Precision genomics | Fitness apps | Gene therapy in Durham

  • KANSAS CITY, MO—The lockdowns that occurred during the pandemic prompted people to adapt fitness routines or develop a new wellness regimen at home. Fitness apps are currently a $6 billion dollar industry and is expected to be $59 billion by 2027. The Fitic app, created by Jake Heyen, a 23-year-old grad of the University of Missouri, provides fitness content so users can perform, save, and track workouts.
  • DURHAM, NC—Jaguar Gene Therapy, a company that develops breakthroughs in gene therapy for larger patient populations suffering from severe genetic diseases, is building a commercial manufacturing facility in Durham. CEO Joe Nolan said the proximity to the Process Sciences Laboratory in Cary, access to local universities, and a talented workforce helped influence the company’s decision to open the 174,000-square-foot facility in Research Triangle Park.
  • ST. LOUIS, MO—Roy Vagelos, a renowned physician-scientist and pharmaceutical executive, has given a gift of $15 million to the Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences (DBBS) at Washington University in St. Louis. The money will go toward funding programs in the life sciences.
  • COLUMBUS, OH—Researchers at The Ohio State University have been able to link exposure to the heavy metal cadmium with degradation in Vitamin D in the body. In children, this causes a heightened allergic response. The study’s senior author, Prosper Boyaka, professor and chair of veterinary biosciences at The Ohio State University, says this is even more problematic because cadmium has a half-life in the body of at least 15 years.