The Cambridge-based biotech company Shift Bioscience has announced the establishment of new facilities in Toronto, Canada, marking a strategic expansion of their AI capabilities in the development of virtual cell technology. The move follows their recent $16M seed funding round and positions the company to tap into North America’s rich pool of artificial intelligence talent.

Machine learning leadership strengthened

Heading the new North American team will be Lucas Camillo, the company’s Head of Machine Learning, who is relocating to Toronto to oversee development of their virtual cell platform. The team will be bolstered by the appointment of Professor Bo Wang as Senior Advisor, bringing his expertise in AI and computational biology to guide the platform’s evolution.

Professor Wang, who currently serves as Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto and Chief AI Scientist for the University Health Network, specializes in machine learning algorithms for clinical applications and cell simulation. His background includes numerous first-author publications in prestigious journals including Nature Methods and Nature Communications.

Professor Bo Wang,
Senior Advisor, Shift Bioscience

Lucas Camillo,
Head of Machine Learning, Shift Bioscience

Strategic positioning in global ai hub

The expansion reflects Shift Bioscience’s recognition of North America’s dominance in artificial intelligence, with the region commanding an estimated 32.92% market share in 2024. By establishing operations in Toronto, the company aims to accelerate growth of its intellectual property portfolio while progressing toward key technical milestones.

“North America boasts some of the world’s most successful AI companies, and the importance of being able to access the region’s extensive talent pool cannot be understated,” commented Lucas Camillo. “I look forward to working closely with Bo to build out a world-class team of machine learning scientists, and to continue development of our virtual cell platform as an invaluable tool to unlock new gene targets that could potentially treat even the most debilitating of age-related diseases.”

Virtual cell technology targets age-related disease mechanisms

The company’s platform uses computational models to simulate cellular processes, enabling the identification of gene targets with potential rejuvenation properties. This approach may offer new pathways for addressing age-related diseases by targeting underlying biological mechanisms.

Professor Wang highlighted the significance of this approach: “Embracing the transformative power of AI is crucial to developing innovative treatments that can transform patient care. Shift Bioscience’s virtual cell technology is doing just that, unlocking new gene targets that have the potential to address the growing burden of age-related diseases.”