Yosuke Niibori
Cheif Scientific Officer
Yosuke Niibori
Re:Pair Genomics
Cheif Scientific Officer
Re:Pair Genomics is a pioneering company that specializes in the design of regulatory elements such as promoters and enhancers using a proprietary machine-learning algorithm. The company was born out of a need to control the expression of transgenes in targeted brain cells while developing a gene therapy treatment for a rare genetic disorder.
The journey of Re:Pair Genomics began in 2019 with the development of the first prototype of the algorithm. By 2021, a team was formed and the venture was named Re:Pair Therapeutics. The following year, in 2022, the algorithm was further refined and the company was incorporated under its current name, Re:Pair Genomics. The same year, the company was a finalist in the TERMIS America Business Plan Competition and the Hatchery NEST pitch competition, and won the Pitch Perfect competition.
In 2023, the company validated its product and was a finalist at the Cell & Gene Therapy West Coast Symposium. It also began fundraising efforts. By 2024, Re:Pair Genomics had secured grants from Mitacs and Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON). The company also made its presence felt at various events, including the AI conference at MaRS Discovery District, where it placed second in the Hult Prize Local Competition at UofT and the BBTV Pitch Competition.
Re:Pair Genomics offers trials on regulatory elements targeting human or mouse cell types. The customized regulatory elements are beneficial to researchers targeting specific cell types with the gene/cell therapy products and those transfecting cells with DNA plasmids. The benefits of the services include speed, accuracy, and flexibility, with results ready within a day.
The company’s philosophy is simple — hire a team of diverse, passionate people and foster a culture that empowers them to do their best work. Re:Pair Genomics aims to speed up gene therapy research while maintaining high accuracy, making tissue-targeting easier for researchers around the world.
Dr. Yosuke Niibori is a Chief Scientific Officer and has made significant strides in the field with over 20 years of experience in neuroscience and 8 years in developing AAV-based gene therapy. His work has been recognized in 19 peer-reviewed papers, including correspondence. His expertise lies in designing cell type/gene-specific promoters for genetic disorders and identifying biomarkers using AI strategies. This proficiency played a crucial role when he co-founded Re:Pair Genomics.