Rapid Response: The promise and peril of engineering biology, w/Ginkgo Bioworks Reshma Shetty

Strategic Growth

Ginkgo Bioworks has been pivotal in changing the perception of biotechnology, especially during the pandemic. Reshma Shetty emphasizes that their mission is to make biology easier to engineer, impacting various sectors from food supply to healthcare 1. Their collaboration with Moderna on mRNA vaccine manufacturing exemplifies their commitment to large-scale biotech solutions.

This is not social media, this is not advertising. This is your life, right? This is our community. This is our food supply. This is our environment.

--- Reshma Shetty

Ginkgo's decision to go public via SPAC at a $15 billion valuation marks a significant milestone in synthetic biology 1.

   

Investment in R&D

Ginkgo's dedication to research and development is a cornerstone of their strategy. Reshma Shetty explains that while some aspects of their platform allow for rapid iteration, others require long-term investment and patience 2. This balance is crucial for driving technological advancements in synthetic biology.

Sometimes they're not justified if you pencil them out, if they're not justified by any sort of financial model, but they're leaps of faith that you make to help drive the technology forward.

--- Reshma Shetty

Shetty also highlights the importance of biosecurity, noting that the tools developed for engineering biology can also address biosecurity challenges 3.