Cell-Free Technology gets $250,000 funding boost

Firm created first DNA-programmed biocomputer

Brian Manning, Thomas Meany, Ian McDermott and Helene Steiner of Cell-Free Technology Picture: Clare Keogh

Cork start-up Cell-Free Technology has secured funding of $250,000 from SOS Ventures, the VC fund led by Sean O’Sullivan to develop biocomputers for the mass market.

Incorporated last April, the company is led by chief executive Thomas Meany, a physicist, and his co-founder, CSO and protein engineer Ian McDermott.

Alongside designer and former Microsoft researcher Helene Steiner and robotics engineer Brian Manning, they have developed the 8x8 bio-pixel display Bixels.io, described by Meany ...