Replies to post #1058 on Sangamo Biosciences Inc (SGMO)

[jondoeuk]

There are now three major camps:

1. Directed evolution
Seamless Therapeutics
Brink Therapeutics

Strengths:
grounded in experimental biology
proven path

Weakness:
slower scaling

2. AI-designed
Profluent
Basecamp

Strengths:
massive search space
potentially leapfrog biology

Weakness:
still depends on experimental validation

3. Hybrid engineering
Stylus Medicine

Strengths:
combines directed evolution, structural modelling, and ML/AI

Weakness:
complexity

Where does this leave Sangamo? Sangamo's MINT platform is based on Bxb1 recombinase engineering. It uses structural modelling, directed evolution and modular recombination.

But compared to this new landscape, the MINT platform looks to be slower, has narrower tech breadth, the funding is weak, and partners are declining.

Now with two partnerships the (uncomfortable) conclusion that Lilly - one of the most aggressive pharma companies right now - has validated recombinases, committed billions, but not chosen Sangamo. While that doesn't automatically mean Sangamo's tech is bad, it (strongly) suggests the market believes newer platforms may have higher ceiling and/or better execution potential.

[jondoeuk]

Turns out recombinases aren't Profluent's first foray into gene editing. The company made a splash in 2024 when it used AI to make novel CRISPR proteins that don't exist in nature. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/22/technology/generative-ai-gene-editing-crispr.html https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.04.22.590591v1.full

The CEO has insisted that Profluent is not a gene editing company. ''We don't consider ourselves a biotech company, or techbio company,'' he said. ''It's AI-first. That's the identity of the company.'' He also said the start-up's AI models can generate novel proteins broadly.