Catena Biosciences

Based in California, US, and co-founded by Marco Lobba (CEO) and Matthew Francis (CSO) in 2020, Catena Biosciences, a spun-out Doudna lab at U. C. Berkeley, operates as a biotechnology company specializing in protein conjugation. In August 2021, the firm raised its seed funding led by investor Social Impact Capital.

The biotech company is focused on developing protein conjugation technology for the creation of therapies in the fields of cancer treatment, vaccines, and autoimmune disorder cures. The core of Catena’s technology is based on the patented method, called protein coupling technology, that enables the rapid and selective attachment of any two proteins using natural amino acids tyrosine and cysteine. This approach outperforms competing methods, such as genetic fusions or chemical attachments, making it widely applicable for complex construct creation in the biotech industry. Some of the firm’s academic paper publication includes Site-Specific Bioconjugation through Enzyme-Catalyzed Tyrosine–Cysteine Bond Formation, Protein–Protein Conjugates: Tyrosine Delivers, etc.