In this podcast, Louis Metzger, Chief Scientific Officer at Tierra Biosciences, provides a detailed analysis of the groundbreaking work they are doing at Tierra.

Tierra Biosciences’ innovative technology stands atop the accepted knowledge foundation of cell-free synthetic biology, computation, and integrated automation, in that its mission is based on utilizing known information, building upon it, and advancing methods to search for molecules that were once considered to be inaccessible.

Metzger talks in detail about Tierra Biosciences’ greatest goals. He explains how chemicals and enzymes that are often used for biotechnology purposes are produced by expressing them in various host organisms, but that certain enzymes for that compound could be toxic to the host cell and cause it to die. The Tierra Biosciences method, however, grinds up the cells but preserves their unique biochemistry which allows for the expression of proteins in cell-free systems that are originated from living cells but are not actually living. Metzger states that through their method they can uncover proteins, etc. that might typically be quite toxic to the host.

Metzger talks about the work they are doing with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that could assist in the treatment of malaria. Tierra Biosciences has pioneered an approach to restore the natural product pipeline and discover the useful molecules for the future.

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