Cyrus Biotech launches new company to broaden access to multipurpose drug development software

Seattle startup Cyrus Biotechnology has recently announced the spinout of a new for-profit subsidiary called Levitate Bio. This new business will aim to expand access to the company’s software technology, which has the potential to support innovation in various industries such as drug development, agriculture, synthetic biology, and manufacturing. Levitate Bio will be owned by the Rosetta Commons Foundation, a coalition that developed the software platform called Rosetta for modeling biomolecular compounds.

The University of Washington has issued over 60,000 non-commercial licenses to Rosetta users and over 200 licenses to commercial organizations. David Baker, the director of the UW’s Institute for Protein Design, is a strong advocate for open-source tools and believes that sharing code is key to building successful biotech startups. He emphasizes that making code freely available has been instrumental in driving innovation in the industry.

The spinoff of Levitate Bio aligns with a software industry trend of pairing for-profit services/software businesses with innovative non-profits that advance core technology for the benefit of the entire industry. Cyrus Biotechnology, the parent company focused on autoimmune diseases, will continue to utilize the Cyrus platform. Sam DeLuca, Levitate Bio’s CEO and former director of engineering at Cyrus, along with Karen Khar, the executive vice president of sales and business development, will lead the startup. Khar, who previously held the position of manager of scientific affairs at Cyrus, brings valuable experience to the team.

The Levitate team comprises professionals with expertise in various areas such as engineering, bioinformatics development, and computational protein engineering. These individuals have a background in physics- and AI-based algorithms that will be instrumental in further developing and expanding the software technology offered by Levitate Bio. The goal of the subsidiary is to not only provide access to the technology but also to drive innovation and advancement in multiple industries that can benefit from the use of the software.

By leveraging the expertise and resources of the Rosetta Commons Foundation, Levitate Bio aims to make a significant impact in the field of biomolecular modeling and compound development. The innovative approach of pairing a for-profit subsidiary with a non-profit foundation demonstrates a commitment to advancing technology and driving industry-wide benefits. With the leadership of DeLuca and Khar, as well as the talented team of engineers and developers, Levitate Bio is well-positioned to make a difference in drug development, agriculture, synthetic biology, and manufacturing.

Overall, the spinoff of Levitate Bio represents a step forward in the biotech industry towards greater collaboration, innovation, and accessibility to groundbreaking technology. With a focus on open-source tools and a commitment to driving industry-wide benefits, Levitate Bio is poised to make a lasting impact in various sectors by providing access to advanced software technology developed by the Rosetta Commons Foundation. The combination of technical expertise, industry experience, and a dedication to driving innovation sets Levitate Bio apart as a promising player in the field of biomolecular modeling and compound development.