Dear GP-write Community,

We hope you are all staying healthy and safe during these extraordinary times. We are writing to share a number of exciting advances and developments at Genome Project-write (GPW):

1. The GPW Foundry and Incubator, Base-Pair-Go, is under development and will be the first of its kind focused on genome-scale writing.

1. We are excited to announce that Agilent has joined our Industry Advisory Board, and are working together to build a team of industry leaders. For those in industry, please email if you are interested in joining the Board or wish to learn more.

2. The first opportunity for funding through our GPW Foundry and Incubator seeks to develop a treatment for the debilitating Charcot Marie Tooth Disease Type 4B3 (CMT4B3) through editing/redesign of the gene mutation. $500,000 in direct funds are available for translational research to (i) create a mini gene to minimize its size to fit into an AAV9 vector, while still maintaining the functional components of the gene or (ii) to develop a split AAV and transplicing approach. Please email if you are interested in submitting a grant proposal.

3. The first phase of the GPW Computer Aided Design (CAD) Platform will be developed this year. If you are interested in sponsoring specific design features or elements please email for additional details.

2. We are pleased to announce Dr. Junbiao Dai and Dr. Farren Isaacs as the new Co-chairs of the GP-write Scientific Executive Committee. Please contact Junbiao and Farren if you wish to participate in the GPW community project or help launch new GPW projects.

3. Cellectis has released a book entitled “Editing Life: Faces Behind the Gene Editing Revolution”, which features interviews from well-known scientists, coined as the “founding parents” of gene editing including: Drs. George Church, André Choulika, Matthew Porteus, and many others. This book explains how gene editing began, where we are today and where we’re headed in the future. Most importantly, the book discusses how gene editing has emerged as one of the most promising tools in clinical development, with the potential to save lives and advance the future trajectory of global medicine. Proceeds of the sale are being generously donated to GP-write and can be purchased at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JCYLTLC

Our next in-person/virtual meeting will be hosted by SIAT in Shenzhen, China on October 23-24, 2021, immediately preceding the Cold Spring Harbor Asia Conference in Synthetic Biology, which will be held on Oct 25-29, 2021. Please mark your calendars!

Wishing you an Ultra-safe Holiday Season and a virus-free New Year!

The Leadership Team,
George Church, Andrew Hessel, Farren Isaacs, Todd Peterson and Amy Schwartz