The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative gave $250 million for the opening of a new research center that will specialize in early disease detection and treatment called the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub New York (CZ Biohub NY).
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Chan Zuckerberg to Work With Universities in Developing CZ Biohub NY
The organization headed by Priscilla Chan and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg made a sizeable commitment that will be added to the $10 million contribution from each State of New York and New York City. Moreover, universities such as Rockefeller University, Columbia University, and Yale University will be joining the development of the biohub.
The CZ Biohub NY will study how the immune system can be harnessed to detect, prevent, and treat diseases before it further advances. The creation of the hub was motivated by various diseases which are only detectable after the onset of symptoms.
"To change that, researchers and engineers at the New York Biohub will bioengineer immune cells to scout, report, and repair damage to our cells before it leads to serious illnesses," Chan explained.
Bioengineering of Immune Cells
The biohub will be using single-cell biology tools, cutting-edge experimental technologies, and machine learning tools such as AI in order to bioengineer new functions into the immune cells. These cells are the best way to test as immune cells are capable of monitoring and maintaining the health of the organs.
"The ultimate goal is to not go after a specific disease - it's to create a new tool or platform that all scientists can use to study and make more specific advances," Zuckerberg stated.
For its first trial, the hub's initial focus will be on learning more about molecular memory and the states of immune cells. From there, the researchers will gradually move into training the immune cells to make targeted pairs that will help activate a robust immune response.
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