Ben Oakes, Scribe Therapeutics cofounder and CEO, discusses his journey in genome editing, transforming bacterial immune systems into genome editing tools. They explore the challenges of engineering these molecules and the potential for life-changing therapeutics. Topics include the intersection of engineering and biology, advancements in gene editing for chronic conditions, and the role of luck in discoveries.
Scribe Therapeutics focuses on evolving bacterial immune systems into precise genome editing tools through engineering techniques for more potent, specific, and deliverable systems.
CRISPR by design approach at Scribe Therapeutics involves defining the ultimate goal and engineering towards it, emphasizing the importance of partnerships for transforming the future of medicine.
Deep dives
Applying Engineering Perspective to Biology at Scribe Therapeutics
Ben Oakes, co-founder and CEO of Scribe Therapeutics, discusses their approach of applying engineering to biology. By starting with the engineering perspective, they can avoid the limitations and challenges of using existing molecules and instead focus on building better versions for genome editing. This approach allows them to make genome editing more potent, safer, and more deliverable, with the goal of transforming genetic medicine to prevent diseases rather than just treat them.
The Journey from CRISPR Development to Starting Scribe Therapeutics
Ben Oakes shares his experience of transitioning from working in Jennifer Doudna's lab at Berkeley, where he started using CRISPR, to becoming the CEO of Scribe Therapeutics. He highlights the transformative power of CRISPR and how it shifted his perspective on the future of medicine, emphasizing the importance of treating the underlying cause, modifying the genome, and preventing diseases. This led him to build his own lab and ultimately start Scribe Therapeutics to bridge the gap between natural technologies and human-controlled technologies.
Scribe Therapeutics' Approach to Molecular Engineering and Partnerships
Ben Oakes explains Scribe Therapeutics' approach to molecular engineering and how they differ from other companies in the field. They focus on evolving bacterial immune systems into precise genome editing tools by using engineering techniques to make the systems more potent, specific, and deliverable. Scribe's approach, known as CRISPR by design, starts by defining the ultimate goal and then engineering towards it. Additionally, Ben discusses their successful partnerships with companies like Sanofi and Eli Lilly, emphasizing the importance of finding partners who share the vision of transforming the future of medicine.
Scribe Therapeutics cofounder and CEO Benjamin Oakes, PhD, joins a16z Bio + Health founding general partner Vijay Pande.
In this episode, Benjamin traces his journey from PhD student to pioneering CEO in genome editing. Benjamin discusses his early exposure to CRISPR technologies, his hands-on experience of transforming these bacterial immune systems into "genome editing scalpels," and the founding of Scribe. The conversation sheds light on the challenges of engineering these molecules, as well as the potential for life-changing therapeutics.
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