#26: Machines Controlling Biology, Light Reprogramming Cells, Algorithms for Drug Development, Commoditizing Pharma, and the Future of Biotechnology w/ Prolific Machines CEO Deniz Kent

The future of biology. In it we cover machines controlling cells, manipulating biology with light, algorithms for drug development, and how biotech is becoming a low cost and mass production industry. Deniz Kent is CEO of Prolific Machines. Prolific is the first biotech company to harness light as a more efficient way to produce lab grown food, life saving drugs, and novel biosolutions. Offering a full stack tool kit from bioreactor to AI-software, Prolific’s groundbreaking technology provides dynamic control over virtually any cell function in any cell type. Until now, biomanufacturing has been limited to indirect cell control via expensive, inefficient, and imprecise tools like chemicals. Prolific’s platform enables direct control using light to produce new and superior biolsolutions faster, cheaper, and at greater scale. Based in Silicon Valley, the four year old company has raised $87 million in venture capital from the likes of Mayfield, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, In-Q-Tel and Fonterra. Prolific’s co-founder and CEO is Dr Deniz Kent, an expert in biological systems who earned his PhD in the Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine at King’s College London. During his studies he co-discovered a new human liver stem cell, worked on cures for Asthma at GlaxoSmithKline and develop research in the field of cancer immunotherapy. Sign up for new podcasts and our newsletter, and email me on [email protected] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.