Gene expression (is a fundamental process defining all type of life where information encoded in the genetic material is used for generating proteins. Gene expression is a multi-steps process mediated by millions of intracellular biological machines (e.g. RNA polymerases, transcription factors, ribosomes, tRNAs, miRNAs), with complex interactions among them. Recently, intracellular biophysical simulations of gene expression have increasingly been used to answer basic scientific questions and for various biotechnology and human health applications. Such simulations have been employed to understand the effects of cancer mutations on cancer fitness and design mutations to be introduced into genomes via genome editing for specific objectives such as creating microorganisms that produce cow milk, cells that produce passive vaccines, and microalgae that generate green energy. However, since these models include networks of interaction between millions of components, they are extremely time consuming and cannot run easily on parallel computers. The patent suggests a novel computation solution for gene expression simulation in the form of dedicated hardware, with immediate practical applications in biotechnology, medicine, and agriculture. We demonstrate that such a device can mimic intercellular phenomena at speeds that are orders of magnitude faster than a similar software solution.

UNMET NEED
Quick and efficient design of biotechnological solutions.

OUR SOLUTION
A dedicated hardware that can significantly accelerate the design of biotechnological solutions. The approach will enable finding solutions that are more cost effective, contributing significantly to the profitability of biotech companies.

APPLICATIONS
Efficient design of complex biotechnological solutions. This may be related to any biomedical field including alternative proteins, pharma, agriculture, vaccine development, and more.

STATUS
A POC was demonstrated.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
A patent was submitted.

REFERENCES
1. David Shallom, Danny Naiger, Shlomo Weiss, Tamir Tuller. Accelerating Whole-Cell Simulations of mRNA Translation Using a Dedicated Hardware. ACS Synth Biol. 2021 Dec 17;10(12):3489-3506.