How Two Bioscience Funding Giants are Partnering to Advance Synthetic Biology Research

The Allen Institute and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative share some DNA when it comes to their approach to research in the biosciences: both are interested in furthering what's called foundational science, the basic knowledge and tools that can help all researchers study human biology and disease, and develop new cures and treatments.

So it makes sense that Allen and CZI might be natural collaborators, and in fact, they have worked together from time to time. But recently, they announced what stands out as their first major partnership. The organizations jointly unveiled the establishment of the Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, along with an academic partner, the University of Washington (UW). The goal of this new research hub: to develop a novel generation of cell-based synthetic organisms that can serve as tiny, in-the-body recording devices to give scientists a record of the molecular changes and processes that go on inside human cells and tissues over time.

The basis for this single-cell recording capability lies in a branch of biotechnology called synthetic biology, which involves the creation in the lab of biological organisms that can actually be programmed at the genetic level to do, well, useful things. Researchers are using synthetic biology techniques in applications in medicine, agriculture and manufacturing. The ability to create what amounts to a step-by-step record of what goes on in cells and genes during the course of a disease — or in healthy cells, for that matter — would be an immensely valuable tool for scientists.

“The analogy I like to use is that it’s like a flight recorder or black box in an airplane,” said Jonah Cool, science program officer at CZI. “So what we're developing at a molecular level are organisms that can record processes into their DNA, such that you can get a very, very rich understanding of what the cell has seen or experienced.”

The goal is for these tiny synthetic organisms to sense what's going on in specific cells or tissues in the body; then they record those processes in their own DNA. Researchers would then remove the synthetic cells through blood or tissue samples and read the DNA recording, complete with the biological time stamps that will help demonstrate the sequence of developments.

CZI and Allen will split the funding to support the hub, committing up to $70 million between the two for the first five years, depending on how quickly development milestones are reached. The funders expect some 40 to 50 researchers will be involved in the hub's work.

In an era when many are sometimes wary or suspicious of new science and technology — the fears surrounding AI are only the most recent example — the topic of synthetic biology is sure to spark worries. Some scientists, including at the U.N., have warned that misuse of synthetic biology technology could have harmful consequences. Of course, many branches of biotechnology carry risks and must be developed with care.

“This is an area that's going to attract a lot of attention nationally and internationally,” said Rui Costa, president and CEO of the Allen Institute. “There's a lot of conversation at the government level and in biotech about synthetic biology in a similar way, about ethical considerations.” Those conversations are going to continue, and as with AI, will (hopefully) ensure that research is able to harness the potential of synthetic biology.

The late Paul Allen, using the billions he amassed as a cofounder of Microsoft, was something of a pioneer when it comes to philanthropy for so-called big science, generating foundational knowledge and making it openly available. In 2003, for example, his $100 million commitment established the Allen Institute for Brain Science, which took on big science projects like the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas and the Allen Human Brain Atlas.

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, backed by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan’s technology industry wealth, describes its approach in similar terms: “to build the future of science by advancing biomedical research and developing technologies to understand, observe, measure and analyze any biological process within the human body — across spatial scales and in real time. We’ll use these tools to make new discoveries and spur the translation of basic science into groundbreaking treatments and therapies.” CZI comes to the synthetic biology hub project with experience through work such as its Single-Cell Biology program, which focuses on developing technologies to investigate individual cells and better understand how diseases progress and manifest.

It's probably not a coincidence that both Paul Allen and Mark Zuckerberg, whose success rested upon a global industry and technology infrastructure, approached their philanthropic giving as infrastructure creation — in this case, to create infrastructures for research in the biosciences and other areas.

“Like the Allen Institute, CZI is set up to do open science and moonshots,” said Costa. “But together, we can go further. If we collaborate as scientists, we should collaborate as institutions. So this is an exciting collaboration in that sense.”

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