TechBio Innovation : Exploring the future with Quantum Biospace - Innovative Biotools

Getting closer and closer to use humans as a model for humans in drug discovery is the holy grail for drug hunters. In recent year, advances in sequencing technologies and synthetic biology have accumulated to create the conditions for unprecedented human biology modelling. Today, I would like to share Quantum Biospace’ selected list of biotools innovation highlights in these two fields.

In the field of sequencing technologies:

• SMRT sequencing, Single Molecule Real Time sequencing, based on sensing nanopore technologies, combines the benefits of short-read and to long-read sequencing : check Oxford Nanopore Technologies and PacBio
• CROP-seq, CRISPR droplet sequencing, combines the high throughput of pooled CRISPR screens with the high read-out content of arrayed screens : check Myllia Biotechnology
• CITE-seq & REAP-seq combine simultaneous measurement of surface proteins and RNAs at the single-cell level (and probably intracellular protein in the future) : invented by Merck and New York Genome Center, now commercialized by Standard BioTools and 10x Genomics

In the field of synthetic biology:

• iPSC reprogramming technology allows to generate specific cell lines, including organ-specific and diseases specific cell lines from the patient’s somatic cells : check the bit.bio iPSC platform
• Organoids, 3D culture systems, offer the benefits of native cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions : check HUB Organoids patient-derived organoids platform and FluoSphera encapsulation platform
• CRISPR screens based of the CRISPR gene editing technology allow the generation of perturbational data at unprecedented high-throughput : discover Myllia Biotechnology sgRNA design algorithm
  
  All these innovations are paving the way to generate big amounts of human single-cell perturbation data and enabling AI-driven drug discovery. Next week topic will be about big data in human biology. Stay tuned !