Revolve Biotechnologies: Made-to-Order DNA Libraries BY MARY SPIRO
If you are in the business of engineering new proteins for any pur-
INBT: Where did you get the idea for Revolve?
pose, it’s likely that you will need DNA “libraries” as templates from which to synthesize different protein molecules. But con-
Firnberg: During my graduate studies in Marc Ostermeier’s lab
structing a customized DNA library is not always something a
in the ChemBE department, we developed a new technique called
researcher would do in-house. The process can be costly, labor
PFunkel mutagenesis for building DNA mutant libraries. After
intensive and requires special expertise and equipment. Instead, a
we published it, we noticed that other labs were also interested in
researcher would buy custom-made libraries from another lab that
using these libraries and some contacted us. Along with several
specialize in such endeavors.
students in the lab, we entered a business plan competition and the
Enter Revolve Biotechnologies, a startup founded by Johns
company was born from that experience.
Hopkins University alum Elad Firnberg. Revolve Biotechnologies builds DNA mutation libraries used for engineering useful proteins.
INBT: Who are your typical clients?
Firnberg’s company accomplishes this task more quickly and less expensively than competitors using a technique he perfected while
Firnberg: Our clients are scientists at other biotech companies
working in a Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology (INBT)
(usually therapeutics or bio-based chemicals) and researchers in
affiliated laboratory. Revolve Biotechnologies has set up shop in the
academic labs.
historic Stieff Silver Building in the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, just minutes from Johns Hopkins University. The following is a Q&A with Firnberg:
INBT: How is what you produce different or better than what a similar company might do? That is, what makes Revolve Biotechnologies unique?
INBT: How are you filling a needed gap either locally or nationally for this service?
Firnberg: We are unique due to our intellectual property. This technology allows us to build libraries in about 4-fold less time
Firnberg: Many research labs in academia and industry require
and for a lower cost than competitors. That means we can deliver
mutation libraries but lack the expertise or have limited resources
products faster to our clients and speed up development of new
to build them in-house. We fulfill this need by providing them
proteins.
with our custom library generation service. We also use our library technique in order to develop useful proteins for our clients such as antibodies and fluorescent proteins.
14 Institute for NanoBioTechnology
