Can AI unravel the mysteries of human biology? Could it help design specialty treatments and cures for disease? Geoffrey von Maltzahn and his team at Generate:Biomedicines are bullish on both counts. AI has greatly accelerated progress in genome engineering, bioengineering and nanotechnology and they are getting closer to developing tailored therapeutics. “Six years ago, this was a crazy idea,” he says. “We’re now convinced that 100 percent of protein therapeutics are going to get created this way.” In this special episode of Solve for X, host Manula Selvarajah sits down with von Maltzahn to talk about where the science is now and where it is headed.

Featured in this episode:

Geoffrey von Maltzahn, general partner of Flagship Pioneering, is an inventor and entrepreneur who works at the intersection of biology and artificial intelligence, a specialization that makes him a world-renowned leader in generative biology.

Further reading:

• How generative biology can wipe out our most devastating diseases — for good
• How technology is tackling questions that confound modern medicine
• How we can deliver a better tomorrow through generative biology
• The frontiers of generative biology | MaRS Impact Health 2024

Subscribe to Solve for X: Innovations to Change the World here. And below, find a transcript to “Cracking the code: How generative biology could transform medicine.” This interview was recorded at MaRS Impact Health in June 2024.

Solve for X is brought to you by MaRS, North America’s largest urban innovation hub and a registered charity. MaRS supports startups and accelerates the adoption of high-impact solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. For more information, visit marsdd.com.

Featured in this episode:

Alison Nankivell has spent more than 25 years moving Canada’s economic needle forward. Before being named CEO of MaRS in early 2024, Alison held pivotal roles at the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Export Development Canada (EDC). At MaRS, she brings an experienced playbook to support startups working in climate, health and emerging technology.

Kris Bennatti is the CEO and co-founder of Hudson Labs, a Toronto-based startup that builds specialized financial software to help improve corporate accountability in capital markets.

Lise Birikundavyi is the co-founder and managing partner of BKR Capital, Canada’s first Black-led, institutionally-backed VC fund. Birikundavyi is a finance specialist who has worked with several international institutions, including the Jacobs Foundation where she managed its edtech impact investment strategy.

Corey Ellis is the co-founder and CEO of Growcer. The Ottawa-based startup develops commercial hydroponic systems that help communities grow indoor produce, year-round in any climate.

Charles Plant is a serial entrepreneur, innovation economist, fractional CFO and founder of The Narwhal Project, which helps tech startups raise capital and scale business.

Further reading:

• Welcome to the $100-million club
• Undervalued and ignored: Why young Canadian firms are looking to foreign investors and buyers
• Evolving ESG reporting regulations call for co-ordinated executive action in Canada
• DEI in Canadian workplaces is hitting a wall, subscriber survey shows
• North American outlook: Uncertain political environment adds to business, consumer fatigue
• Climate adaptation is as important as climate mitigation

Subscribe to Solve for X: Innovations to Change the World here. And below, find a transcript to “Innovation hotline: Answering the tech sector’s burning questions.” This interview was recorded October 17 in the MaRS Studio.

Solve for X is brought to you by MaRS, North America’s largest urban innovation hub and a registered charity. MaRS supports startups and accelerates the adoption of high-impact solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. For more information, visit marsdd.com.

Featured in this episode:

Kongjian Yu is a Beijing-based landscape architect and founder of Peking University’s College of Architecture and Landscape. His concept of sponge cities — designing cities to absorb water — is being applied in urban areas across the globe.

Further reading:

• Landscape architect Kongjian Yu, pioneer of the “sponge city" concept, wins the 2023 Oberlander Prize
• How letting water be water can lead to better climate resilience
• Kongjian Yu has a plan for urban flooding: “Sponge cities”
• Treading water — Toronto is spending billions on flood protection, but experts say it needs to spend billions more
• Will a $1-billion flooding bill finally make the GTA take stormwater seriously?
• Toronto’s Don River floods offer urgent planning lessons for climate-challenged cities

Solve for X is brought to you by MaRS, North America’s largest urban innovation hub and a registered charity. MaRS supports startups and accelerates the adoption of high-impact solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. For more information, visit marsdd.com.