bit.bio has secured a foundational US patent for opti-ox, its precision cell programming and manufacturing technology.
opti-ox uses a dual genomic safe harbour approach to cell programming, and the granted US patent covers the use of opti-ox to deterministically activate genetic code in any eukaryotic (cell with a nucleus) cell type.
bit.bio uses opti-ox to drive the rapid transcription factor-mediated conversion of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into highly defined cell types in a single step. According to the company, this can be achieved within days and at industrial scale, while maintaining purity and consistency.
Mark Kotter, CEO and founder of bit.bio, and named inventor on the US patent, said: “Our dual safe harbour approach, opti-ox, is a foundational toolkit that allows the application of synthetic biology principles to cells of higher species. At bit.bio we are continuing to execute our strategy as we bring the benefits of our technology to the research and drug discovery industries and to the millions of patients that stand to benefit from a transformational approach to cell therapy.”
US patent US 11697823, for which bit.bio is the exclusive licensee of Cambridge Enterprise Limited, covers the use of two or more genomic safe harbour sites to control gene expression in eukaryotic cells.
Cells produced using opti-ox technology have been used in a range of research applications, including the identification of novel targets for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
