Seek Labs Receives $2 Million USDA Grant to Develop CRISPR-Based Mutation-Resistant Avian Flu Therapeutic
核心洞察
Seek Labs (搜索) has been awarded $2 million from the USDA (搜索)'s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to develop a novel CRISPR (搜索)-based therapeutic targeting highly pathogenic avian influenza (搜索) using their Programmable Target Ablation Platform (搜索).
The company's approach combines CRISPR (搜索) molecular therapeutics with AI-driven genomic intelligence to create a pan-HPAI (搜索) therapeutic designed to remain effective as the virus evolves across different strains and geographies.
The grant is part of APHIS (搜索)'s $100 million HPAI (搜索) Grand Challenge initiative, addressing the ongoing threat of avian flu (搜索) that has disrupted poultry production and recently jumped to dairy cows.
Seek Labs (搜索), a Salt Lake City-based TechBio company, has secured a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS (搜索)) to develop a groundbreaking CRISPR (搜索)-based therapeutic for highly pathogenic avian influenza (搜索) (HPAI (搜索)). The award represents a significant step forward in addressing the evolving threat of avian flu (搜索), which has caused widespread disruption to poultry production and recently jumped to dairy cows.
Novel Approach to Combat Viral Evolution
The company's innovative strategy centers on their proprietary Programmable Target Ablation Platform (搜索) (PTAP (搜索)), which differs fundamentally from traditional therapeutic approaches. Rather than targeting a single viral strain, Seek Labs (搜索)' platform combines CRISPR (搜索)-based molecular therapeutics with an AI-driven genomic intelligence system called BioSeeker (搜索) that continuously analyzes viral evolution in real time.
"HPAI (搜索) is a persistent, evolving threat with real consequences for food security, agricultural stability, and global health preparedness," said Alison O'Mahony, Senior Vice President of Research at Seek Labs (搜索). "By pairing BioSeeker (搜索), our disease intelligence layer, with PTAP (搜索)'s programmable design, we're building a pan-HPAI therapeutic that is designed for viral evolution and remains effective as the virus evolves."
The PTAP (搜索) system uses CRISPR (搜索)-based constructs to selectively disrupt viral DNA or RNA at conserved genomic sites. These targets are identified and continuously refined by BioSeeker (搜索), which scans global genomic data to track viral evolution patterns. This approach is designed to maintain therapeutic efficacy across different outbreaks and strains, addressing a key limitation of current treatments that lose effectiveness when new variants emerge.
Addressing an Escalating Global Threat
Avian influenza poses significant challenges to global food security and agricultural stability. The highly pathogenic virus spreads rapidly among domestic poultry and can eliminate entire flocks within days. The recent transmission to dairy cows has heightened concerns about broader economic impacts on farming operations, food safety, and public health.
"As the world faces an accelerating emergence of disease—from natural pandemics to potential AI-generated threats—current response systems remain reactive, slow and unable to adapt as pathogens evolve," said Jared Bauer, co-founder and CEO of Seek Labs (搜索). "At Seek Labs, we approach disease as a dynamic problem that requires an adaptable system. By converting biological information into data, our platforms can be programmed to target and respond to diseases faster than traditional approaches."
Federal Initiative and International Collaboration
The grant was awarded through APHIS (搜索)'s $100 million HPAI (搜索) Grand Challenge, a multi-year initiative developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This competitive program aims to accelerate innovation across prevention, vaccines, therapeutics, and biosecurity measures to combat avian influenza.
As part of the award, Seek Labs (搜索) will collaborate with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (搜索) (CFIA), emphasizing the cross-border nature of HPAI (搜索) surveillance and response efforts. The project's Principal Investigators are Douglas Gladue, Vice President of Veterinary Pharma at Seek Labs, and Yohannes Berhane, Head of the Avian Disease Research Unit at CFIA.
"Highly pathogenic avian influenza (搜索) continues to pose complex and evolving risks to animal health, food systems, and economic stability," said Yohannes Berhane from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (搜索). "Addressing a threat of this scale requires sustained research, scientific innovation, and cross-border collaboration. We are excited to be working alongside Seek Labs (搜索) to address this ongoing threat."
Programmable Disease Response Platform
Seek Labs (搜索) has positioned itself as a pioneer in programmable disease response systems, fundamentally reimagining how therapeutic interventions can adapt to pathogen evolution. Their platform integrates an AI-powered intelligence layer that transforms biological data into actionable insights, informing both programmable therapeutics and molecular point-of-care diagnostics.
The company's approach creates a continuous feedback loop where deployment insights inform the core intelligence system, enabling data-driven improvements in disease detection and treatment strategies. This methodology represents a shift from reactive to proactive disease management, potentially transforming responses to emerging health threats.
The USDA (搜索) funding underscores the federal government's commitment to innovative solutions for combating HPAI (搜索), which has already caused significant economic disruption through poultry production losses and increased egg and poultry prices. The development of mutation-resistant therapeutics could provide a crucial tool in managing this persistent and evolving threat to agricultural systems and food security.