Deep Tech & Resurrecting Extinct Species
Deep Tech & Resurrecting Extinct Species
The woolly mammoth may soon again walk the Arctic tundra. That + other radically new futures in today's newsletter.
The Deep End is a podcast where visionary builders, creators, and experts discuss world-changing ideas. We skip the surface level and go in-depth into ideas that matter.
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On Deck is always hiring, but this role may be particularly interesting for Deep End listeners. We are hiring a Researcher in Residence to be a “personal trainer of the mind” for our two co-CEOs.
At On Deck, we have an obsession with access because we believe that talent is broadly distributed but opportunity is not. In 2020, we created the On Deck Access Fund to enable more people from around the world to participate in our programs by removing financial barriers. In 2021, we’ve awarded scholarships to more than 1,000 Fellows, totaling more than $1,000,000. And this is just the beginning.
We recently announced “ODF Advance” a program to provide up to $25,000 in funding to would-be founders who are exploring a startup idea. Through our Access Initiatives we are unlocking opportunities for thousands of high potential entrepreneurs. If you’d like to learn more about our Access Initiative, visit www.beondeck.com/access-initiative.
🎧 Episode #40 | Deep Tech 101 with James Sinka
James Sinka is cofounder of On Deck’s Deep Tech program.
Deep Tech is a category of innovation that exists at the intersection of many different fields under the technology umbrella.
Some of our past Deep End guests (and many On Deck fellows) are working at the bleeding edge of technology. So far, we’ve talked to founders of biotech companies, space manufacturers, and more. Modern advancements in computer infrastructure enable new sophisticated methods of tackling tough problems in the world of atoms.
James Sinka joins the show to share how world-class scientists, card-carrying PHDs and engineers can commercialize their deep knowledge in hyper-specific fields to unlock vibrant futures for humanity.
The sophistication of some of these tough technologies might sometimes be thought of as miraculous. If we can master protein folding, for example, we might be able to revolutionize drug design and otherwise heal cells with more ease than we might have ever imagined.
Of course, common modern technologies like the iPhone or X-Rays were also deep tech miracles when they were first created.
This conversation provides a broad overview of Deep Tech, and examples of how interdisciplinary application of advanced technology can go to market.
Mentioned in this episode:
Learn more about Deep Tech
James mentioned a new kind of biosensor company
Delian was on a past Deep End episode talking about space manufacturing.
Read more about Google Deep Mind and Commonwealth Fusion Systems
🎧 Episode #41 | Resurrecting Extinct Species with Colossal’s Ben Lamm
Ben Lamm is founder & CEO of Colossal Biosciences - a company building radical new technologies to advance genomics.
Hot off last week’s episode about helping extend human life, this episode is about how to bring certain long-gone animals back to life.
This week, Ben Lamm (Founder & CEO of Colossal Biosciences) joins The Deep End. Colossal describes itself as a genetic engineering company interested in extinct species restoration through radically new genomic technologies.
They have landed a ton of press and attention for their ambitious goal to resurrect a woolly mammoth in the next few years by sequencing the genome of mammoths and editing genes of their closest living relatives - the Asian elephant.
We spend a little time on the hard science of this and discuss how closely this resurrected proxy would be related to the original mammoth. But we also discuss the why, the when, and the bioethics.
Ben is quick to say that there’s no silver bullet for climate change or ecosystem restoration. Still, there is a strong conservationist argument for at least learning how we could create genetic backups for species. The arctic tundra could also potentially see its grasslands return if large animals like the mammoth return to their ancestral home to eat the overgrown bushes and trees.
Mentioned in this episode:
Ben mentioned two Russian ecologists working to “rewild” the Arctic.
That’s all for now! If you haven’t yet, subscribe to get future issues in your inbox every Friday.
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See you next week!
- Jackson (Producer of The Deep End)