Cambridge-based Broken String Biosciences, a genomics company focused on creating safer cell and gene therapies, announced that it has raised $15M in a Series A round of funding.
The investment was co-led by Illumina Ventures and Mérieux Equity Partners, with contributions from HERAN Partners and participation from existing investors Tencent and Dieter von Holtzbrinck Ventures.
Broken String Biosciences is dedicated to enhancing the safety of cell and gene therapies through comprehensive genome stability assessments. The company is constructing a platform to facilitate the development of inherently safer cell and gene therapies.
At the core of their technology portfolio is INDUCE-seq, an advanced Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)-based platform specifically designed for mapping DNA breaks.
This platform empowers companies involved in cell and gene therapy development to precisely measure and quantify the specificity of off-target genetic modifications and assess the resulting genetic outcomes.
Broken String Biosciences, originating as a spin-out from Cardiff University in 2020, completed a residency at the Illumina Accelerator in Cambridge, UK. In September 2021, it secured nearly $4M in a Series Seed round from investors across the UK, Germany, and the US.
The company is based in Cambridge, UK, with its headquarters at the BioData Innovation Centre on the Wellcome Genome Campus. They also have laboratory facilities nearby at Chesterford Research Park.
INDUCE-seq, developed by Broken String Biosciences, is a platform for assessing the specificity and safety of genome editing technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 in the development of cell and gene therapies.
This technology employs a PCR-free (polymerase chain reaction) approach to directly measure and quantify DNA double-strand breaks using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS).
INDUCE-seq provides data-driven insights across various development stages, from discovery to clinical, enabling researchers to identify and mitigate off-target genetic alterations.
By offering a precise and comprehensive method for evaluating gene editing outcomes, INDUCE-seq contributes to the discovery of new therapeutic targets within the genome and the advancement of gene editing programs.
Broken String Biosciences says it will use the money to advance its genomics technology platform, specifically its DNA break mapping platform INDUCE-seq.
The company aims to transform INDUCE-seq into a scalable ‘Platform-as-a-Service’ (PaaS) offering and expand its capabilities beyond gene editing.
Additionally, the funds will also support the company’s growth initiatives, including team expansion at the Wellcome Genome Campus in Cambridge, UK, and the establishment of a US office.
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