Sortera Bio spins out of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology to Pioneer New Frontiers in Biologics Discovery with Deep Screening Technology
Cambridge, UK, 21 February 2025 - Sortera Bio Ltd today announces its official launch as a spin-out from the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC LMB). Sortera Bio’s pioneering Deep Screening platform has the potential to redefine early biologics discovery and engineering by enabling the development of novel medicines against challenging biological targets.
Deep Screening enables the precise identification of potential therapeutic candidates with desirable drug-like properties by experimentally collecting sequence and functional data in massive parallelism for hundreds of millions of biologics in a single experiment. These datasets enable the rapid production of internally consistent training datasets and large-scale experimental validation of its generative AI models. The breakthrough technology powering Sortera Bio was originally developed and validated at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC LMB), with support from AstraZeneca through the LMB-AstraZeneca Blue Sky Collaboration.
Sortera Bio was founded by Ben Porebski PhD and Philipp Holliger PhD, both recognised leaders in protein engineering and synthetic biology. Ben Porebski PhD, formerly an Investigator Scientist at MRC LMB, is Sortera Bio’s CEO and CTO. Philipp Holliger PhD, a Programme Leader at MRC LMB, brings invaluable expertise and strategic guidance to the venture, and serves on its Board.
“We are thrilled to embark on this pioneering journey with the support of our investors and partners. This early support has enabled us to leverage the advantage of our breakthrough technology, with the ambition to rapidly discover precision biologics that can positively impact patients’ lives.” said Ben Porebski PhD, CEO-CTO.
“The LMB is proud to have supported the foundational work by Ben Porebski and Philipp Holliger that generated the powerful technology at the heart of Sortera Bio. It is especially important to consider that the technology was developed as part of the LMB’s Blue Sky collaboration with AstraZeneca, highlighting the benefits of close cross-sector collaborations. Innovation is a key part of what we do and the founding of Sortera Bio continues a long track record of spinning out exciting, useful and high-value companies” said Jan Löwe PhD, Director of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology.
As Sortera Bio embarks on its mission to advance biological drug discovery, the company welcomes collaboration and partnerships with researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and industry leaders who are committed to pushing the boundaries of therapeutic innovation.
ENDS
About Sortera Bio
Sortera Bio Ltd is a Cambridge UK-based biotechnology company based on intellectual property developed at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. Sortera is focused on accelerating the discovery of biologics via its proprietary Deep Screening platform and is dedicated to delivering transformative solutions in biologics discovery to meet the needs of patients worldwide.
Contact: hello@sortera.bio
https://sortera.bio
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About the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
The Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) is one of the world’s leading research institutes. Discoveries and inventions developed at the LMB, for example DNA sequencing and methods to determine the structure of proteins, have revolutionised all areas of biology. Its scientists work to advance understanding of biological processes at the molecular level. This information will help us to understand the workings of complex systems, such as the immune system and the brain, and solve key problems in human health.
The MRC is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
https://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk
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