Machine Bio

Machine Bio, Inc. is a biotechnology company founded in 2018 by David Marash, Alexander Hilbert, and Naman Shah, alumni of Keck Graduate Institute (KGI). The company is developing a proprietary, cell-free protein synthesis platform that produces pure protein from a DNA template in a single, four-hour step. This technology, known as the Trans-Membrane Synthesis (TMS) platform, combines cell-free protein synthesis with a proprietary biomembrane that selectively transports the protein into a pure solution as it is synthesized, eliminating the need for costly and time-consuming downstream purification processes.

The co-founders identified a significant bottleneck in the biopharmaceutical industry: traditional protein production methods can take over a week and purification can account for more than half of the total manufacturing costs. David Marash, CEO, has a background in biology and biopharmaceutical processing, including work at Stanford School of Medicine, NASA, and Sutro Biopharma. Alexander Hilbert, CPO, has a background in biological sciences and biotech management, focusing on translating the technology into business objectives. Naman Shah, COO, brings expertise in project management and data analytics.

Machine Bio's platform aims to reduce the costs and time associated with producing proteins, which are critical components in drug discovery, synthetic biology, industrial enzymes, and therapeutic manufacturing. By delivering protein that is 'born pure,' the company intends to make bioprocessing more accessible and enable distributed manufacturing. The company has gained recognition through several achievements, including winning the $200,000 grand prize at the inaugural BioTools Innovator Competition in 2021. In 2023, Machine Bio was awarded up to $500,000 in grant funding through the Technology in Space Prize, in partnership with MassChallenge, to validate its technology's function in microgravity aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Keywords: protein synthesis platform, cell-free protein synthesis, biomanufacturing, protein purification, Trans-Membrane Synthesis (TMS), synthetic biology, bioprocessing, drug development, therapeutic manufacturing, industrial enzymes, biomembrane technology, downstream processing, single-step protein production, BioTools Innovator, MassChallenge, ISS research, Keck Graduate Institute alumni, life science tools, biotech startup, pure protein production