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TL;DR
- Manufactured blood aims to create a safer, more reliable red-blood-cell supply without depending entirely on recurring donor availability.
- Membio describes biomanufactured blood as a way to reduce pathogen risk and address shortages, especially where donation systems cannot meet demand.
- Shane Kilpatrick says biotech founders should know their customer, prove the technology works, and plan for capital and talent constraints.
- Scispot's Talk is Biotech series gives founders a direct forum to explain emerging science, market needs, startup barriers, and practical lessons.
Guru sat down with Shane Kilpatrick, CEO at Membio, to talk about Membio's mission of providing the world with safe manufactured blood, its advantages, and much more.
Membio is on a mission to provide the world with a safe and sustainable supply of blood
"Our mission is simple and straightforward. We aim to provide the world with a safe and sustainable supply of blood." - Shane Kilpatrick, CEO at Membio.
Limitations of using regular blood in the healthcare system
Shane points out the limitations of using regular blood in the healthcare system. First and foremost, there's just isn't enough donated blood available in developing nations for clinical purposes, and the donation system is broken. Second, whatever blood is available can be tainted and cause further problems. A safe and sufficient supply of blood will elevate the entire health care system.
Biggest advantage of using biomanufactured blood
Shane points out the significant advantage that biomanufactured blood has. It can guarantee protection against the current and even emerging pathogens. Tainted blood can have catastrophic repercussions. So having a manufactured source can eliminate this problem once and for all.
Barriers that startups like Membio face while getting started
Access to capital and human resources are two of the biggest barriers that startups need to overcome and Shane had to deal with these when he started Membio.
Advice to bioentrepreneurs
Shane's advice to aspiring bioentrepreneurs is simple and effective.
"There are only two questions you need to ask yourself that matter: One, Do you know who your customer is? And Two, does the technology work?." - Shane Kilpatrick, CEO at MemBio.
