What spurred the founding of Addgene back in 2004, and why is it a non-profit organization?
Addgene was founded nearly 20 years ago to facilitate the sharing of high-quality biological research materials and information among scientists, thereby accelerating discoveries. The inception of Addgene was a direct response to the challenges I faced during my PhD at Harvard, where I experienced difficulties in acquiring plasmids - small, circular DNA strands vital for experiments. This issue was widespread, as scientists often struggled with the logistics of sharing these essential resources, leading to delays and inaccuracies in research.
Recognizing this as a logistical problem, I, along with my co-founders, my husband Benjie Chen and my brother Kenneth Fan, established Addgene. Our mission was to streamline the sharing of DNA-based materials, ensuring quality through sequencing and providing easy access via an online platform. As for being a non-profit, it aligns with our philosophy of open sharing and matches the ethos of the scientific community we serve. Legal and industry norms also support this model, as evidenced by similar non-profits, such as Jackson Labs and ATCC.
Could you provide some details on Addgene's scale and its unique position in the global scientific community?
Addgene stands as the world's largest plasmid repository, trusted by thousands of scientists. We collaborate with over 5,000 labs, hosting over 100,000 DNA-based items.
This vast collection, akin to an 'Amazon for DNA', allows scientists to access a diverse range of materials, from genes involved in breast cancer and heart disease to genes that can be used to design more hearty crops. Our platform has shipped 2 million items to over 100 countries, showcasing its extensive reach and impact in the scientific world.
Has the advent of gene therapy and tools like CRISPR influenced the demand for Addgene's services?
Absolutely, emerging technologies such as CRISPR, which was developed for genome engineering in 2012, significantly boosted our growth. Addgene was well-established by then, fostering a culture of sharing plasmids within the scientific community. This culture enabled the rapid adoption and modification of CRISPR tools, leading to various gene editing applications. By 2020, we had distributed over 200,000 genome engineering plasmids to 4,000 institutions. Additionally, our initiative in creating AAV particles for DNA delivery has gained popularity, highlighting our role in advancing gene therapy techniques.
What are Addgene's main objectives and challenges for the upcoming years?
We're currently reevaluating our strategy to maximize our positive impact on the scientific community. This involves expanding our offerings of physical materials as well as data. We aim to share sequences, metadata, and user-generated data to enhance research effectiveness. Our educational resources, including blogs, how-to videos, and guides attract 3 million monthly page views. We are working directly with the research community to address their challenges, especially as they relate to scientific sharing.
What message would you like to convey about the importance and relevance of Addgene's work?
Our vision for science is a robust, efficient ecosystem enabled by accessible research materials and resources. Collaborative efforts are key, and through partnerships and developing successful sharing models, we aim to accelerate discoveries in critical areas including healthcare and climate change. Addgene plays a crucial role in fostering a diverse community of scientific leaders, providing affordable materials, and offering vast educational resources to support scientists worldwide, regardless of their career stage or geographical location.
