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  Looking back, 2020 was quite the year. We designed 200 unique oncolytic viruses, and we confirmed 163 viruses are working (replication competent) in the lab. Among these, we engineered 42 glycoproteins, 29 promoters and 14 therapeutic genes. We generated more than 10 billion virus particles over the year, which we tested in 11 research cell lines and 8 patient derived cells. Building on our in vitro success, we also conducted 2 mouse studies. How did the year unfold chronologically?…

With a lot of countries taking more drastic measures and enforcing limited social contact (known as social distancing), we are left to ask, what is next? We believe it is possible to make a vaccine for COVID-19 that provides long lasting immunity. We also believe we can do this, fast. We recently shared our design here. Since then, we have found several papers that support our line of thinking. Included among these, an article by Liniger et al. that describes…

Let me start by sharing, we are worried about the recent outbreak of COVID-19, also known as SARS-CoV-2 and 2019-nCoV. We feel deeply for all the people who are sick or have loved ones currently infected. We also see the impact on society.  After the initial outbreak, like most of us, we continued with business as usual. We also hoped for and expected the rapid development of vaccines. (Read here about current efforts) At the present moment, however, we feel…

The third and last in a series of Questions and Answers with the co-founders of Humane Genomics. Q: Tell me a bit about yourself. I am a serial entrepreneur and one of the co-founders of Shapeways. I am a big tech and science nerd and have too many interests to keep up with. Some of the things I am passionate about, besides Humane Genomics, are: astrophysics, internet of things (Raspberry Pi’s), writing software in various different languages, brewing beer, cooking,…

The second in a series of Questions and Answers with the founders of Humane Genomics. Q: Tell me a bit about yourself. I’m a big science nerd. I’ve always been interested in the intersection of science and technology, and how it can advance humanity and healthcare. I also have a soft spot for animals, and have a dog, four cats, and 18 fish.  Q: Why did you decide to become a founder of Humane Genomics? There are several reasons why…

This post is a first in a series of Questions and Answers with the founders of Humane Genomics. First up: Andrew Hessel. Q: Tell me a bit about yourself. I am a bio-geek and I have always been fascinated by how living things work — and stop working properly, as is the case with cancer. I also track new biotechnologies and spend time thinking about things that will be possible in the near term, typically 5-10 years. I have two…