

I want to start a synthetic biology company, now what? - RahCom


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mbreckon
How much research have you done so far? How committed are you to achieving
this?

I ask because your question is worded in such a way to suggest you've just had
the idea and want other people to provide some answers. If that is the case
then you have a bigger question to answer - if the first thing I do when I've
had my grand idea is to want other people to tell me how and what to do, how
passionate am I about this? Because you'll need passion to see you through the
long road.

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RahCom
I apologize for my noncommittal question. I currently hold a master's degree
(that I recently completed) in bioengineering. I am completely committed to
making this a reality. I am only unsure of how to move forward in regards to
governmental regulations, patent concerns, and if I should further my
education in the field or not. What are your thoughts?

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jcarden
What is required to start synthetic biology company from 0 depends on what
problem you are trying to solve commercially. If you do not have a problem in
particular, then you need to evaluate the current research and commercial
synthetic biology space, approximate the gaps in services and identify a
problem you would like to address. Once you have a better idea of the problem,
then you will have an idea of where to start. What did you have in mind ?

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RahCom
Thanks for your reply, and I apologize for my tardy response. I'm interested
in the whole field of Synthetic Biology, with no particular research focus.
From my understanding, synthetic biology is able to solve many world problems.
This includes creating machines from synthetized components to solve the
"particular problems" of the world, including ending world hunger, curing
disease, solving our energy crises, and uplifting the human condition.

To add to my ask HN response: I have an master's degree in bioengineering, so
I am no stranger to the field. I am unsure of where to focus my studies to
maximize my contribution to the field. I hope that helps.

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jrkelly
I'd get a PhD first or hook up with a PhD-trained co-founder.

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RahCom
I currently have a masters degree in bioengineering, do you believe that a PhD
is required to create a SynBio startup?

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jrkelly
It's a much less mature engineering field than any of the others, so it's
still a lot of R&D to get anything done. PhD is a big help in teaching you to
do that well. I still recommend it, though at some point in the future it
won't be necessary.

