Ginkgo epidemiological modeling experts and
Northeastern University researchers
awarded new grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation
BOSTON, April 10,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA),
which is building the leading platform for cell programming and
biosecurity, today announced that it has been awarded a grant from
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to build an open-access,
AI-enabled measles forecasting model to empower proactive public
health measures, such as immunization campaigns, in partnership
with Northeastern University
researchers Alessandro Vespignani
and Sam Scarpino.
Measles is a highly contagious and often severe disease
that most commonly affects children. While the widespread
availability of measles vaccines has dramatically reduced the
disease burden over the past several decades, cases are on the rise
in the U.S. this year, and global outbreaks continue to cause
significant illness and mortality, particularly in low- and
middle-income countries. These consequences are largely preventable
through early interventions, but getting ahead of major outbreaks
is difficult when access to data is limited.
With support from the Gates Foundation, expert epidemiologists
and modelers from Ginkgo Bioworks and Northeastern University will develop a measles
forecasting model to assess the risk of outbreaks and inform
decision-making for timely interventions. Because measles reporting
is often sparse, especially in low-resource settings, the model
will draw upon traditional and non-traditional data, including
public health reports, travel patterns, economic activity, and
other factors, and utilize AI approaches such as machine learning
and deep learning to structure and analyze a multitude of data
sources to produce actionable insights.
Alessandro Vespignani,
Director of the Network Science Institute and Sternberg Family
Distinguished Professor at Northeastern
University: "With support from the Gates Foundation, our
project with Ginkgo Bioworks sets a new standard for what can be
achieved when academia, industry, and philanthropy come together to
develop global health solutions. By bringing together the expertise
of multiple sectors and modern AI capabilities, we can create
powerful, innovative tools that will provide critical information
for safeguarding communities worldwide against the threat of
measles."
The forecasting model will be available open-access to help the
global health community understand how likely it is that measles
will emerge and spread within a given area, with the intent of
enabling them to better allocate scarce resources and reduce the
global burden of measles.
Matt McKnight, General Manager
for Biosecurity at Ginkgo Bioworks: "If we wait until large
pockets of measles show up in hospital systems to launch public
health responses, we are missing a critical window to act and slow
the spread of this debilitating and highly contagious disease.
Modern data and AI tools can shift the biosecurity and public
health paradigm from reactive to proactive by helping global health
leaders make more timely, effective decisions to prevent outbreaks
from happening in the first place. We believe the technologies
we're developing will give us the ability to get ahead of the curve
for measles and other biological threats."
About Ginkgo Bioworks
Ginkgo Bioworks is the leading horizontal platform for cell
programming, providing flexible, end-to-end services that solve
challenges for organizations across diverse markets, from food and
agriculture to pharmaceuticals to industrial and specialty
chemicals. Ginkgo's biosecurity and public health unit, Concentric
by Ginkgo, is building global infrastructure for biosecurity to
empower governments, communities, and public health leaders to
prevent, detect and respond to a wide variety of biological
threats. For more information, visit ginkgobioworks.com
and concentricbyginkgo.com, read our blog, or follow us on
social media channels such as X (@Ginkgo and @ConcentricByGBW),
Instagram (@GinkgoBioworks), Threads (@GinkgoBioworks)
or LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements of Ginkgo Bioworks
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including
statements regarding the capabilities and potential success of the
partnership and Ginkgo's biosecurity platform. These
forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words
"believe," "can," "project," "potential," "expect," "anticipate,"
"estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan,"
"may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will
likely result," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements
are predictions, projections and other statements about future
events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and,
as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors
could cause actual future events to differ materially from the
forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not
limited to: (i) volatility in the price of Ginkgo's securities due
to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and
highly regulated industries in which Ginkgo operates and plans to
operate, variations in performance across competitors, and changes
in laws and regulations affecting Ginkgo's business, (ii) the
ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other
expectations, and to identify and realize additional business
opportunities, (iii) the risk of downturns in demand for products
using synthetic biology, (iv) the uncertainty regarding the demand
for passive monitoring programs and biosecurity services, (v)
changes to the biosecurity industry, including due to advancements
in technology, emerging competition and evolution in industry
demands, standards and regulations, (vi) the outcome of any pending
or potential legal proceedings against Ginkgo, (vii) our ability to
realize the expected benefits from and the success of our Foundry
platform programs, (viii) our ability to successfully develop
engineered cells, bioprocesses, data packages or other
deliverables, and (ix) the product development or commercialization
success of our customers. The foregoing list of factors is not
exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and
the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors"
section of Ginkgo's annual report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 29, 2024 and other documents filed by
Ginkgo from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and
address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual events and results to differ materially from those contained
in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak
only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put
undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Ginkgo assumes no
obligation and does not intend to update or revise these
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events, or otherwise. Ginkgo does not give any assurance
that it will achieve its expectations.
GINKGO BIOWORKS INVESTOR
CONTACT:
investors@ginkgobioworks.com
GINKGO BIOWORKS MEDIA
CONTACT:
press@ginkgobioworks.com
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY MEDIA
CONTACT:
Media@Northeastern.edu
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SOURCE Ginkgo Bioworks