Designing Programmable Genetic Medicines | Jake Becraft, Strand Therapeutics

Jake Becraft, the co-founder and CEO of Strand Therapeutics, discusses his journey from pursuing a PhD in chemical engineering and synthetic biology at MIT to starting a biotech company focused on developing programmable mRNA therapeutics.

At MIT, he worked on developing nanoparticles for DNA delivery and became interested in the challenges of mRNA delivery and therapeutic index. This led him to co-found Strand to engineer mRNA to amplify its signal in target cells while degrading quickly in non-target cells.

Becraft discusses the importance of finding mentors and advisors, like his PhD advisor Ron Weiss, to help navigate starting a company as a graduate student. He emphasizes the need for more formalized programs and funding to support scientists in translating their research.

Key skills he recommends for scientists interested in the business side include strong communication, the ability to build coalitions, and understanding the principles and goals that drive you rather than just pursuing a specific career path.