The funding will amount to approximately 18 million NIS for the first year and will be carried out in collaboration with Hai Laboratories and the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center, the total budget is expected to reach 40 million NIS if the program is carried out in accordance with the defined goals
The Innovation Authority publishes its decision to finance the establishment of the first synthetic biology infrastructure company in Israel. The funding will amount to approximately 18 million NIS for the first year and will be carried out in collaboration with Chai Laboratories and the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center, the total budget is expected to reach 40 million NIS if the program is carried out in accordance with the defined goals.
The field of synthetic biology is one of the core areas of the Bio-Convergence strategy and contains many approaches, methodologies and disciplines that focus on engineering, computing and biology. This field focuses on providing solutions to complex problems that require multidisciplinary knowledge by designing and building biological devices and systems for useful purposes for the needs of humans and society - for example through the design of microorganisms and biological molecules (for example, RNA and proteins) as a basis for diagnostic tools, vaccines and new medicines, alternative energy solutions , new materials (such as flavoring materials), as well as for the development of complete systems of biosensors and biological chips.
The team that will head the infrastructure company includes Dr. Roni Cohen, as the company's CEO. Cohen served for the past 11 years as the VP of the service laboratories division at Chai Laboratories. Hold a doctorate in microbiology and biochemistry from the Hebrew University, and a post-doctorate from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Next to him will be Dr. Neta Agmon as VP of Technologies, who serves as a team leader at the synthetic biology company Neo-chromosome in New York, and specializes in genetic engineering and expression in yeast. Dr. Agmon has a PhD from Tel Aviv University and a post-doctorate from John Hopkins University, and 9 scientific publications she has been a partner in since she finished her doctoral studies.
Intel and Applied Materials are interested
Dr. Yuval Dorfan as the director of scientific technological operations of the Interdisciplinary Center site, a doctor of electronic engineering specializes in the development of biosensor networks, automation and the integration of electro-optics with biological systems. Dorfan has about 20 years of experience in the high-tech and biotech industries in senior professional and managerial positions in various companies including: the Aerospace Industry, Intel, Applied Materials, and start-up companies in various stages of activity; Dr. Yonatan Giron as the director of the establishment of the synthetic biology project at the Interdisciplinary Center. Dr. Giron has experience in DNA technologies, developing tools for tissue engineering and combining synthetic biology with neuron engineering, electrophysiology and virtual reality, and has a doctorate in nanotechnology and neural engineering and Dr. Ortal Shimon, as the director of scientific technological operations of the Rehovot website. Dr. Shimon specializes in advanced molecular biology, and completed post-doctoral training in medicinal chemistry at Bar Ilan University. Shimon has a doctorate in biochemistry.
Several strategic partners have expressed interest in the venture and may take part in it. These partners include the Ginkgo Bioworks company which is the pioneer of synthetic biology in the USA and other companies such as Elbit, GFI Israel.
The equipment that will form the basis of the company's services will be distributed between the complex in Herzliya and Rehovot, including a module for performing various syntheses and optimization of expression systems, calibrating methods, cleaning and characterization of products, and a module for functional analysis, scanning of metabolic pathways, protein production, intracellular interactions, cell imaging, and more , all of these will be located in Chai laboratories in Rehovot based on a lot of equipment that already exists in the company and new equipment that will be purchased. A design module based on computational biology and bioinformatics and a production preparation module, production planning (gable), fermentation, beyond real environmental conditions, will be at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya.
Chai Laboratories has an existing quality assurance system and extensive experience in complying with international procedures and standards. The company intends to apply these standards to the services of the new company as much as possible, including the relevant service that will be provided by the units located at the Interdisciplinary Center.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Orit Farkash HaCohen: "The field of synthetic biology attracts the best scientists and entrepreneurs in the world - and for good reason. It contains economic, entrepreneurial and scientific opportunities, as well as fundamental value and existential questions that we must lead in as a country. I see the role of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology as an investor and assimilator of technological infrastructure, physical and human, in the most advanced and most attractive fields, so that the State of Israel will be a source of innovation and action in the future fields of the international economy, develop in it and even attract the best scientists and entrepreneurs to it. I strengthen the hands of the Innovation Authority, and support their activities for the significant promotion of innovative infrastructures in new fields"
Dror Bin, CEO of the Innovation Authority: "After a year's comprehensive research, the Authority identified the field of synthetic biology as an innovative infrastructural field that rests on a broad and ground-breaking multidisciplinary knowledge base in academia and enables the promotion of the Bio-Convergence industry in Israel and the development of new companies in the field. In light of this, it was decided that the timing is right and it is important to act quickly. For this purpose, we have built a team of experts who will define the required activity and guidelines for the establishment of a synthetic biology infrastructure in Israel."
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One of the biggest concerns in the field of synthetic biology is the formation of a situation where only huge corporations will deal with it while blocking the general public and/or small companies by creating barriers around intellectual property - for example by protecting the various developments through patents.
In recent years, a "movement" of researchers has been developing who believe that the research of the subject should be allowed in an open architecture - so that large parts of the information and working methods will be available to a wide public of researchers and developers and an "accelerating dynamic" will be created that will allow the free development of the field.