Andrew Hessel

Andrew Hessel, July 2008, Ontario
hi-res photo of me

About

I promote synthetic biology technology and education, open source biology, and the international Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) program in Canada.

I consider DNA a programming language for processors we call cells. Synthetic biology facilitates the writing of DNA-based programs for biological systems, leading to applications that range from single proteins, to new metabolic pathways, to fully synthetic cells or organisms. Designed and/or selected by humans, one might think of this as memetic engineering and/or evolution. Programming cells, although similar to programming computers, comes with far greater economic, social, ethical, and legal implications. This makes the technology important. I've also learned that it's easier to introduce the core concepts to those familiar with software engineering concepts than to classically trained biologists.

For programming DNA, I advocate open source, for two reasons. First, because the free exchange of ideas seems to maximize the rate of innovation. Second, because I believe that transparency is the best ideology for managing complex systems. For example, in software development, open source has also led to robust code (security), highly skilled developer communities (education), and non-monopolistic pricing (fair economies). If transferable to biological engineering, open source could lead to a more diversified, and more sustainable, biotechnology industry. These ideas are explored in Open Sources 2.0, which is published by O'Reilly and is, ironically, not open source. I'll send you a PDF if you ask for one.

Background

In 1995, I joined Amgen, Inc. to provide bioinformatics support for the newly formed Amgen Institute, a 120 person research facility located in Toronto, Canada. There, I facilitated dozens of advanced research projects involving microarrays, genetic sequence analysis, and data mining, and also discovered a knack for strategy and project management. (Today, the institute is unaffiliated with Amgen and known as the Campbell Family Cancer Research Institute.) In 2002, I co-founded of Miikana Therapeutics, a drug development company. I resigned after the company operations were stable to explore my synthetic biology interests. In December, 2005, Miikana was sold to Entremed for $21 million plus milestones.

Since 2003, I have focused my attention on open source synthetic biology. Part of my broad education and outreach agenda includes the founding of an open source biotechnology company. I am based in Alberta, Canada, which is an ideal test bed for new technologies, but I also travel widely.

My role models include the fictional Nick Haflinger and Manfred Macx, a venture altruist:

"Manfred is at the peak of his profession, which is essentially coming up with whacky but workable ideas and giving them to people who will make fortunes with them. He does this for free, gratis. In return, he has virtual immunity from the tyranny of cash; money is a symptom of poverty, after all, and Manfred never has to pay for anything." -- Accelerando, by Charles Stross (2005)

My work has been supported by the University of Oklahoma, the University of Toronto, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Alberta Ingenuity Fund, and most recently, the Alberta Research Council.

Contact Information

hi-res photo
email: ahessel (at) gmail (dot) com
phone: 780.868.3169
Skype: search for "Andrew Hessel", ahessel (at) gmail (dot) com

I prefer email.

Letter post:

Andrew Hessel
Biostrategy Consultant
Alberta Research Council
250 Karl Clark Road
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada, T6N 1E4

2008

UofC Engineering, Calgary, Sept 24, 2008 [part1] [part2] part3 [part4]

SciFoo, Mountain View, CA, August 8-10, 2008

BioBarCamp, Palo Alto, CA, August 6-7, 2008

Science Cafe, Telus World of Science and Alberta Ingenuity, Edmonton, May 6, 2008

Sanofi Aventis BioTalent Challenge Keynote, Calgary, April 23, 2008

Sanofi Aventis BioTalent Challenge Keynote, Edmonton, April 16, 2008

Civil Society Synthetic Biology Teach-In, Washington DC, April 14, 2008 PDF

TEC Edmonton, Open Source Therapeutics, round 2, March 31, 2008

TEC Edmonton, Open Source Therapeutics, March 19, 2008

Overview of iGEM program, Edmonton Catholic School Board, March 18, 2008

Open Source Therapeutics. UofA Digital Biology Meeting, March 17, 2008

National Post Article on SciBarCamp by David Sachs.

Synbio Debate w/ Jim Thomas, ETC group; open source therapeutics scibarcamp, Toronto, May 14-16, 2008

Synthetic Biology and Nanotechnology: Opportunities and Implications for Alberta, Green Paper and Talk, Banff, March 5-6, 2008

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Overview of Synthetic Biology, February 2008.

2007 Talks and Posters

iGEM and Synthetic Biology: Opportunities for Canada, University of Ottawa, November 23, 2007 audio by request

SemBioSys Biotechnologies, Calgary, Alberta, October 26, 2007

Synthetic Biology, Risks, Rewards, and Opportunities, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, October 23 audio by request

Synthetic Viruses Targeting Cancer, SENS 3, Cambridge UK, September 7Video

Overview of synthetic biology, University of Lethbridge, July 19

University of Alberta Department Chairs and Divisional Directors Meeting, July 4

SB3.0 Poster -- iGEM: A case study for open source biological engineering

MIT TTT Canada overview May 26 Video

Digital Genetic Engineering, Google, May 3 Video

Alberta Ingenuity, January 17/18

Photos and Videos

• SB3.0 videos
• iGEM videos
• iGEM Photos