Petri Bio

Synthetic biology for metabolic health

Harnessing microbes to solve metabolic problems.

Petri Bio uses engineered microorganisms to develop new options for people whose health depends on what they can, and cannot, eat.

Our research
Illustration of a petri dish with rod-shaped bacteria

Funding and research collaborations

  • NIH Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
  • NIH National Cancer Institute
  • University of Colorado Anschutz

Our approach

Microbes as a platform for metabolic health

Microorganisms are nature's most versatile chemists. They can break down unwanted compounds, produce complex proteins, and work in places where conventional approaches fall short. Petri Bio applies engineered microbes to metabolic challenges, especially inherited disorders where diet is the main form of treatment and patients have few good options.

Current research

Classical homocystinuria (HCU)

With support from the National Institutes of Health, Petri Bio is developing an engineered bacterium to help manage classical homocystinuria (HCU), a rare inherited disorder of amino acid metabolism. By reducing the dietary burden that patients cannot process, this approach aims to lessen reliance on currently available medical formulas, and widen what patients can safely eat.

About us

About Petri Bio

Petri Bio is a synthetic biology company based in Southern California. Our team combines expertise in microbiology, molecular genetics, and protein engineering to build safe, practical microbial tools for human health. We work with academic collaborators and clinical experts in the rare disease community to make sure our work addresses real patient needs.

Shu Li
Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer
Joseph Schinaman, PhD
Co-founder & Chief Scientific Officer

Funding

Research funding

NIH SBIR Phase II R44HD107885

Research at Petri Bio is supported by the National Institutes of Health under Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award R44HD107885. The content of this website is solely the responsibility of Petri Bio and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Compliance

Financial Conflict of Interest Policy

Petri Bio is committed to objectivity in research. In accordance with Public Health Service regulations (42 CFR Part 50, Subpart F), we maintain a Financial Conflict of Interest policy that applies to all investigators involved in PHS-funded research.

View our FCOI Policy (PDF)

Requests for information about identified financial conflicts of interest held by senior/key personnel may be directed to our Designated Official, Joseph Schinaman, at info@petribio.com. We will respond within five business days.