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1/ My @a16z partner @vijaypande and I discuss some of the biggest and potentially most rewarding challenges we see coming in the world of engineering biology. 16 of them to be exact… There's no better time to build in bio than now! https://a16z.com/2020/07/22/16-open-problems-engineering-biology/
2/ For generations, the field of biology has been largely defined by its discoveries. As biology begins to transition from an empirical science to an engineering discipline, the pendulum is shifting from “What can we discover?” to “What can we solve?”.
3/ Perhaps now more than ever, we see this revolution right before our eyes as the global scientific community’s collective response to combat a global pandemic has given us one of the most prolific periods in bio both scientifically and commercially we have ever seen.
4/ As our engineering toolkit in biology reaches new heights, and infrastructure to produce and scale these solutions comes online, once unsolvable conundrums become engineering problems waiting for solutions.
5/The first big area is Re-Engineering our Drug Development System:
(1)Developing better model systems (2)Inventing new tools that change the paradigm of analysis in biology (3)Rewriting how we do clinical trials (4)Industrializing the entire process of discovery
(1)Developing better model systems (2)Inventing new tools that change the paradigm of analysis in biology (3)Rewriting how we do clinical trials (4)Industrializing the entire process of discovery
6/Second is Making Cell & Gene Therapies (our powerful new Tx arsenal) Mainstream:
(5)Better controlling their immune response (6)Engineering better delivery systems (7)Optimizing the genetic payload (8)Rewiring the manufacturing and distribution of these complex medicines
(5)Better controlling their immune response (6)Engineering better delivery systems (7)Optimizing the genetic payload (8)Rewiring the manufacturing and distribution of these complex medicines
7/Third is Harnessing Biology to Redesign Nature:(9)Making better biological building blocks (10)Creating tools to program biology at scale (11)Engineering more complex genetic circuits (12)Optimizing synthetic biology to develop and manufacture solutions beyond human health
8/Fourth is Using Neuroengineering to Tackle The Final frontier of Human Bio:
(13)Reverse engineering neuro complexity (connectome, organoids, etc.) (14)Rationally engineering therapeutics for the brain (15)Melding the mind and machine w/ BCIs (16) Augmenting human cognition
(13)Reverse engineering neuro complexity (connectome, organoids, etc.) (14)Rationally engineering therapeutics for the brain (15)Melding the mind and machine w/ BCIs (16) Augmenting human cognition
9/ These 16 problems are, of course, just the beginning. The real question is what becomes possible when engineering biology has pervaded not just these problems—but everything around us.
10/ If you are building a company or have ideas on how to tackle these issues, our door is always open. Together, we can engineer a new paradigm of drugs, diagnostics, tools, and products for the patients and our planet. IT'S TIME TO BUILD! https://a16z.com/2020/04/18/its-time-to-build/
