Andrew Hessel: Difference between revisions
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== About == | == About == | ||
I work to promote synthetic biology technology and education, open source biology, and the international Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) program. Except I don't really work. It's more what I am compelled to do | I work to promote synthetic biology technology and education, open source biology, and the international Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) program. Except I don't really work. It's more what I am compelled to do -- and because it's fun, it feels like play. I interact with a diverse range of people and organizations and enjoy making introductions and connections. | ||
I consider DNA a programming language for processors we call cells. Synthetic biology facilitates the writing of DNA-based programs for biological systems, leading to applications that range from single proteins, to new metabolic pathways, to fully synthetic cells or organisms. Designed and/or selected by humans, one might think of this as memetic engineering and/or evolution. Programming cells, although similar to programming computers, comes with far greater economic, social, ethical, and legal implications. This makes the technology important. I've also learned that it's easier to introduce the core concepts to those familiar with software engineering concepts than to classically trained biologists. | |||
I | For programming DNA, I advocated open source, for two reasons. First, because the free exchange of ideas seems to maximize the rate of innovation. Second, because I believe that transparency is the best ideology for managing complex systems. For example, in software development, open source has also led to robust code (security), highly skilled developer communities (education), and non-monopolistic pricing (fair economies). If transferable to biological engineering, open source could lead to a more diversified, and more sustainable, biotechnology industry. These ideas are explored in ''[http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/opensources2/toc.html Open Sources 2.0]'', which is published by O'Reilly and is, ironically, not open source. I'll send you a PDF if you ask for one. | ||
== Background == | == Background == | ||
I | In 1995, I was hired away from a PhD in genomics by Amgen, Inc. to provide bioinformatics support for the newly formed Amgen Institute, a 120 person research facility located in Toronto, Canada. There, I facilitated dozens of advanced research projects involving microarrays, genetic sequence analysis, and data mining, and also discovered a knack for strategy and project management. (Today, the institute is unaffiliated with Amgen and known as the [http://www.campbellfamilyinstitute.ca/ Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute].) In 2002, I co-founded of Miikana Therapeutics, a drug development company. I resigned after the company operations were stable to explore my synthetic biology interests. In December, 2005, Miikana was sold to Entremed for $21 million plus milestones. | ||
Since 2003, I have focused my attention | Since 2003, I have focused my attention on open source synthetic biology. As part of my broad education and outreach agenda, I am founding an open source biotechnology company that will make breakthrough, personalized cancer therapeutics and give them away for free. The development process has been slower than expected, but steady. I am based in Alberta, Canada, which is an ideal test bed for new technologies, but travel widely. | ||
My professional role models are the fictional Nick Haflinger and, more recently, Manfred Macx, a venture altruist: | |||
<font size = 1>"Manfred is at the peak of his profession, which is essentially coming up with whacky but workable ideas and giving them to people who will make fortunes with them. He does this for free, gratis. In return, he has virtual immunity from the tyranny of cash; money is a symptom of poverty, after all, and Manfred never has to pay for anything." ''-- Accelerando'', by Charles Stross (2005)</font> | |||
My work has been supported by the University of Oklahoma, the University of Toronto, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Alberta Ingenuity Fund, among others. | |||
== Contact Information == | == Contact Information == | ||
Revision as of 10:28, 4 July 2008
Andrew Hessel, September 2007, Nevada
hi-res photo of me
About
I work to promote synthetic biology technology and education, open source biology, and the international Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) program. Except I don't really work. It's more what I am compelled to do -- and because it's fun, it feels like play. I interact with a diverse range of people and organizations and enjoy making introductions and connections.
I consider DNA a programming language for processors we call cells. Synthetic biology facilitates the writing of DNA-based programs for biological systems, leading to applications that range from single proteins, to new metabolic pathways, to fully synthetic cells or organisms. Designed and/or selected by humans, one might think of this as memetic engineering and/or evolution. Programming cells, although similar to programming computers, comes with far greater economic, social, ethical, and legal implications. This makes the technology important. I've also learned that it's easier to introduce the core concepts to those familiar with software engineering concepts than to classically trained biologists.
For programming DNA, I advocated open source, for two reasons. First, because the free exchange of ideas seems to maximize the rate of innovation. Second, because I believe that transparency is the best ideology for managing complex systems. For example, in software development, open source has also led to robust code (security), highly skilled developer communities (education), and non-monopolistic pricing (fair economies). If transferable to biological engineering, open source could lead to a more diversified, and more sustainable, biotechnology industry. These ideas are explored in Open Sources 2.0, which is published by O'Reilly and is, ironically, not open source. I'll send you a PDF if you ask for one.
Background
In 1995, I was hired away from a PhD in genomics by Amgen, Inc. to provide bioinformatics support for the newly formed Amgen Institute, a 120 person research facility located in Toronto, Canada. There, I facilitated dozens of advanced research projects involving microarrays, genetic sequence analysis, and data mining, and also discovered a knack for strategy and project management. (Today, the institute is unaffiliated with Amgen and known as the Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute.) In 2002, I co-founded of Miikana Therapeutics, a drug development company. I resigned after the company operations were stable to explore my synthetic biology interests. In December, 2005, Miikana was sold to Entremed for $21 million plus milestones.
Since 2003, I have focused my attention on open source synthetic biology. As part of my broad education and outreach agenda, I am founding an open source biotechnology company that will make breakthrough, personalized cancer therapeutics and give them away for free. The development process has been slower than expected, but steady. I am based in Alberta, Canada, which is an ideal test bed for new technologies, but travel widely.
My professional role models are the fictional Nick Haflinger and, more recently, Manfred Macx, a venture altruist:
"Manfred is at the peak of his profession, which is essentially coming up with whacky but workable ideas and giving them to people who will make fortunes with them. He does this for free, gratis. In return, he has virtual immunity from the tyranny of cash; money is a symptom of poverty, after all, and Manfred never has to pay for anything." -- Accelerando, by Charles Stross (2005)
My work has been supported by the University of Oklahoma, the University of Toronto, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Alberta Ingenuity Fund, among others.
Contact Information
hi-res photo
email: ahessel (at) gmail (dot) com
phone: 780.868.3169
Skype: search for "Andrew Hessel", ahessel (at) gmail (dot) com
Don't be shy about contacting me -- I'm open. I prefer email.
Letter post:
Andrew Hessel
c/o Alberta Ingenuity Fund
Suite 2410, Manulife Place
10180 - 101 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada T5J 3S4
2008
Science Cafe, Telus World of Science and Alberta Ingenuity, Edmonton, May 6, 2008
Sanofi Aventis BioTalent Challenge Keynote, Calgary, April 23, 2008
Sanofi Aventis BioTalent Challenge Keynote, Edmonton, April 16, 2008
Civil Society Synthetic Biology Teach-In, Washington DC, April 14, 2008 PDF
TEC Edmonton, Open Source Therapeutics, round 2, March 31, 2008
TEC Edmonton, Open Source Therapeutics, March 19, 2008
Overview of iGEM program, Edmonton Catholic School Board, March 18, 2008
Open Source Therapeutics. UofA Digital Biology Meeting, March 17, 2008
National Post Article on SciBarCamp by David Sachs.
Synbio Debate w/ Jim Thomas, ETC group; open source therapeutics scibarcamp, Toronto, May 14-16, 2008
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Overview of Synthetic Biology, February 2008.
2007 Talks and Posters
iGEM and Synthetic Biology: Opportunities for Canada, University of Ottawa, November 23, 2007 audio by request
SemBioSys Biotechnologies, Calgary, Alberta, October 26, 2007
Synthetic Biology, Risks, Rewards, and Opportunities, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, October 23 audio by request
Synthetic Viruses Targeting Cancer, SENS 3, Cambridge UK, September 7Video
Overview of synthetic biology, University of Lethbridge, July 19
University of Alberta Department Chairs and Divisional Directors Meeting, July 4
SB3.0 Poster -- iGEM: A case study for open source biological engineering
MIT TTT Canada overview May 26 Video
Digital Genetic Engineering, Google, May 3 Video
Alberta Ingenuity, January 17/18
