Twenty years in the past, getting a human genome sequenced was a billion-dollar, worldwide undertaking. At present, you will get your canine’s genome sequenced by the tip of the month for a couple of dollars. It speaks to the velocity with which genetics has permeated our lives, however regardless of huge enhancements to the expertise, the method can nonetheless be a bit clunky within the lab.
Earlier than you’ll be able to even begin to disentangle somebody’s genetic code, you need to begin with a pattern. And that pattern has to get prepped the appropriate method. It’s a comparatively boring course of that’s typically sidelined in favor of flashier functions of genome sequencing (learn: reviving mammoths). However it’s a spot the place Volta Labs is aiming to carry a brand new focus.
Based in 2018, Volta Labs is a startup spun out of MIT’s media lab specializing in making a programmable method to DNA pattern prep. The group is within the course of of making a desktop-sized instrument that may automate the processes used to get genetic samples prepared.
“The whole world couldn’t sequence a single human genome 20 years in the past, and immediately, I as a non biologist can sequence a human genome in a day or two on a bench. However if you happen to have a look at the steps for pattern prep, it’s nonetheless lagging by a big margin. It’s virtually been uncared for,” CEO and co-founder Udayan Umapathi advised TechCrunch.
The origin story of Volta’s instrument goes again to 2015, when Umapathi was engaged on his graduate thesis at MIT. “What I seen was that the prevailing applied sciences for transferring, mixing and heating fluids have been archaic,” he stated. “I spotted if now we have to do biology at scale, automation for biology needs to be constructed from the bottom up.”
The DNA pattern prep course of begins with a organic pattern, like blood, saliva and even plant tissue. From there, a collection of enzymatic and chemical reactions are carried out that draw out DNA molecules. Then they must be manipulated to allow them to then be “learn” by a sequencer. These reactions are carried out by liquid manipulating robots, or in some circumstances by hand.
Volta automates this course of with what Umapathi referred to as “digital fluidics” — a type of electrowetting. This makes use of an array of electrodes organized on a grid, every of which will be charged or discharged, creating one thing like a maze that may exactly place drops of liquid.
Volta’s digital fluidics array. Picture Credit: Volta Labs
With the appropriate programming, Umapathi is assured his platform permits liquids to be manipulated in much more advanced methods, like utilizing magnetic fields to attract sure molecules out of samples for additional evaluation.
Regardless of these capabilities, the instrument is meant to be small: Umapathi’s purpose is to maintain it the dimensions of a laptop computer.
Umapathi isn’t the primary to see the potential that “digital fluidics” maintain for organic functions. In reality, Illumina has been taken with expertise of this nature for years.
In 2013, Illumina acquired Superior Liquid Logic, an organization based in 2004 that had already been engaged on making use of digital microfluidics to prep work for Subsequent Era DNA sequencing. In 2015, Illumina went on to attempt to launch its personal model of a DNA library pattern prep product referred to as NeoPrep, which rolled the 4 to 5 day course of into one instrument that would accomplish the duty in half-hour. Nevertheless, because the authors of a 2020 overview paper on the electrowetting trade notice, the instrument was “discontinued for undisclosed causes” in 2017.
Whether or not the tip of NeoPrep in 2017 has greater implications for Volta’s personal commercialization course of is difficult to say. However, it does appear that Illumina hasn’t put the concept to mattress but.
On Thursday, Volta introduced a $20 million Sequence A spherical, which was led by Maverick Ventures (Maverick additionally led a earlier seed spherical), with participation from Khosla Ventures, Casdin Capital and E14 Funds. Individuals additionally embody Illumina co-founder John Stuelpnagel, and different massive names within the genetics area like Anne Wojcicki, CEO of 23andMe, and Paul McEwan, founding father of Kapa Biosystems. McEwan particularly has led sequencing pattern prep packages at Roche Sequencing Options.
The pure query right here is: Does Volta’s instrument truly exist but? It does, Umapathi stated, and it’s already within the palms of 4 companions which can be testing it within the subject. He declined to call the companions however described them briefly.
One is an organization specializing in most cancers care and neurological problems, which has been utilizing Volta’s tech to develop a DNA extraction course of. One is a analysis establishment in RNA functions. The third is a “genome middle,” he says. The fourth firm is a biotech agency taken with artificial biology.
The corporate’s purpose is to launch a “restricted trial version” on the AGBT Genomics convention in June. Throughout that launch, Umapathi additionally expects to current knowledge from the trial initiatives run with the “genome middle.” He expects to have a business product prepared in 2023.
The quickly accelerating genomics trade could have room for Volta to climb on board. It price $3 billion to sequence the human genome as a part of the Human Genome Challenge. At present, that very same course of will be repeated for about $600. McKinsey’s 2020 genetics trade evaluation estimated that the price of genome sequencing may dip under $100 inside a decade.
Amidst this background, the pattern prep bottleneck appears apparent. The larger query right here is: Why haven’t the giants in genome sequencing already created the answer?
A part of the reply is that they’ve already tried, and a few locations, like Roche do have devices that may tackle every little piece of the sequencing prep puzzle individually, versus the built-in system Umapathi goals to create. However the reply Umapathi prefers is that current sequencing expertise is already difficult sufficient to be a full-time job.
“The expertise now we have constructed immediately is sort of as advanced because the pattern prep itself. So for lots of the sequencing tech firms, getting their core expertise was already a large problem.”
Going ahead, Volta has to show that comparatively advanced chemistries will be manipulated inside such a compact instrument. It should publish much more knowledge than it has proper now to actually show it might match into this area of interest. Confidential trials with 4 prospects and unpublished knowledge aren’t sufficient.
But when it truly works, Volta could be part of the rise of an trade that’s already booming. With this Sequence A spherical, Umapathi plans to stipulate a producing plan, and begin to construct out commercialization capability.
“I feel the large chunk of capital is probably going going to enter constructing out a product technique and commercialization or group in addition to we method commercialization subsequent 12 months,” he stated.
