No Priors: Artificial Intelligence | Technology | Startups If DNA is Code, Can AI Help Write It? Scaling Cell Programming and Synthetic Biology, with Ginkgo Bioworks Co-founder and CEO Jason Kelly
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Sep 28, 2023 
Jason Kelly, co-founder and CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks and an MIT Ph.D. in Biological Engineering, dives into the intersection of AI and synthetic biology. He discusses how DNA acts as a code akin to software, highlighting innovations in protein engineering. Kelly illustrates pandemic preparedness through advancements in synthetic biology and the importance of AI in drug discovery. The conversation sheds light on corporate governance in biotech startups and the evolutionary insights that can optimize biological systems for future research.
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DNA as Code
- DNA is code, analogous to 0s and 1s in computers.
- However, cells handle code differently than computers, making biological engineering unique.
Tom Knight's Transition to Biology
- Tom Knight, a computer architect, transitioned to programming DNA, noting its physical nature.
- Many computer scientists found biology's unpredictability challenging, unlike the predictable logic of computer science.
Neural Nets and Biology
- Neural networks' analysis will resemble systems biology due to their non-designed, complex nature.
- Biological engineering's value lies in its powerful substrate, despite its unpredictability.
