Charlie Silver, Mission Bio CEO
With the first month of the year nearly behind us, we want to highlight our gratitude and appreciation to our customers and supporters for making 2018 a landmark year for Mission Bio.
Our customers rock
From publications to the podium, our customers are doing some incredible things with Tapestri. Dr. Cathy Smith from UCSF and Dr. Aaron Viny from Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center wowed us at AACR 2018 showcasing how single-cell DNA sequencing was used to characterize polyclonal resistance to FLT3 inhibitors in AML, and examine clonal hematopoiesis and minimal residual disease (MRD), respectively. Our Genome Research paper was the first-ever peer-reviewed publication demonstrating scalable single-cell DNA analysis at single-base resolution. And at ASH 2018, Dr. Koichi Takahashi and team from MD Anderson highlighted the application power of Tapestri by presenting the first single-cell atlas of acute myeloid leukemia in the largest clinical research study ever performed with single-cell analysis. We are truly inspired by the momentum of our customers, and we can’t wait for the next wave of presentations and publications this year.
Single-cell DNA sequencing is imperative
Tapestri is the only scalable, cost-effective single-cell targeted DNA sequencing solution on the market, and the field is taking note. The Scientist Top 10 Innovations of 2018 list recognizes the latest and greatest tools, technologies, and techniques to hit the life-science landscape. And while 2018 was a banner year for single-cell innovation, we are proud that Tapestri was the only single-cell DNA analysis platform named on the list, edging out single-cell platforms focused on transcriptome analysis.
Mission Bio was also honored to join the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Genome Editing Consortium, as the only single-cell DNA analysis platform providing quality control for CRISPR gene editing. Increasing the confidence in the utility of genome editing technologies is key to this burgeoning field. Tapestri provides the resolution and specificity needed to reliably and accurately measure the outcomes of gene editing.
Funding to scale
Lastly, we closed $30M in our Series B financing round with participation from Agilent, Cota, Mayfield, and other investors. These funds will help us further scale the Tapestri Platform for hematology, oncology, and CRISPR applications, along with expanding our global reach to European and Asian markets.
With the momentum of 2018 behind us, we are excited about the year ahead. We continue to be inspired by all of you, and we look forward to meeting you in 2019.
