Syntax Bio, a synthetic biology company programming the next generation of cell therapies, today announced the publication of new research in Science Advances detailing the company’s CRISPR-based Cellgorithm™ technology, which lays the groundwork for programmable control of gene activity in human stem cells and offers an alternative to the slow, variable manual processes researchers use today.

In traditional cell differentiation, scientists expose stem cells to a series of growth factors, media changes, and environmental cues over months to coax them into a desired lineage. Each step is highly sensitive to timing and reagent conditions, leading to inconsistent results that are difficult to reproduce or scale. Syntax Bio aims to address this challenge. 

“Our research shows that we can now achieve an unprecedented level of temporal control over how genes turn on inside stem cells,” said Ryan Clarke, PhD, Syntax Bio co-founder, chief technology officer, and study co-author. “It’s the foundation of a new programming language for cells, one that we believe can eventually surpass the slow, inconsistent cell differentiation approaches researchers have relied on for years. Our goal is to make cell programming as reliable and scalable as running software.”