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Our tenants span the life science sector, including therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices, and research tools. They learn from and support each other, often forming partnerships.

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Bakar Bio Labs News
Bakar Bio Labs Director David Schaffer Elected to National Academy of Engineering
Three UC Berkeley engineering professors, including David Schaffer, have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering. Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Read post
Uncategorized
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 post
Company News
Lifespan.io: Cyclarity Launches Human Trial to Cure Atherosclerosis
Recently, Cyclarity Therapeutics announced the launch of a Phase 1 human clinical trial for a drug that aims to remove the arterial plaques that lead to heart attacks and strokes. Read post
Event Recap
Event Recap: “Working With Strategic Investors”
“Between all these investors and companies,” Haurwitz said, “I think it becomes very clear over time that different incentives drive different interactions.” She advises building personal relationships to find out how and why each fund makes investments: some for profit, some for strategic reasons (like licensing or later acquisition); sometimes both at the same fund. (Haurwitz was the first student to work on CRISPR in Jennifer Doudna’s lab, she said; traditional VCs had no interest in CRISPR while CVCs – Dupont first among them – were knocking on the door, quick to see the long-term potential.) Read post
Company News
At Biotech’s Biggest Conference, UC Berkeley Shows Off Startups
In a way, biotech startup Editpep’s story is one faced by many new life sciences companies in a tough funding environment; in a way, too, it is so Berkeley. Co-founded by University of California, Berkeley postdoctoral researcher looking at ways to cure genetic diseases, an MBA student and a scientific disciple of CRISPR gene-editing technology pioneer Jennifer Doudna, Editpep last month secured an $8.4 million seed financing to take on pediatric brain cancer and other brain diseases. Read post
Article
‘You have to believe that you can be a leader’: Sophia Lugo, NHI’s 2024 Person of the Year
Sophia Lugo has made a remarkable journey in her career so far, moving from Silva Magnet/Jefferson High School in El Paso to Harvard University for undergraduate studies on biology, the Schwarzman Scholars program at Tsinghua University for graduate studies in public policy, and Stanford University for her MBA, work with entities including the Boston Consulting Group and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, eventually becoming co-founder and CEO of a company aiming to change medicine as we know it. Read post
Article
What to Look for in a Biotech Incubator
Gino Segre, managing director of Bakar Labs, confirms that there is plenty you can look at to see if an incubator is successful. “Tenant occupancy relative to other incubators, fundraising success of the tenants over time, and word of mouth satisfaction are good indicators of the operating track record of the incubator.” Reaching out to former incubees to have direct feedback on their experience with the incubator is one of your strongest indicators if this is the right direction for you. Read post
Press Release
Cyclarity Therapeutics Closes Tranche 1 of Series A Funding Round
Cyclarity will use funds from this round to commence clinical trials later this month for the development of UDP-003, a novel therapeutic designed to reduce atherosclerotic plaque accumulation by targeting its root cause, the accumulation of toxic oxidized cholesterol in cells and tissues. Read post
Tenant Spotlight
Tenant Spotlight on Radar Therapeutics: Homing In on Precise, Accessible Genetic Medicines
Genetic medicine promises groundbreaking breakthroughs, but hurdles like precision targeting and sky-high costs remain. Many treatments are slow and out of reach for many. Sophia Lugo, CEO of Radar Therapeutics, is leading the charge for a more accessible future. Read post