Ginkgo Bioworks Partners with Deep Origin to Enhance Drug Safety Prediction Tools
Boston, MA — Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA) has announced a significant 4.5-year partnership with Deep Origin, aimed at developing advanced predictive tools for drug safety. Funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) through its CATALYST program, this initiative seeks to leverage cutting-edge computational methods for the evaluation of therapeutics. The CATALYST program is spearheaded by Dr. Andy Kilianski, Acting Deputy Director of the ARPA-H Health Science Futures Mission Office.
Collaborative Efforts for Drug Safety
The collaboration, known as Pharmacological Research and Evaluation through Digital Integration and Clinical Trial Simulation (PREDICTS), focuses on creating a revolutionary platform for drug safety assessment. Ginkgo Bioworks will utilize its 'Datapoints' platform to profile perturbation responses, generating high-quality structured data sets essential for training AI models. This encompasses the analysis of small molecule drugs and genetic perturbations across diverse cell and tissue types.
- Focus on cell type-specific toxicity endpoints
- Incorporation of DRUG-seq transcriptomics
- Implementation of innovative cell painting techniques
Key Quotes and Insights
Jesse Dill, Senior Director at Ginkgo Bioworks, expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with the PREDICTS team: "It's a great opportunity to work with such an extraordinary group with an ambitious vision. We are eager to characterize cellular responses to various drug treatments."
George Pilitsis, Director at Ginkgo, added: "We are beyond excited to push the boundaries of multi-omics data generation and to support the vision of transforming drug discovery with cutting-edge AI technology."
Dr. Natalie Ma, Head of Business Development at Deep Origin, highlighted the advantages of Ginkgo's capabilities: "Ginkgo's high throughput in vitro platforms enable us to generate data at scale, facilitating detailed modeling of various cell types across tissues and organs."
Ginkgo’s Commitment to Innovation
This partnership mirrors Ginkgo Bioworks' dedication to working with innovative interdisciplinary teams and showcases its expertise in creating large data sets for small molecule drug profile development. The integration of AI and high-throughput experimentation aims to enhance drug development processes, ultimately leading to safer therapeutics.
About Ginkgo Bioworks
Ginkgo Bioworks specializes in making biology easier to engineer, offering customizable R&D solutions for various applications including therapeutics, diagnostics, and manufacturing. The company's extensive capabilities encompass:
- Protein engineering
- Nucleic acid design
- Cell-free systems
Additionally, Ginkgo Automation provides integrated laboratory automation tools that enhance scientists' productivity, allowing them to focus on experiment planning and analysis. Through Ginkgo Datapoints, robust lab data sets are generated to fuel AI models, further reinforcing its leadership in the field of synthetic biology.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. As Ginkgo Bioworks continues to innovate in the highly regulated and competitive landscape, it remains essential for stakeholders to consider potential variations in performance and market conditions.
For additional information on Ginkgo Bioworks and its groundbreaking efforts in synthetic biology and drug safety, visit ginkgobioworks.com.