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New in vivo gene editing biotech blossoms from CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna’s lab with $82M
A new West Coast biotech has emerged into the busy in vivo cell therapy space, this time with the backing of Nobel Prize-winning CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D. Azalea Therapeutics has bloomed with $82 million in funding and a dual-vector approach that the company hopes can enable permanent genome editing with a single dose. The funding total includes a $65 million series A that was led by Third Rock Ventures, with RA Capital Management, Yosemite and Sozo Ventures joining the financing bouquet. Read post
Company News
Jennifer Doudna spinoff aims to turn patients’ immune cells into CAR-T fighters with single shot
A spinout from the lab of Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna has raised $82 million to create drugs that, with a single infusion, can turn patients’ immune cells into cancer- and autoimmune disease-fighting drones. It’s the latest entrant in a high-stakes race to develop what’s known scientifically as in vivo CAR-T treatments. Today’s CAR-T therapies are highly effective at treating certain blood cancers, but patients’ cells have to be removed, reengineered in a facility, and then reinfused — a toxic, expensive, and cumbersome process. Investors and pharma companies are spending billions to create alternatives that transform patients’ cells in their body. Read post
Company News
Jennifer Doudna startup launches with $82M to apply new CRISPR delivery technology to in vivo CAR-T
Azalea Therapeutics, co-founded by Nobel laureate and CRISPR co-inventor Jennifer Doudna, has raised $82 million to develop therapies based on its so-called Enveloped Delivery Vehicles, or EDVs, it said Tuesday. Its approach aims to merge the perks and overcome the limitations of the two most widely-studied delivery vessels: lipid nanoparticles and viral vectors. Read post
Company News
Why Jennifer Doudna, Reed Jobs and others are backing this East Bay biotech’s in-body cell fix-it shop
Azalea’s approach is what scientists call in vivo — or in the living body — reprogramming of immune cells. That is one of the hottest areas of cell therapy research because it could make today’s chimeric antigen receptor-T cell, or CAR-T, therapies safer, more efficient and more effective. Additionally, having the body’s own cellular machine shop serve as a production line for infection-fighting T cells could shave weeks off the process of manufacturing therapies outside the body. Read post
Press Release
Azalea Therapeutics Launches with $82 Million Financing to Redefine Precision Genomic Medicines by Engineering Cells Directly Inside Each Patient
“At Azalea, we are aiming to make cell therapy as simple as dosing a medicine,” said Jenny Hamilton, Ph.D., co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Azalea Therapeutics. “By combining cell-selective delivery with site-specific genome integration, we can create potent and durable in vivo CAR-T and other cell-based therapies inside the body and extend the reach of genome engineering to many more patients.” Read post
Company News
‘We want to change the world:’ Company says it is creating a new kind of plastic
FutureBio is tackling the problem of plastic pollution head-on by creating what its co-founder describes as a new kind of plastic. Different from both the petroleum-based and the biodegradable ones now in use, it is not only durable but also bio-renewable and easier to recycle, said Zilong Wang. “It proposes a different and a novel plastic, which is different from all other kinds of plastic,” he said. Worldwide, only about 9% of today’s plastic is actually recycled. Most of the rest, millions of tons, goes to landfills or ends up in the environment. Even the plastic that is recycled is sent to landfills or incinerators after one or two cycles because the quality of the material degrades. Read post
Bakar Bio Labs News
You Asked, We Answered: Bakar Bio Labs Launches Experts-In-Residence Program
Bakar Bio Labs is proud to introduce our new Experts-in-Residence (XIRs) program, bringing in four inaugural XIRs focused on finance, CMC operations, business development and regulatory affairs to support tenants in biotechnology product development. Although Bakar Bio Labs is an early-stage startup incubator, these experts have a particular focus on later-stage resources to help these companies, especially if they started in academia, succeed beyond their time here. Eda Altiok, who just joined us as director of partnerships, says that meetings with the XIRs are available at both set times, and on-demand. “What I kept hearing [from tenants] was that they needed access to industry, access to personnel, and people who’ve encountered similar challenges to what they’re going through, and how to overcome those challenges,” Eda says. “We want them to feel like we’re setting them up for success at Bakar Labs, so we’re excited to unveil this program.” Read post
Company News
Marco Lobba Wins 2025 Biocom Catalyst Award: Precision Therapeutics at the Molecular Level
Marco Lobba co-founded CatenaBio to advance targeted therapeutics at the intersection of chemistry and molecular biology. He co-invented the CysTyr platform, enabling precise conjugation of multiple payloads to antibodies for oncology, gene therapy and cell-based therapies. “I truly believe that the biggest challenge in making new therapeutics is how to direct them in the body,” he says. Dr. Lobba earned his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley, training with Nobel Laureate Jennifer Doudna, and holds numerous patents. Beyond CatenaBio, he mentors scientists, supports food equity programs and advocates for investment in basic research to drive future breakthroughs. Read post
Workforce Development
From Bakar to Breakthrough: How a QWEST Internship Sparked an NSF Fellowship
In early 2024, Greg Timblin sought an intern who could bring dedication, curiosity, and a fresh perspective to his startup, Inapill. UC Berkeley undergrad Katie Sie was eager to expand her skills beyond the classroom and into the fast-moving world of therapeutic innovation. QB3’s QWEST program, which pairs students with Bakar Labs tenant companies for hands-on research, offered the perfect match – one that would lead Katie to a prestigious PhD fellowship. Read postOur affiliates
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They build their support network to help them navigate the multiple challenges they face. At Bakar Bio Labs, tenants join a community of as many as 50 like-minded teams willing to share the scientific and business insights that help them advance. The incubator spans more than 40,000 square feet of lab and office spaces within the fully renovated Woo Hon Fai Hall, the iconic former home of the Berkeley Art Museum. With so much going on, investors, industry partners and new talent are already taking notice.
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