Universal Fabricators
Backed by £50m, this programme sits within the Manufacturing Abundance opportunity space and seeks to harness proteins to produce a functionally universal range of materials at scale.
Our goal
Biology proves that proteins are able to produce materials with almost any function from only locally abundant molecules. However, despite recent breakthroughs in protein engineering (Alphafold, de novo design, directed evolution, non-canonicals, and cell-free synthesis), subsequent investment and applications of proteins is almost entirely limited to drugs and enzymes. We believe these are only a fraction of their socioeconomic potential.
We’re challenging a new coalition of biologists, materials scientists, and engineers to develop scalable processes that use proteins to template the assembly of inorganic and composite materials with structures that currently cannot be mass manufactured.
If successful, we’ll be able to use proteins to manufacture materials across electronics, energy, infrastructure and more – and proteins will become ‘universal fabricators’.
Read the full thesis below and share your feedback to help us refine our thinking as this programme continues to develop.
Technical Areas
This programme is split into two Technical Areas (TAs), each with its own distinct objectives.
Protein-programmed materials manufacturing platforms
Focused on solving engineering challenges that unlock programmable manufacturing platform technologies.
Scaling
Based on the results from TA1, teams will work with industry partners to scale their approaches to specific application demands.
Meet the programme team
Our Programme Directors are supported by a core team that provides a blend of operational coordination and highly specialised technical expertise.
Ivan Jayapurna
Programme Director
Ivan joined ARIA from the University of California, Berkeley, with a PhD in materials science and engineering. While studying, Ivan co-led several tech spinout efforts, was twice funded by the National Science Foundation I-Corps, and co-founded a technical consultancy for biotech startups.
Alex Smith
Programme Specialist
Alex is a project management professional with experience in complex transformations. He recently streamlined national public service infrastructure for the Nursing and Midwifery Council and has led strategic initiatives at the London School of Economics, including delivering programmes, establishing governance and replacing legacy systems. Alex supports ARIA as an operating partner from Pace.
José Videira
Science + Technology Lead
José has been working in deeptech startups since the age of 15, with a core interest in materials integration and manufacturing resilience. He spent 8 years in a startup he co-founded, taking a dual-use material technology from TRL 0 to 6, and driving the deployment of physics-based AI/ML into production lines. He has a PhD in solid state physics from Imperial College London.
Aayush Chadha
Frontier Specialist
Aayush works alongside the Programme Directors to scope out emerging areas of technology that can shape current and future ARIA programmes. He previously spent a year as a founder in residence at Entrepreneur First working on neuromodulation, materials for computing, batteries for electric aviation and stroke therapeutics. He also has a PhD in Nanosciences from the University of Manchester.
Featured insights
BBNs Toward Universal Fabricators
Ivan speaks with FreakTakes about the launch of Universal Fabricators and why BBNs (also known as FRCs) are a great fit for the programme.