Brooklyn ImmunoTherapeutics Establishes Research and Development Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts

June 2, 2021

Co-locates with technology developers Factor Bioscience and Novellus Therapeutics

June 02, 2021 08:00 ET | Source: Brooklyn ImmunoTherapeutics

BROOKLYN, N.Y., June 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brooklyn ImmunoTherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American: BTX) (“Brooklyn”), a biopharmaceutical company focused on exploring the role that cytokine and gene editing/cell therapy can have in treating patients with cancer, blood disorders, and monogenic disorders, today announced it has established a research and development center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to pursue its mRNA-based gene editing and cellular therapies. The company has co-located with Factor Bioscience Limited (“Factor”) and Novellus Therapeutics Limited (“Novellus”), from which Brooklyn has acquired an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize certain cell-based therapies to treat cancer and rare blood disorders, including sickle cell disease, based on the patented technology and know-how of Factor and Novellus.

“Our new R&D facility will provide us with the ability to advance our research and development efforts. We believe co-locating with Factor and Novellus will promote our capability to leverage our collaboration and further our objectives in developing a diversified portfolio of new, advanced therapeutics,” said Howard J. Federoff, M.D., Ph.D., Brooklyn’s Chief Executive Officer and President. “Recent presentations by Factor and Novellus at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy conference have reinforced our conviction that our development pathways can be broadly applicable to real world disease indications for which no effective therapies currently exist.”

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Matt Angel Ph.D.

Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO

Dr. Matt Angel has led Factor Bioscience since its founding in 2011. A pioneer in mRNA technology development, Matt is a prolific inventor with more than 100 patents covering mRNA, nucleic acid delivery, gene editing, and cell reprogramming technologies. Matt is a serial entrepreneur, and is Co-Founder of immuno-oncology company, Exacis Biotherapeutics, where he serves as Scientific Advisory Board Chair, and the recently acquired cell therapy company, Novellus Therapeutics.

Matt received his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he studied the innate immune response of cells to exogenous RNA molecules. Prior to his graduate studies, Matt was a member of MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s Biodefense Systems Group, where he developed technologies to detect and mitigate biological weapons threats.

Associate Scientist

Factor Bioscience is seeking an exceptional candidate to join our team as Associate Scientist, Molecular Biology and Gene-Editing. This role is a part of the Molecular Biology team and supports development of Factor Bio’s novel UltraSlice gene-editing platform, as well as assisting optimization of nucleic acid delivery for pre-clinical programs. This is a lab-based position that works with state-of-the-art cell, molecular, and synthetic molecular biology techniques.

As an Associate Scientist at Factor, you will be

  • Optimizing RNA and DNA delivery of UltraSlice gene-editing proteins across multiple cell types
  • Developing and executing analytical methods for the evaluation of gene-editing efficacy and off-target effect in mammalian cells
  • Participating and presenting ideas and data to a multidisciplinary team
  • Analyzing, interpreting, and reporting data and study summaries in the form of written and oral reports

Our ideal candidate has

  • A Master’s degree, or foreign equivalent, in bioengineering, biotechnology, biology, molecular biology, or a related field
  • Knowledge, demonstrated through coursework, of the following:
    • Mammalian cell culture
    • Bacterial cell culture and bacterial transformation
    • Nucleic acid purification
    • Analysis of DNA sequencing results
    • Statistical analysis of biological data

We offer

  • The opportunity to work on both independent and collaborative research projects
  • A competitive compensation package with benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage, three weeks paid vacation, paid holidays, and student loan repayment assistance
  • Comprehensive training on the company’s technologies
  • Opportunities for publications, patents, conference presentations, and international travel

Job information

  • Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
  • Position Title: Associate Scientist, Molecular Biology and Gene-Editing
  • Company Name: Factor Bioscience Inc.
  • Job Function: Scientist
  • Job Type: Full-Time
  • Job Duration: Indefinite
  • Min Education: Master’s

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      Franklin Kostas

      Associate Scientist

      Realizing Achievement and Direction through His Research

      Franklin Kostas joined one of Factor Bioscience’s spinoffs, Novellus Therapeutics, as an Associate Scientist after graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Haverford College in 2018. Many from his graduating class went straight into graduate school or took technician positions in university labs, but Franklin decided to work in industry before pursuing his Ph.D.

      “Even though I loved chemistry, I didn’t want to jump right into five to seven more years of school,” Franklin said. “What drew me to this particular job was the small, tight-knit team. They had me present my research, and they were engaged with it. It was just clear that they were very, very smart and also warm and receptive. And it felt like a group of people that I would fit in with,” he stated. Franklin described leaving the interview, deciding that if he were offered the job, he would take it no matter what. He was thrilled when he received the offer letter. He accepted the job immediately and moved to Cambridge.

      A Promising Scientist Given Freedom and Responsibility

      Initially, Dr. Matt Angel, CEO and Co-Founder of Factor Bioscience and Co-Founder of Novellus Therapeutics, and Dr. Christopher Rohde, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of Factor Bioscience and Co-Founder of Novellus Therapeutics, presented Franklin with the challenge of developing a formulation to deliver mRNA to cells in vivo. Dr. Angel worked closely with Franklin as he designed his research strategy. Franklin described his early days at the company as almost entirely self-directed. “Matt and Chris have a very hands-off management style, which I have come to prefer,” he said. “They were happy to provide assistance and talk things through with me, but I was also given a lot of freedom and responsibility to find some of the directions that we were going to take.”

      Franklin described long hard months spent trying to find a solution after finding that many of the molecules he was working with were inhibited by serum. And he took note of Dr. Angel and Dr. Rohde’s approach to research when things weren’t going as planned. “I learned something from them. When things don’t work right, Matt and Chris have this incredible capability to redouble their efforts and keep trying,” he stated. “It’s counterintuitive. You want to pull back if you’re not getting good results out of your work. At that point, you don’t want to put hard work in, but Matt and Chris actually will increase their efforts,” he said. “That’s something that I’ve tried to apply to other parts of my life.”

      A Discovery at the Interface of Chemistry and Biology

      Franklin designed and executed many rounds of experiments using both panels of lipid and polymer-based reagents that he selected for this purpose as well as molecules that he designed and synthesized himself. His results led him to develop a family of novel chemical substances, including a group of ionizable fusogenic lipids, which he synthesized for the first time in the company’s lab. Through in vitro and in vivo experiments, Franklin discovered that his new lipids allowed superior mRNA delivery to cells, including delivery of gene-editing mRNA and mRNA encoding COVID-19 antigens.

      Franklin’s discovery has so far resulted in four granted U.S. patents, a presentation at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy 2020 Annual Meeting, and a sponsored research collaboration with the National University of Ireland, Galway. More recently, Franklin’s work has yielded two multimillion-dollar contracts under which Factor’s partners will use Franklin’s lipids to develop new therapies for the treatment of various genetic diseases and cancers.

      “In addition to his work on mRNA delivery, Franklin has made meaningful contributions to many other areas of our company, including the development of gene-editing proteins comprising novel DNA-binding domains,” said Dr. Angel. “Franklin is an incredibly talented scientist, and his achievements clearly reflect his extraordinary aptitude for independent research.”

      A Solid Foundation for a Career in Science

      “I spent five months banging my head against the wall, trying a million things that didn’t work at all,” said Franklin. “So, to have this actually work was really, really great, and it was very encouraging. My experience at Factor has helped put me on the track toward science. And it feels like something that I could do for a career.”

      When asked what he would advise someone considering science as a career, he replied, “For someone who is in college and contemplating a career in scientific research, I would definitely recommend taking some time to work in industry. For me, it’s been beneficial in terms of finding a direction and understanding the type of science that I want to do. You know, I once thought I wanted to be a doctor. And then I discovered science, and moved away from medicine. But my time at Factor has helped me understand that I want to do something much closer to therapeutic development, much more directed towards solving a problem.”

      Franklin leaves Factor to begin his Ph.D. program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Department of Chemistry in the fall.

      Jasmine Harris

      Associate Scientist

      Finding Passion and Purpose in Her Work

      When Jasmine Harris graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT and began her job search, she hadn’t taken a biology course since her freshman year. She was seeking a research position that would give her independence, responsibility, and allow her to learn a new scientific discipline. And, while Jasmine had worked for two years in a biological conservation lab in high school, she was determined not to pursue a career in biology. “I’m also very stubborn,” she said. “I never wanted to fit into expectations based on my gender identity. I felt the need to defy expectations and show I could do anything my male peers could do. So, biology was out because that’s the science I was told to go into,” she stated.

      After starting in chemistry at MIT, she discovered MIT’s undergraduate program in Materials Science and Engineering, seeing it as an opportunity to learn many different aspects of science and engineering. “That worked for me because, while I love to learn different things, I’m very non-committal. I just realized I’m sort of like stem cells in that I’m very non-committal. I want to be everything,” she said.

      Most biotechnology companies require candidate researchers to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in biology or a related field or to have experience in biological research. But Jasmine was offered, and accepted, an Associate Scientist position with Novellus Therapeutics, a company created by Factor Bioscience to develop therapeutic products based on Factor’s mRNA, gene-editing, and cell-reprogramming technologies. “I ended up choosing this company over other companies because it granted me the most agency—and it also gave me the most opportunity to learn something new,” she said. “I guess someone might call it a risky decision,” she said. “But I saw the potential in the technology, and I was very curious to learn a new field. I knew it was a unique opportunity.”

      Beginning a Career in Science

      In entering a new scientific field, Jasmine faced many challenges. But her new employers, Dr. Matt Angel and Dr. Christopher Rohde, worked closely with her, mentoring her through the ups and downs of her early days. “When I joined the company, the first project that I led dealt with uncoded regions of mRNA,” said Jasmine. “At the same time, I started to learn how to reprogram cells from Matt, turning fibroblasts into stem cells. And I was doing those two things simultaneously to figure out if I wanted to be on the molecular biology side or the cell biology side,” she explained. “I was learning a new field on the fly while I also was expected to produce viable research for the company.”

      An Opportunity Arises to Address a Global Challenge

      Jasmine found that she liked cell biology and wanted to focus on cell work. So, after a meeting with Dr. Angel, they decided to differentiate the in-house produced pluripotent stem cells into mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). “For two years, I was sort of off in a corner, differentiating these cells, testing out and characterizing them, and writing up procedures for animal studies. And then COVID happened, and suddenly there was high interest in anti-inflammatory therapies.”

      In 2020, only two years after she had started work, Jasmine’s research fundamentally transformed her company. Jasmine presented the results of her work on generating MSCs using advanced mRNA cell reprogramming technology at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy 2020 Annual Meeting. Later that year, her work resulted in a multimillion-dollar contract with a public pharmaceutical company to develop an MSC-based treatment for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), including in COVID-19 patients, and Novellus shifted to focus entirely on developing MSC-based therapies. In April 2021, Novellus secured a second multimillion-dollar contract with another public company, and in July 2021, Novellus was acquired by that company for $125 million.

      “Jasmine is one of those rare individuals with both the capacity to perform challenging scientific research and the drive to push through the challenges and achieve success. It is difficult to convey the magnitude of the impact that Jasmine has had on our company, our industry, and the field of regenerative medicine in only three short years. I am incredibly grateful for having had the opportunity to work with Jasmine,” said Dr. Angel, CEO and Co-Founder of Factor Bioscience and Co-Founder of Novellus Therapeutics.

      “I have found a field of study I’m passionate about,” said Jasmine. “That’s a huge takeaway for me. I started as someone who had minimal direction regarding where I wanted to go for my research, and now I feel very directed and focused. I know that I want to do regenerative medicine. I know I want to work with stem cells. I know the cellular lineage that I want to go into. This is a huge takeaway for me,” said Jasmine. Jasmine recommends anyone going from undergrad to grad school take a couple of years to work in industry. “I feel more equipped for grad school. I’ve had to deal with high-pressure timelines that go with multimillion-dollar research projects.” When asked what she would advise a job seeker in biotech today, she paused. “Don’t settle for something because it’s what you initially got into or thought you wanted. If I had pursued a career in materials science, I would have been miserable,” she stated emphatically.

      “At the end of the day, if you’re unhappy, it’s not going to be worth it because you’re not going to be able to do as much research that will have an impact as you would if you were passionate about your work.” And Jasmine’s passion and hard work have paid off. She has been accepted into the Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Graduate Program at the University of California San Francisco, one of the top graduate programs globally for stem cell research, and leaves Factor Bioscience to start her Ph.D. program in the fall.

      I. Caglar Tanrikulu Ph.D.

      Principal Scientist

      Making a Connection

      Caglar Tanrikulu developed an early interest in chemistry and biology at the Robert College of Istanbul. He received a full scholarship to Ohio Wesleyan University and graduated with a degree in Biochemistry before going on to complete a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at the California Institute of Technology in computational enzyme design. As a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Caglar studied collagen-like peptides that could self-assemble into biomaterials. He continued this work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a full-time Research Scientist, developing synthetic-collagen hydrogels.

      Caglar first met Factor Bioscience’s Co-Founder and CEO, Dr. Matt Angel at MIT’s 2018 Fall Career Fair. “Factor’s work seemed quite interesting, especially their use of novel gene-editing endonucleases, but I had no gene-editing experience,” said Caglar. “I was open to exploring new research and had some cell-culture experience at the time, but gene-editing definitely wasn’t my strong suit.” The next time the two met was at the 2019 career fair, where Dr. Angel was accompanied by five employees. “I think I talked with everyone,” recalled Caglar, “I was really impressed by their curiosity and enthusiasm.” It was there that Dr. Angel asked for Caglar’s resume.

      A few days later, Caglar received an invitation to speak at Factor. “I was looking at my slide deck and couldn’t find anything that seemed relevant for this audience.” Upon asking Dr. Angel for guidance, Caglar was very surprised to hear that they were interested in his current research on biomaterials. “Dr. Angel told me that their primary interest was how I conducted my research. They simply want people who can do exceptional science”. Caglar was not opposed to switching research areas. “Science is science, after all,” he said, “but prioritizing candidates’ intellectual abilities over their technical skills is quite uncommon in industry.”

      Taking a Chance on a New Direction

      Caglar was offered a position as Senior Scientist at one of Factor’s spinoffs, Novellus Therapeutics, and quickly accepted. “The research was definitely interesting, and after seeing Dr. Angel’s vision, I wanted to give it a try.” That wasn’t the only thing that influenced his decision, however. “It simply felt good to be here. It is important to me to be in a place where people get along and communicate freely. Yes, this definitely makes daily life easier, but it also lets you better focus on the science.”

      Caglar worked closely with his colleagues at Novellus, and their hard work and success led to Novellus’ acquisition two years later. “I couldn’t have had a better first step into industry, or found a better match. Dr. Angel is always available to help direct our research efforts, and Dr. Rohde (Dr. Christopher Rohde, Co-Founder and CTO of Factor) is an inspiration—he will come up with novel ideas and turn them into reality at a record pace. Intellectually, you will never be bored here. Factor provides its employees with as much opportunity and responsibility as they can handle. The environment here has helped numerous entry-level employees join excellent graduate programs at world-renowned universities. I know Dr. Angel takes a lot of pride in helping his employees build their careers. That’s just wonderful.”

      “Caglar is an excellent researcher who has done exemplary work throughout his career. We are very fortunate to have him as a team member and a mentor to our other employees,” said Dr. Angel.

      The Work Environment Makes All the Difference

      According to Caglar, one of his favorite things about working at Factor is the open exchange of ideas. He explained that people in meetings will chime in on many specialized topics. No one gets shut down when asking a question, even if it’s outside of their background and experience. “Everyone can tolerate the occasional, incredibly naive question,” he joked, “but that does show you how the team lifts everybody up.” “The most fun part of my work is somebody putting data in front of me and asking, ‘What do you think?’ And being a small company, you can get everybody’s feedback on a new idea really fast, including Dr. Rohde’s and Dr. Angel’s. I love this place for that.”

      “I believe that science never operates linearly,” said Caglar. “The world is continuously changing, and we’ll never run out of problems to solve. The finish line will keep moving, but so will technology, and it’s incredible to be part of this journey with Factor.”

      Mackenzie Parmenter

      Associate Scientist

      Exploring an Interest in Translational Science

      Mackenzie joined one of Factor Bioscience’s spinoffs, Novellus Therapeutics, as a Research Associate after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Tufts University. She quickly realized that her passion for research was focused on translating scientific discoveries into technologies that can be used to improve peoples’ lives.

      “I discovered that I really enjoyed working with human cells, and being part of Factor allowed me to work on creating next-generation cell therapies. I find that part of the job very rewarding,” she said. Mackenzie began researching the development of novel mRNA constructs encoding gene-editing proteins and protocols for differentiating pluripotent stem cells into cytotoxic lymphocytes for applications in the treatment of cancer. Her work was exceptionally fruitful, and she presented her results at the 2021 annual meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy.

      Rising to Meet a Complex Challenge

      In early 2021, Factor was approached by a company interested in developing both a gene-edited pluripotent stem cell line and a process for differentiating the cells into cancer-killing lymphocytes. To support this project, Factor would be required to rapidly design and test novel gene-editing constructs, use these constructs to develop and characterize the gene-edited cell line, and develop, from scratch, a scalable process to differentiate the cells into well-defined functional lymphocyte populations.

      This project was easily the most complex that Factor had ever undertaken, and required not only knowledge of genetics, immunology, and stem cell biology, but also great skill in the application of this knowledge to the molecular and cell biology processes required to generate and test the resulting cells. The experience that Mackenzie had gained in her first year at Factor made her an excellent fit for the project team, and she was selected to lead the development of the gene-edited pluripotent stem cell line and the differentiation and characterization of the resulting lymphocytes. Mackenzie’s work on this project resulted in a multimillion-dollar contract for the development of novel treatments for hematologic and solid malignancies, and she presented her results at the ASGCT annual meeting in 2022.

      “Mackenzie has demonstrated the highest level of skill in challenging areas of molecular and cell biology, and she has brought immense value to our company and has advanced the field of cell engineering,” said Dr. Matt Angel, Co-Founder and CEO of Factor. “She is a very talented scientist, but more than that, she has the tenacity and resilience needed to design and carry out complex experiments that often require weeks and sometimes months before yielding a result.”

      As a result of her achievements, and in recognition of her demonstrated ability to carry out independent research, Mackenzie was promoted to Associate Scientist.

      Mackenzie credits Dr. Angel for recognizing her motivation and allowing her to help drive company innovation in cancer-fighting therapy research. She noted, “Dr. Angel always likes people to have a plan. He’s always asking, ‘What’s the next step?’ I think everything at Factor is driven by what you want to do.”

      Launching a Career in Science

      Mackenzie’s work with pluripotent stem cells and directed differentiation has helped her develop questions that she hopes to study during her graduate research, including how self-renewing hematopoietic stem cells behave in vitro and, more broadly, how cell fate is determined in certain lineages. “This has been an incredible opportunity for me. I’ve been able to grow into myself as a scientist. I’m so glad to have gotten the practical experience at Factor that has helped me solidify my future.”

      Last fall, Mackenzie left Factor to pursue her Ph.D. in the Developmental and Stem Cell Biology program at Duke University.

      Abigail Blatchford

      Associate Scientist

      Finding a Supportive Environment

      Abigail began pursuing her career in science at Northeastern University, majoring in bioengineering and minoring in women, gender, and sexuality studies. As an undergraduate, she took advantage of her school’s cooperative education (“co-op”) program to explore potential career paths. In her first co-op, she worked at a formulation-focused biotech company and quickly discovered that small-molecule drug formulation and polymer engineering were not her passions.

      In her next co-op, Abigail worked on the scale-up manufacturing of induced pluripotent stem cells using vertical wheel bioreactors. “I realized I was much more interested in working with living things than small molecules.” When she graduated in 2021, Abigail knew that she was looking for an opportunity that would allow her to continue to explore her interest in stem cells.

      Abigail learned about mRNA cell reprogramming, mRNA gene editing, and Factor Bioscience’s work related to stem cells on Factor’s website, and decided to apply for a position as Research Associate. Her experience and enthusiasm for scientific research made Abigail an excellent fit.

      Abigail’s first project at Factor involved optimizing the design of DNA repair templates for inserting transgenes into stem cells. Abigail worked closely with Factor’s Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Christopher Rohde, designing and testing oligonucleotides and discovering that the inclusion of an immunosuppressive motif could improve insertion efficiency. Abigail presented her findings at the annual meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) in 2022.

      An Idea Leads to Success

      As a result of her accomplishments, Abigail was promoted to Associate Scientist and she began a new project working with pluripotent stem cell-derived myeloid cells. Abigail collaborated closely with fellow Associate Scientist, Mackenzie Parmenter, who had been working with pluripotent stem-cell derived lymphocytes. Leveraging her past experience with bioreactor-based cell culture, Abigail proposed transitioning Factor’s existing differentiation protocols to bioreactors. She recalled, “I reached out to my former colleagues to see if a collaboration of some sort would be possible and if any of their clients had done this kind of work. They said they hadn’t had clients do this kind of work, but they were very interested in it.”

      Abigail pitched the idea to Factor’s Co-Founder and CEO, Dr. Matt Angel, who approved the project and authorized the purchase of a bioreactor. Abigail’s initial testing proved highly successful, and after just a year, she had formalized a process for producing hundreds of millions of immune cells for preclinical testing of candidate therapies to treat cancer.

      “A huge benefit of working at Factor is that everyone is exceptionally receptive to new ideas. If you can make the case for why you should try it, you’ll get the support you need. That was a very cool experience to be able to pitch something and then to discover that it actually works.” Abigail presented the results of her work at the ASGCT annual meeting in 2023.

      “Abigail has enormous talent for scientific research and her achievements are far above and beyond what would normally be expected of a Research Associate,” said Dr. Angel. “In particular, the initiative that Abigail showed in proposing the development of bioreactor-based cell culture at Factor has transformed the way our company produces cells across multiple project areas. I am incredibly proud of Abigail’s success and the environment at Factor that has fostered her ingenuity.”

      Following Her Passion

      Since she decided to major in bioengineering, Abigail had always wanted to combine her degree with her passion for gender equality in health. As she debated whether or not to pursue graduate study, Dr. Angel encouraged Abigail to try to identify a program that would align with her passion. “Dr. Angel provided a reference and was very helpful in obtaining a position for me at my top choice Ph.D. program. He’s really supportive of people who want to go to grad school,” she said. “He wants to see people grow and evolve as scientists. He helps us discover our passions and definitely facilitates our ability to follow them. I’m so thankful for all of his help.” Last fall, Abigail left Factor to pursue her Ph.D. in Women’s and Reproductive Health Sciences at the University of Oxford.

      Christopher Rohde Ph.D.

      Co-Founder, Chief Technology Officer

      As Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Christopher Rohde leads Factor’s efforts to develop new applications of its mRNA, gene editing, and cell reprogramming technologies.

      Chris co-founded and served as President and CEO of Novellus Therapeutics from its founding in 2014 until its acquisition by Brooklyn ImmunoTherapeutics (Nasdaq: BTX) in 2021. As President and CEO of Novellus, Chris led multiple successful out-licenses of its induced mesenchymal stem cells (“iMSCs”), including for COVID-19 related Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (“ARDS”), other acute respiratory conditions, and cancer. Chris serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards of Brooklyn ImmunoTherapeutics and Exacis Biotherapeutics.

      Chris received his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he studied nerve regeneration in C. elegans. Chris has served as Principal Investigator on programs sponsored by the National Institutes of Health to generate new models for the study and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Chris’s work is described in numerous peer-reviewed publications and has been covered by Technology Review, Nature, Bioscience Magazine, Analytical Chemistry, The Economist, and many others.