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Breaking the ‘Undruggable’ Barrier with AI and Synthetic Biology: Eswar Iyer, CEO of Aikium
For decades, drug developers have struggled with so-called “undruggable” proteins—those regions of the proteome that evade traditional small molecules and antibodies. But Aikium, led by Eswar Iyer, could be changing the game. In today’s show, Iyer, a prolific scientist with over 100 patents and a background in George Church’s lab, shares how his company is tackling one of the toughest challenges in therapeutics. Read post
How Startups Can Minimize Risk in the Area of Trade Secrets
“Any nonpublic item of business information that could be valuable to a competitor is a trade secret,” Graves said. “Business details, product roadmaps, financial information, customer information, if it’s not public and if it would be useful for a competitor, it can be a trade secret. It doesn’t have to be strictly scientific and technical information.” Read post
Tech Brew: MacroCycle and FutureBio aim to make plastic recycling cheaper and more sustainable
“Many startups have attempted to create new recyclable plastics like we have. But what they have not been able to achieve is creating plastic that is biorenewable and cheaper to recycle,” FutureBio founder Zilong Wang said. “That’s the game-changer.” Read post
Lunch & Learn with Levitree and Equator Therapeutics
On Wednesday, at our first our first Lunch and Learn for 2025, the founders of Levitree and Equator Therapeutics came to present their work and their teams, giving the greater Bakar Bio Labs community a better sense of what they do. Read post Is a New Type of Plastic a Solution to the Climate Crisis? FutureBio, First Tenant in Bakar Climate Labs Pilot Program, Says Yes.
FutureBio is the first tenant in the pilot program at UC Berkeley’s new climate tech incubator: Bakar Climate Labs. Until the new incubator on the west side of campus opens in 2028, the pilot program is accepting startups leasing space at Bakar Bio Labs and the QB3 Garage incubator in Stanley Hall. But FutureBio isn’t waiting for the ink to dry on blueprints—they’re already moving forward, transforming the way we think about plastic and our planet’s future. Read post
Bakar Bio Labs Director David Schaffer Elected to National Academy of Engineering
Schaffer, professor of bioengineering, of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and of neuroscience, is recognized for the application of fundamental molecular and cellular engineering principles to enable the clinical success of gene and cell therapies. He holds a joint appointment with the College of Chemistry, and he serves as director of QB3 and Bakar Labs. Read post
We Are Now Bakar Bio Labs
We have a new name! And logo. As the larger Bakar Labs organization expands into multiple locations and adds the climate tech vertical, our goal is to keep our branding as clear as possible. So we are now Bakar Bio Labs, as you probably noticed. Going forward, the general “Bakar Labs” title will be reserved for the parent organization we fall under. Beneath the Bakar Labs umbrella there are two units: Bakar Bio Labs and Bakar Climate Labs, for which our pilot program is now live (the facility, on the west side of the UC Berkeley campus, will open in 2028). Bakar Bio Labs will operate at two locations: the original, at 2630 Bancroft Way in Berkeley, and a new UCSF building in development in the Dogpatch neighborhood in San Francisco. Read postOur affiliates
Ready to run?
Startups need to focus on making milestones, not managing equipment.
Bakar Bio Labs maintains tissue culture facilities, a freezer farm, fume hoods, basic benchtop equipment and plenty of analytical instruments. Optional lab support services can also make for quick starts that help get results fast.
At UC Berkeley
Bakar Bio Labs is just steps from UC Berkeley’s world-renowned faculty and more than 40,000 students who train in top programs including science, engineering, law and business. Dotting the campus is a network of core facilities that feature a wide range of advanced equipment and services for use by startups. Recruiting student talent and scientific co-founders couldn’t be easier.
Today’s best startups blaze a trail all their own, but they don’t do it alone.
They build their support network to help them navigate the multiple challenges they face. At Bakar Bio Labs, tenants join a community of as many as 50 like-minded teams willing to share the scientific and business insights that help them advance. The incubator spans more than 40,000 square feet of lab and office spaces within the fully renovated Woo Hon Fai Hall, the iconic former home of the Berkeley Art Museum. With so much going on, investors, industry partners and new talent are already taking notice.
Built for startups. For more than 20 years, QB3 has been the University of California’s center for innovation and entrepreneurship in life science. Through pitch summits, seminars, symposia, podcasts, office hours, internships, and workshops QB3 educates, connects, and elevates the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
