Andrew Hessel
Andrew and Stephanie, Banff, Alberta, January 2006
Background
I received my MSc. in bacterial genomics from the University of Calgary in 1995. I immediately joined the Amgen Institute, a 120 person research facility located in Toronto, Canada, as a bioinformaticist. Eventually, I assumed the portfolio of research operations manager. Working as a bridge between the Institute, Amgen Inc., and Amgen Canada, I facilitated dozens of advanced research projects, many involving microarrays, genetic sequence analysis, and data mining. Today, the Institute, no longer affiliated with Amgen, is known as the Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research. In 2002, I was a co-founder of Miikana Therapeutics and helped devise the virtual business model they successfully used. Miikana was sold to Entremed in December, 2005 for $21 million plus milestones.
Synthetic Biology and Open Source
Since 2004, I have turned my attention exclusively to two areas: Synthetic Biology and Open Source. I strongly believe both will have major impact on the biotechnology over the next twenty years. Synthetic Biology will replace classical genetic engineering for the same reasons I am writing this text on a computer, not a typewriter. And I believe Open Source will provide an avenue for biotechnology to become a more (net) profitable and effective industry than it is today.
I predict SB will become a major economic driver in the next decade and attract a large fraction of genius-level talent. Startups that make big pharma and big biotech look slow and dull are already appearing. Care must be taken to manage industry expansion. With biology, companies will be playing with far higher stakes: human health, the environment, the mind, artificial life, etc. It is impossible to put a dollar price on these things, but that's not going to stop people from trying to control life markets.
Hence my interest in Open Source. I believe OS to be the strongest counterbalance to proprietary business now that government and academia has grown more entrepreneurial. It's also great fun, since open source places great value on community, intellectual challenges, and creative freedom. In computing, Open source has also proven capable of delivering exceptional products to market without eroding the public commons. This means few lawyers, faster innovation, healthy competition and more choices for consumers. Whether similar advantages can be delivered to biotechnology remains to be seen. Stay tuned.
Current Work
I am currently working with Randy Rettberg to help evolve the iGEM program, which I perceive as the first practical experimentation with Open Source Synthetic Biology. For 2006, I am serving as the ambassador for about 10 schools, including Canada and the US midwest, and hope facilitate the success of all participating teams. When I'm not directly with schools and team members, I focus on fundraising and media relations efforts.
In Development
I am developing the framework of a practical open source biotechnology venture. Contact me for additional information.
Contact Information
email: ahessel (at) gmail (dot) com (the best way to contact me)
IM: sailingandrew (at) hotmail (dot) com or google chat.
Skype: search for ahessel (at) gmail (dot) com or 'beakerandrew'
home: 416.848.1725 (Toronto, eastern standard time)
