Shriya Bhat

Molecular Bio @Harvard College

Host of the bio/acc podcast.

[Shriya Bhat @ShriyaPBhat]

What’s next for gene editing, personalized genomics, and de-extinction?

@geochurch is the godfather of synthetic biology—he helped sequence the human genome, pioneered CRISPR tech, and launched 50+ biotech startups.

I had the chance to interview him. Here’s what I learned🧵

[Shriya Bhat @ShriyaPBhat]

Watch the full episode here: https://t.co/sUMWzgDxpD

[Shriya Bhat @ShriyaPBhat]

The massive M&A activity in the cell and gene therapy space in the last two quarters have been promising.

We saw Lilly’s announcement to acquire Orna Therapeutics just last week.

But for the most part, the broad uptake of gene therapies has been limited by the long-standing challenge of delivery.

If we had a platform that could modularly engineer cell-specific delivery vehicles for diverse genetic payloads, we could unlock therapies across vastly broader indications, from cancer to cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disease.

This is the future that Syenex works toward.

A few weeks ago, I sat down with Jay Rosanelli in SF at JP Morgan Healthcare. We talked about:

-- The economics of platform vs. Tx companies
-- The technical bottlenecks in viral vector and non-viral delivery
-- A brief history of biotech capital
-- What’s next for neurotech and AI x bio.

Perhaps one day, a singular injection will be enough to durably rewrite the genetic drivers of disease.

Until then, one of the hardest problems in biology will remain in delivery, and I look forward to following how small biotechs rise to the occasion.

[Shriya Bhat @ShriyaPBhat]

@RishabJainK cool project!

[Shriya Bhat @ShriyaPBhat]

Watch the full episode here: https://t.co/tkT7yO3OD6

[Shriya Bhat @ShriyaPBhat]

A grad student could design the next defense against bioweapons.

Seriously. The threat space in biology is infinite; humans aren’t. That’s why @DARPA funds translational research.

I spoke with @mkoeris, Director of DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office on Bio/Acc.

[Shriya Bhat @ShriyaPBhat]

3/3: At a patient meeting, a mother showed Coller her forearm--her child's mutation tattooed in ink.

“I don't understand it, but scientists do. I never want to forget it. Can your therapy help my kid?”

The direct translation of his research is what drives Professor Coller.

[Shriya Bhat @ShriyaPBhat]

Before mRNA vaccines, there were decades of fundamental RNA research.

@Jmcoller led much of this work, making seminal discoveries on mRNA stability and translation.

They now shape cancer therapeutics, rare disease, and precision medicine.

I had a chance to speak with him 🧵

[Shriya Bhat @ShriyaPBhat]

2/3: His 2015 discovery: mRNA stability depends on ribosome translation speed. Slow ribosome = unstable mRNA.

This “codon optimality” insight directly informed COVID vaccine design. The first author went to Moderna and helped design the spike vaccines.

[Shriya Bhat @ShriyaPBhat]

Watch the full interview here: https://t.co/z7ks19a7NO

[Shriya Bhat @ShriyaPBhat]

People out there want to help you choose your kid.

The question isn’t just whether that’s right, but if it’s ethical to release science before it’s fully vetted.

I sat down with @jqontech on Bio/Acc to talk about the ethics of germline editing & the next wave of biotech.

[Shriya Bhat @ShriyaPBhat]

3/3: Extremophilic biofilms could have translational potential, from bioremediation of pollutants and heavy metals to inspiring new therapeutics and climate-resilient materials. Many remain untapped opportunities for medicine and biotechnology.

[Shriya Bhat @ShriyaPBhat]

Excited to share my new review in Frontiers in Microbiology: Bioactivity of microbial biofilms in extreme environments.

We look at how biofilms adapt at the limits, from hot springs to glaciers, and how the biomolecules they produce can be used in medicine and industry.🧵

[Shriya Bhat @ShriyaPBhat]

2/3: These adaptations support survival and often lead to the production of bioactive compounds: antimicrobials, antioxidants, anticancer agents, and cryoprotectants, some with remarkable stability under extreme conditions.

[Shriya Bhat @ShriyaPBhat]

3/3: Germline editing: embryo-scale delivery simplifies the hardest part. Focus on disease elimination, transparent IRB oversight, and ethics-by-design. Long term, costs could approach IVF, compared to multimillion-dollar somatic price tags.

[Shriya Bhat @ShriyaPBhat]

Imagine if germline gene correction could become as routine--and affordable--as IVF.

I talked to @CathyTie (Locke Bio, Manhattan Project) on Bio/Acc.

How do we build in regulated biotech? Can D2C healthcare cut costs?

And how do we do germline editing the right way? 🧵

[Shriya Bhat @ShriyaPBhat]

2/3: D2C healthcare: works best for meds that can be prescribed digitally and for brands/manufacturers with existing audiences. Cutting PBMs can drop prices; insurance can still be integrated depending on the brand.