CIO Bulletin

Mission Bio – Empowering Scientific Innovations with Precision Engineering, Innovative Biochemistry, and Advanced Bioinformatics in Single-Cell Biology

Mission Bio is a company driven by a team of passionate individuals dedicated to addressing complex biological challenges through precision engineering, innovative biochemistry, and advanced bioinformatics. Founded in 2014, the company originated from the esteemed lab for high-throughput biology under the leadership of Adam Abate at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Their pioneering precision genomics platform is rooted in the groundbreaking droplet microfluidics research conducted by Abate and his team.

The company's overarching goal is to assist researchers and clinicians in delving into the realm of single-cell biology. Their cutting-edge technologies empower the discovery, development, and delivery of precision medicine, offering profound insights into the intricacies of single cells. Through their work, they contribute significantly to the progress of personalized and targeted medical solutions, shaping the future landscape of healthcare.

Q. Why single Cell?

In recent years, remarkable strides in biotechnology have transformed the field of medicine. Despite these advancements, there remain significant challenges due to limitations in analytical tools. These obstacles hinder in-depth studies of pathologies and impede the development of groundbreaking therapies.

Currently, many genotyping techniques rely on bulk assays, where DNA from multiple cells is mixed, and average readouts are reported. While suitable for certain inquiries, these assays fail to capture the nuances of individual cells, providing only a generalized view of biological complexity. In contrast, single-cell DNA sequencing assesses the genotype of individual cells, offering a more detailed and comprehensive understanding of the sample.

This approach proves especially vital in applications where information at the cellular level holds paramount importance. It addresses crucial challenges, such as unraveling the intricacies of heterogeneous diseases like cancer, including the underlying mechanisms propelling them. Additionally, in the realm of pharmacological development, where each therapeutic candidate must be meticulously characterized for safety and efficacy, single-cell analysis provides the granularity required to meet these demands.

Q. Why Multi-Omics?

Traditional methods in disease research and therapeutic development often involve running separate assays on different instruments, leading to several challenges. Firstly, precious and hard-to-obtain samples are utilized in multiple assays, leaving limited material for subsequent analyses. Secondly, integrating and analyzing data from multiple assays is intricate, requiring specialized bioinformatics expertise to identify correlations across diverse datasets. Thirdly, conducting numerous assays on various "omics" platforms can be costly and time-consuming, delaying researchers' access to critical experimental insights.

Fortunately, cutting-edge multi-omics technologies like the Tapestri Platform are addressing these challenges effectively. Tapestri revolutionizes the approach by simultaneously measuring DNA and cell-surface proteins across thousands of individual cells.

By consolidating genotypic and phenotypic assays into a unified workflow, Tapestri not only conserves precious samples but also allows the collection of multi-parameter data swiftly and effortlessly. This innovative method provides an unparalleled depth of insight into the intricacies of biology, fundamentally altering how they explore diseases and develop therapies. With Tapestri, researchers can gain a comprehensive understanding of biological nuances, leading to transformative advancements in the understanding and treatment of various diseases.

Mission Bio partners with pharma and biopharma companies across drug and advanced therapy development programs to implement proven single-cell multi-omics capabilities into discovery, translational and clinical research efforts.

Tapestri Platform

Single-cell analysis is driving progress across various scientific domains, particularly in oncology and the advancement of cutting-edge therapeutics. Notably, technologies like Tapestri are playing a pivotal role in transforming cancer translational research. By providing detailed information about tumor architecture, Tapestri facilitates highly personalized approaches to diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment strategies.

In addition to cancer research, Tapestri is instrumental in propelling the development of innovative cell and gene therapies. Its ability to measure multiple genotypic alterations across individual cells allows therapy developers to achieve comprehensive characterizations of gene-modified cell therapies. Furthermore, it enables the evaluation of in vivo gene therapies in model systems, contributing significantly to the evolution of therapeutic interventions.

The profound benefits of single-cell analysis extend to both academic research and industries, offering invaluable insights. Pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies can leverage Tapestri's highly sensitive analysis to assess therapy resistance, monitor Minimal Residual Disease (MRD), and characterize cell-based drug candidates. This level of detailed analysis not only enhances the understanding of disease mechanisms but also accelerates the development of targeted therapies, revolutionizing the landscape of medical research and patient care.

The Tapestri Platform is the only system capable of simultaneously providing both genotype and phenotype data from the same cell, across thousands of single cells. With DNA as a foundation, their proprietary two-step microfluidic workflow enables the simultaneous detection of analytes, including SNVs, CNVs, and proteins. Meet the complexity of cancer with true multi-omics analysis.

Tapestri single-cell DNA panels and protein panels are highly sensitive and customizable panels that enable true multi-omics analysis on the Tapestri Platform. Whether identifying co-mutation patterns and zygosity in subclones or cellular identities and subtle cell states, Tapestri single-cell DNA panels and protein panels can be applied across a wide range of discovery and translational research applications.

About | Adam Abate, PhD

Adam is a co-founder and the interim Chief Executive Officer of Mission Bio. His proprietary research in high throughput and droplet technology helped lay the foundation for Mission Bio’s single-cell genomics system. Adam is a Professor in the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences at the University of California San Francisco and has received a number of awards and honors during his career, including the NSF CAREER Award, the NIH New Innovator Award, and the Presidential Early Career Award. Adam holds his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania.