ginkgo Bioworks (Boston, MA)

• Director/Senior Director, Business Development - RNA at Ginkgo Bioworks (Boston, MA)

• Director/Senior Director, Business Development - Pharma Enterprise Sales at Ginkgo Bioworks (Boston, MA)

• Director/Senior Director, Business Development - Pharma Enterprise Sales at Ginkgo Bioworks (Boston, MA)

• Director, Business Development, Cell Engineering at Ginkgo Bioworks (Boston, MA)

• Senior Bioinformatics Engineer at Ginkgo Bioworks (Boston, MA)

• Associate Director, Lab Enablement at Ginkgo Bioworks (Boston, MA)

• Chief Strategy & Bioeconomic Development Officer at BioMADE (US)

• Multiple Positions with the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB)

• Scientist II/Scientist III, Microbial Innovation Group at Inscripta (Pleasanton, CA)

• Senior/Staff Research Associate, Molecular Biology at Inscripta (Pleasanton, CA)

• Research Associate II/III, Analytical Chemistry at Inscripta (Pleasanton, CA)