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

mRNA Vaccines

Reshma Shetty highlights Ginkgo Bioworks' crucial involvement in the development and scaling of mRNA vaccines, such as those by Pfizer and Moderna. The company launched programs to drive down costs and increase the scale of mRNA vaccine manufacturing, which was essential for global distribution. Shetty notes that the pandemic accelerated the adoption of these technologies, emphasizing their importance in modern healthcare 1.

We realized that mRNA vaccines, like the ones that Pfizer and Moderna worked on, were going to be potentially a very interesting solution. But we also knew that they were going to be manufactured for the very first time.

--- Reshma Shetty

The pandemic underscored the critical role of biotechnology in addressing global health crises, driving both technological advancements and widespread adoption 2.

   

Pandemic Response

Ginkgo Bioworks played a multifaceted role in the pandemic response, from vaccine development to testing and therapeutics. Shetty explains that the company felt a moral obligation to contribute, launching various experimental programs to address the crisis 3. This included collaborations with Moderna and other efforts to enhance biosecurity and rapid response capabilities.

When the pandemic came to Boston in March of 2020, it really hit home for us. And what struck us here at Ginkgo was that, hey, biology was suddenly having this dramatic impact on everybody's lives.

--- Reshma Shetty

The pandemic highlighted the need for a multi-pronged approach in biotechnology, combining testing, therapeutics, and vaccines to effectively combat global health threats 4.

   

Cell Programming

Ginkgo Bioworks is pioneering the field of cell programming, aiming to make biology as programmable as computers. Shetty describes how the company edits DNA to introduce new functionalities into cells, akin to writing and debugging computer code 5. This innovative approach has led to significant advancements, driven by both short-term wins and long-term investments.

Here at Ginkgo, we essentially program cells much the way you program a computer. Right. It's sort of hard to believe, but at its core, biology is fundamentally digital.

--- Reshma Shetty

The company's commitment to forward-leaning bets and large-scale synthetic DNA orders exemplifies its dedication to pushing the boundaries of biotechnology 6.