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Category: biotech/medical – Page 587

Fundraising for Founder-led Biotech

A blog webpage written by entrepreneur Matt Krisiloff which offers helpful advice to scientific founders of biotechnology companies on how to fundraise and manage relations with investors.

“Because of examples of great success in the broader technology world, we’re seeing the emergence of what I’d call a more ‘Silicon Valley’ mindset in biotech investing. This approach prizes technology development at the core of the company’s DNA and – drawing from examples in tech such as Microsoft and Meta and in biotech such as Regeneron and Genentech – recognizes that technical founders who can grow into business leaders often build more innovative and ultimately more successful companies. This shift has opened up new avenues for fundraising that founders should understand and look towards”

[](https://mattkrisiloff.com/2025/01/07/fundraising-for-found-led-biotech/)

At this point in my career across the biotech-related projects I’ve run, I’ve personally raised about $100 million. In some ways this feels like a lot, but given the scope of biotech and hard tech projects I care most about, it’s really just a drop in the bucket. From these experiences though, I’ve learned some things that I believe can help other founders navigate fundraising, and want to share them – especially for newer founders working on interesting technologies that may be approaching fundraising for the first time.

Most of what I am saying is for biotech, but I think a lot of the observations apply for medical devices and other hard science startup fundraising too.

Biotech exists in a unique corner of the investment world, one where the promise of revolutionary breakthroughs meets harsh realities of extended development timelines and significant capital requirements. This is truer today than ever – while the broader equity markets has seen unprecedented growth over the past two years, the biotech sector has remained in a relatively depressed state.

Continue reading “Fundraising for Founder-led Biotech” | >

Scientists Create Tiny Motors that Mimic Nature

Scientists have built an artificial motor capable of mimicking the natural mechanisms that power life.

The finding, from The University of Manchester and the University of Strasbourg, published in the journal Nature, provides new insights into the fundamental processes that drive life at the molecular level and could open doors for applications in medicine, energy storage, and nanotechnology.

Professor David Leigh, lead researcher from The University of Manchester, said: Biology uses chemically powered molecular machines for every biological process, such as transporting chemicals around the cell, information processing or reproduction.

Mutations Drive Aging and Shape Epigenetic Clock

New research shows somatic mutations drive epigenetic changes tied to aging. This discovery reshapes our understanding of aging and challenges current anti-aging strategies.

Summary: A new study has uncovered a direct link between somatic mutations and epigenetic modifications, challenging established views on aging. Researchers found that random genetic mutations drive predictable changes in DNA methylation, offering new insights into the relationship between mutation accumulation and epigenetic clocks.

This suggests that epigenetic changes may track, rather than cause, aging, making it harder to reverse aging than previously thought. These findings redefine our understanding of aging at the molecular level and hold significant implications for future anti-aging therapies.

Complete recombination map of the human genome created

Scientists at deCODE genetics/Amgen have constructed a complete map of how human DNA is mixed as it is passed down during reproduction. The map marks a major step in the understanding of genetic diversity and its impact on health and fertility. It continues 25 years of research at deCODE genetics into how new diversity is generated in the human genome, and its relationship to health and disease.

The new map, appearing today in the online edition of Nature, is the first to incorporate shorter-scale shuffling, (non crossover) of grandparental DNA, which is difficult to detect due to the high DNA sequence similarity. The map also identifies areas of DNA that are devoid of major reshuffling, likely to protect critical genetic functions or prevent chromosomal problems. This insight offers a clearer picture of why some pregnancies fail and how the genome balances diversity with stability.

While this shuffling, known as , is essential for genetic diversity, errors in the process can lead to serious reproductive issues. These failures can result in genetic errors that prevent pregnancies from continuing, helping to explain why infertility affects around one in ten couples worldwide. Understanding this process offers new hope for improving fertility treatments and diagnosing pregnancy complications.

Mitochondria may be a promising therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases

Scientists in the laboratory of Navdeep Chandel, Ph.D., the David W. Cugell, MD, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, have discovered how mitochondria influence the body’s immune response through modulating specific cell signaling pathways, according to a study published in Science Advances.

The findings highlight the potential of targeting specifically in immune cells to treat a range of inflammation-related diseases.

“Therapies aimed at improving mitochondrial activity could benefit inflammatory diseases such as , sepsis, and chronic infections by enhancing the immune system’s ability to regulate inflammation,” said Chandel, also a professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.

How your fingernails could point the way to an early diagnosis

When you press your fingernails together, do you see a tiny diamond-shaped window of light?

If you can’t see this ‘diamond gap’, you could have finger clubbing, which can be a sign of lung cancer. Finger clubbing is seen in 35% of people with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and in 4% of those with small cell lung cancer.

Finger clubbing is when the ends of your fingers swell up, and it happens in stages. First, the base of the nail becomes soft and the skin next to the nail bed becomes shiny. Next, the nails begin to curve more than normal when looked at from the side. Finally, the ends of the fingers may get larger and swell; it’s thought to be caused by fluid collecting in the soft tissues of the fingers.

Nanotechnology Milestone: DNA Motors Reach 30 nm/s Speeds

Researchers leverage their understanding of molecular motors to improve nanoscale.

The term “nanoscale” refers to dimensions that are measured in nanometers (nm), with one nanometer equaling one-billionth of a meter. This scale encompasses sizes from approximately 1 to 100 nanometers, where unique physical, chemical, and biological properties emerge that are not present in bulk materials. At the nanoscale, materials exhibit phenomena such as quantum effects and increased surface area to volume ratios, which can significantly alter their optical, electrical, and magnetic behaviors. These characteristics make nanoscale materials highly valuable for a wide range of applications, including electronics, medicine, and materials science.

Why our biological clock ticks: Research reconciles major theories of aging

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have published results that shed new light on an old question: what causes aging at the molecular level? Their findings, published in Nature Aging, describe a never-before-seen link between the two most accepted explanations: random genetic mutations and predictable epigenetic modifications. The latter, also known as the epigenetic clock theory, has been widely used by scientists as a consistent, quantitative measure of biological aging.

However, the new research suggests that the process may not be so simple.

“Major research institutions and companies are betting on turning back the epigenetic clock as a strategy to reverse the effects of aging, but our research suggests that this may only be treating a symptom of aging, not the underlying cause,” said co-corresponding author Trey Ideker, Ph.D., a professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.

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