Imagine a world where we can design life itself, just like we design computers. That's the ambitious goal of Cell Bauhaus, an Australian startup that's turning living cells into computer code. They're on a mission to revolutionize bioengineering by creating digital replicas of living systems. But how are they doing it? And why is this so important?
This story, originally featured in Forbes Australia, dives into how Cell Bauhaus aims to transform biology from a trial-and-error process into a discipline of digital design. If you're keen to learn more, you can secure your own copy of the magazine.
At the heart of Cell Bauhaus is Dr. Megan Coomer, the CEO, who holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics and a Master’s in Computational Biology. Driven by the slow pace of translating academic breakthroughs into real-world applications, Dr. Coomer recognized a significant gap. She observed that other engineering fields, like aerospace and semiconductors, could digitally design and test innovations before investing in physical construction. However, biologists were still largely stuck with traditional, often inefficient, experimental methods.
Partnering with co-founder Professor Michael Stumpf, an expert in theoretical systems biology, they're tackling this bottleneck head-on. Their solution? A platform for computational cell modeling that simulates entire cells in the 'cloud.'
According to Dr. Coomer, this approach gives bioengineering companies 'rational design capabilities,' allowing them to simulate thousands of different real-world conditions before even entering the lab. This is where things get interesting: Cell Bauhaus aims to drastically reduce the time and resources spent on lab experiments by optimizing solutions beforehand.
But here's where it gets controversial: Cell Bauhaus uses a hybrid modeling approach. Instead of completely replacing existing biological knowledge with 'black-box' AI, they strategically combine both. They 'mechanistically exploit everything [they] understand already about cell biology, and then strategically uses AI and machine learning to fill in the gaps where knowledge is incomplete,' as Dr. Coomer explains.
Think of it like building with Lego. Some parts of a cell are well-understood and can be modeled precisely, while others are more complex and benefit from AI and machine learning.
Once these digital cells are created, scientists can manipulate them, such as by removing or adding genes from different organisms. Dr. Coomer sees huge potential in using this technology to manipulate microorganisms to produce valuable compounds sustainably.
'This can be anything from specialty or commodity chemicals right the way through expensive pharmaceuticals or biologies. The list is endless,' she says. For example, they can insert the genes that produce the scent of vanillin into yeast species, creating the compound without harming vanilla plants.
Cell Bauhaus wants to empower the community and transform how companies engineer microbes for biomanufacturing. The company is currently in the validation and early customer development phase, with backing from the Gates Foundation and the University of Melbourne Genesis Pre-Seed Fund.
And this is the part most people miss: Cell Bauhaus is also looking towards modeling multi-cell organisms in the future. They believe this is crucial because organisms often behave differently in a lab setting versus an industrial environment.
Dr. Coomer emphasizes that Australia has a unique opportunity to lead in this field and is seeking support from the government through innovation grants and deep-tech funding. She also highlights the emerging career opportunities at the intersection of biology, mathematics, and computer science – paths that barely existed just five years ago, especially in Australia.
What do you think? Is this hybrid approach the right way to revolutionize bioengineering? Do you see the potential for Australia to become a global leader in this field? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
