Shift Bioscience has launched a new North American team and facilities in Toronto, Canada, to advance its AI-powered virtual cell technology aimed at combating age-related diseases.

The company has appointed Professor Bo Wang, an expert in AI and computational biology, to guide the development of this innovative technology, leveraging his experience from the University Health Network and the Vector Institute.

Both Camillo and Wang believe that the virtual cell technology represents a significant breakthrough in discovering gene targets that could lead to treatments for serious age-related diseases.

Camillo emphasized the importance of accessing North America's extensive AI talent pool to build a world-class team dedicated to exploring new rejuvenation gene targets.

Recently, Shift Bioscience secured $16 million in seed funding, which reflects growing investor confidence in their research and technology.

This expansion into North America is a strategic move to tap into the region's rich talent pool in AI and machine learning, which is projected to hold a market share of 32.92% by 2024.

The Toronto team will be led by Lucas Camillo, who is the Head of Machine Learning, and he will work closely with Professor Bo Wang, who has been appointed as Senior Advisor.

Under Camillo's leadership, the team will focus on developing the virtual cell platform to identify novel rejuvenation gene targets and enhance its capabilities.

Being situated in Toronto, a major biotech hub, will enable Shift to collaborate with other research institutions and companies, potentially accelerating advancements in longevity biotechnology.

Shift Bioscience's virtual cell platform utilizes AI to simulate cellular processes and identify gene sets that can rejuvenate cells safely, avoiding the tumorigenic risks associated with traditional reprogramming techniques.

This expansion aims to speed up the identification of novel therapies for age-related diseases while strengthening Shift's intellectual property in a competitive biotech landscape.

Professor Bo Wang's research includes developing machine learning algorithms for clinical applications, and he has contributed to prestigious journals such as Nature Methods and Nature Communications.