108Labs

108Labs is looking for adventurous scientists to explore cellular agriculture and drug development to create a future where conscious life is not sacrificed for sustenance, Cellufacturing® eliminates the outsized impact of animal agriculture on climate change, and all humans from their first moments to their last are less at risk of losing time to preventable death from infectious disease.

History

108Labs co-founder Shayne Guiliano first conceived of mammary cell agriculture the evening he acquired 108Labs’ first lab space from RTP Park Foundation while leading a discussion on slaughterhouse tissue acquisition logistics for prospective meat and leather projects with co-founder Leila Strickland.

To pioneer mammary cell agriculture quickly became 108Labs’ mission.

After years of R&D in and out of RTP labs experimenting with bovine cells acquired from Randolph Packing slaughterhouse in Ashboro, NC to improve the 108Labs’ mammary cell bioreactor design, 108Labs,LLC contracted with John Cadwell from FiberCell Labs in October 2019 to combine expertises in 3d cell culture to demonstrate scalable biosynthesis of human milk and secretory antibodies utilizing 108Labs’ patent pending methods for producing cell cultured mammalian milk. Special acknowledgement to FiberCell tech Samantha Dostalik, a true cell whisperer.

With the help of leading human milk researchers, 108Labs analyzed bioreactor harvests demonstrating successful biosynthesis of the major human milk molecules including nutritional and antimicrobial proteins and carbs, anti-inflammatory lipids, probiotic HMO, as well as secretory antibodies evolved to nurture and protect newborns from mucosal infection.

108Labs’ animal-free primary mammary cell bioreactor makes it possible to replicate the biosimilar nutritional and anti-microbial molecules of human milk alongside secretory antibodies reflecting the immune memory of a donor against environmental pathogens. Antibodies evolved in donors and produced in the bioreactor can be applied to mucosal surfaces to help protect immunocompromised patients against shared environmental pathogens.

108Labs’ first SBIR application was submitted to the US National Science Foundation on Dec 12, 2019, seeking grant funding to commercialize 108Labs’ mammary cell bioreactor innovations under a newly created brand called Biomilq for productizing 108Labs’ personalized human milk project, with help from Michele Egger. Though 108Labs is no longer working on personalized milk nutraceuticals with Biomilq, Inc, 108Labs’ personalized mammary cell therapeutics project lived on with a new focus beyond just personalized infant nutrition to secretory antibodies and antibody immune memory replication therapeutics.

On January 20, 2020, 108Labs successfully created its first cell cultured biosimilar human milk. Proteomics of the January 20th harvest landed March 16th demonstrating 108Labs’ novel production of whole-human milk proteins including all the major caseins and wheys and including bioactive molecules like BSAL and Lactoferrin. In addition to synthesizing the major nutritional and bioactive molecules of human milk, 108Labs created the world’s first biosimilar whole-human secretory IgA antibodies produced in a fully human, non-gmo, animal-free and pathogen-free bioreactor.

The above antibody “baby” photo was imaged at 0.01ug/mL dilution revealing the beautiful hinging exhibited by 108Labs’ biosimilar secretory IgA dimers that naturally confer immunity by protecting mucosal membranes throughout our lives, trapping pathogens in their grip prior to invasion, yielding rarely to the whims of viruses and bacteria once trained to resist.

In December 2020, with 108Labs experimental proof of scalable mammary cell agriculture underway, 108Labs co-founders turned focus to fundraising after self-funding 108Labs’ research with family funds since 2013. Shayne and Leila agreed to create a new brand – with the help of Michele Egger – called Biomilq to publicize 108Labs’ mammary cell agriculture in personalized infant nutrition after 108Labs produced its first analytical evidence of human milk production. In January 2020, 108Labs rented lab space at UNC Chapel Hill’s NCore and worked with the NCore analytical services team to study 108Labs bioreactor harvests to look for major components of human milk including Lactose and Casein.

On February 27th, 2020 The Atlantic featured 108Labs’ co-manager Leila Strickland announcing 108Labs’ scientific data under the Biomilq name, disclosing that 108Labs successfully synthesized at least lactose and casein simultaneously, a monumental achievement in itself for a self-funded, family-run biotech with a literal garage full of lab equipment. 108Labs’ announcement went viral around the world under the Biomilq brand, leading to interest from investors into 108Labs technology.

But the casein-lactose announcement was only the tip of the iceberg of Simple Wes with Human Casein Antibody

First proof of 108Labs scalable milk production by 108Labs at UNC Chapel Hill NCore Labs, Jan 2020 acknowledgment to NCore employee Olesia Gololobova, PhD for help with WES. Lactose Kit Results (verified by UC Davis Slupsky lab via metabolomics). First proof of 108Labs lactose production by 108Labs at UNC Chapel Hill NCore Labs, Jan 2020

acknowledgment to NCore employee Olesia Gololobova, PhD for help with plate runs.

108Labs worked to analyze bioreactor harvests for lipid content of milk produced by 108Labs’ mammary cell bioreactor. By identifying key bioactive lipid mediators of fatty acids (also known as oxylipins), Ameer confirmed that 108Labs biosynthesized major bioactive lipids of human milk including anti-inflammatory lipids like Resolvin E1 and many others at concentrations comparable to mother’s milk.

108Labs worked to analyze the metabolomics of bioreactor harvests proving 108Labs biosynthesized the major nutritional, protective and probiotic carbs and HMO of human milk including lactose and 2′-fucosyl lactose amongst many other complex whole-human sugars.