Syntax Bio

Syntax Bio is a synthetic biology company with roots in the University of Illinois Chicago laboratory of co-founder Brad Merrill. It is built around a discovery platform it calls Cellgorithm, which directly controls and accelerates how a stem cell differentiates. Where a conventional protocol can take two to four months to push stem cells toward a target cell type, the company says its process takes about a week. Breakthrough T1D awarded Syntax Bio up to 856,250 dollars through its Industry Discovery and Development Partnership program to advance a pancreatic beta cell therapy, work it is pursuing with the Mayo Clinic. Chief executive John Craighead runs the company alongside Merrill and fellow co-founder Ryan Clarke. The beta cell program is at discovery stage with no trial, and Cellgorithm itself is a general platform pitched across many cell types rather than a diabetes-only tool.

Location

Chicago, Illinois, U.S.