A newly established biotech organization in Seattle has secured $75 million in funding to investigate "DNA typewriters," innovative self-monitoring cells that could revolutionize our understanding of biology. This collaborative effort involves the University of Washington, the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, and the Allen Institute.
Named the Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, this initiative merges the expertise of two well-funded research organizations with UW Medicine, as described by Jay Shendure, the project's scientific lead. He refers to the effort as "a new model of collaboration."
The Hub—distinct from the HUB, or Husky Union Building on UW’s campus—aims to bridge the gap between theoretical academic research and practical commercial development. The $75 million funding is allocated for five years, with a renewal option thereafter.
“There’s no strict roadmap, and we’re not claiming we will create a billion-dollar company at the end of this,” Shendure explained in an interview. “What we’re attempting is by no means guaranteed to succeed — and it wouldn’t be as engaging if it was. However, we believe we see a plausible path forward, and I hope that after five years, many will be employing this technology.”
The technology at the center of this research can be likened to a "smartwatch for cells.” Instead of imagining a red blood cell adorned with an Apple Watch, picture it keeping a journal.
“Biology occurs out of sight and over time,” Shendure noted. “Consider how we typically measure changes in biological systems. With microscopy or even just our eyes, we observe the system but are limited in our perspective. Even when we analyze tissue samples, we're capturing a snapshot of one moment. To understand the ongoing experiences of a cell over time, we need a different approach.”
Current single-cell monitoring techniques often require removing the cell from its environment or using invasive methods, like microelectrodes. However, cells come equipped with an inherent recording mechanism: DNA. Recent advancements suggest that DNA and its related structures can serve as a medium for storing diverse information.
“The genome essentially functions as a digital entity, with A, G, T, C representing data much like 1s and 0s,” Shendure explained. “This makes it feasible to record information over time similarly to how you would with a typewriter. Though we haven’t fully realized this potential yet, our goal is to advance this concept.”
At present, the technology, while still in its early stages, shows significant promise. Shendure compared the initial version to “a monkey at a typewriter,” suggesting that early attempts were random. Now, researchers can make certain biological conditions affect which keys are pressed, hinting at future developments where that vocabulary could expand considerably.
Despite the challenges, the successful early phases indicate that this venture relies on methodical research and engineering efforts—not mere luck. A system capable of "typing" under specific conditions could profoundly influence biological research and applications.
One early application demonstrated the ability to trace individual cell lineages, showcasing the potential of this breakthrough technology.
“There’s remarkable reliability in using DNA as a medium,” Shendure emphasized. “Records created are passed on faithfully to future generations of cells. Additionally, all the necessary components are generated by the cell itself, which simplifies the process."
This initiative serves as a powerful case study in collaborative research across disciplines and institutions. The Allen Institute, UW, and various projects funded by the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative are working together to tackle the shared challenge of gaining deeper biological insights using digital tools like AI and big data.
Seattle has emerged as a vibrant hub for biotech and AI. The collaboration is already fostering interdisciplinary interactions, and plans are in motion to establish a more formal workspace.
While the technology is still evolving, there are clear, attainable objectives ahead. Notable goals include developing “recorder cells and recorder mice”—biological systems equipped with self-recording capabilities that researchers can interpret, presenting their own set of challenges.
This endeavor will also leverage AI to enhance data interpretation from these self-recording systems, facilitating advances in protein design and cellular functions. As one biotech startup founder aptly described it, this methodology can seem like “an alien programming language" that AI models can surprisingly decode, with UW’s Baker Lab, an authority on protein design, joining the collaborative effort.
However, Shendure cautioned that the field is still data-limited. While we possess substantial information from microscopy and genomic data, a live journal that a cell writes about its activities would provide invaluable insights into biological processes as they unfold.
Although major announcements or publications may take time, all participating organizations are committed to keeping this initiative open, ensuring findings are shared broadly within the scientific community to advance laboratory research worldwide.
If, along the way, they create commercial value, as Shendure acknowledged, that outcome would be seen as an added bonus.
Ranking
