Deniz Kent
Deniz Kent | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1994 (age 30–31) Antioch, Turkey |
| Nationality | Turkish |
| Alma mater | University of Bristol King's College London |
| Occupation(s) | Research, Bioengineering and Entrepreneurship |
| Known for | Bioengineering |
| Notable work | Prolific Machines |
| Title | Founder and CEO at Prolific Machines |
Deniz Kent (born 1994) is a Turkish scientist, bioengineer, and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and CEO of Prolific Machines, a biotechnology company that leverages light to control cellular behavior for biomanufacturing applications, including the production of cultured meat and biologics.[1][2]
Early life and education
Deniz Kent was born into a family from Antioch, Turkey, near the Syrian border. Kent pursued his undergraduate studies at the University of Bristol in England from 2012 to 2016, earning a degree in Cellular and Molecular Medicine. He continued his education at King's College London, where he obtained a master’s degree in biomedical and Translational Science, graduating with distinction in 2017.[3]
He then pursued a PhD in Stem Cell Biology at King's College London from 2017 to 2020. During his doctoral research at the Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Kent worked on human liver stem cells and co-published an article finding that "hepatobiliary progenitor cells previously identified in mice also exist in humans, and can be distinguished from other parenchymal populations, including mature BECs, by distinct gene expression profiles."[4]
Career
Research
Kent started working in the pharmaceutical industry. At GlaxoSmithKline, he worked on developing a single-dose cure for asthma by reprogramming the immune system to induce tolerance instead of inflammation.[5] His contributions were recognized with an award for outstanding research. His research also included studying CD8 T cells in cancer immunology, focusing on how cancer evades the immune system through adenosine signaling.[6]
Founding of Prolific Machines
In 2020, along with Max Huisman (CTO) and Declan Jones (CDO), Kent co-founded Prolific Machines, with the mission to revolutionize cellular agriculture through proprietary biotechnologies that enable cost-effective cultivated meat production.[7] By January 2021, the team achieved a demonstrating that cells could be grown without expensive growth factors, using light-based stimulation.[8] Prolific Machines has a photonic stimulation system to control cell differentiation and tissue formation.[2][9]
Under Kent’s leadership, Prolific Machines reportedly raised $42 million in its Series A funding in 2022 and $55 million in Series B in 2024 from investors, including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Mark Cuban, Kraft Group, Michael Rubin, SOSV, and Arvind Gupta among others.[7] The company set a record at IndieBio for the fast seed funding round. Prolific Machines established its headquarters in Emeryville, California.[10] In 2024, Prolific Machines named among the 200 Best Inventions by Time Magazine.[2]
Publications
- "Reduction of Z alpha-1 antitrypsin polymers in human iPSC-hepatocytes and mice by LRRK2 inhibitors". Hepatology. 2024-07-01.
- "Validation of Current Good Manufacturing Practice Compliant Human Pluripotent Stem Cell‐Derived Hepatocytes for Cell‐Based Therapy". stem cells translational medicine. 2018-11-01.
- "Single cell analysis of human foetal liver captures the transcriptional profile of hepatobiliary hybrid progenitors". Nature Communications. 2019-07-01.
- "Single-cell analysis identifies EpCAM + /CDH6 + /TROP-2 − cells as human liver progenitors". Citing Preprint. 2018-04-01.
- "Small molecule screen employing patient-derived iPS hepatocytes identifies LRRK2 as a novel therapeutic target for Alpha1 Antitrypsin Deficiency". Preprint. 2021-09-01.
References
- ^ "Prolific Machines Raises $42M From Top Planetary Health Investors to Build the Assembly Line for Biology". Archived from the original on 2024-10-07. Retrieved 2025-02-04.
- ^ a b c Lindzon, Jared (2024-10-30). "Prolific Machines Photomolecular Platform: the 200 Best Inventions of 2024". TIME. Retrieved 2025-02-04.
- ^ Ellis, Richard (2023-05-17). "Prolific Machines Has The Key to Affordable Cultured Meat". SOSV. Retrieved 2025-01-30.
- ^ "Single cell analysis of human foetal liver captures the transcriptional profile of hepatobiliary hybrid progenitors". Nature Communications. 10 (1): 3350. 2019-07-26. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-11266-x. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 6659636. PMID 31350390.
- ^ "The Three Young Founders Looking at Food Tech's Dark Age in a New Light". The Information. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ^ "Deniz Kent PhD of Prolific Machines (August 2024)". Cultured Meat and Future Food Show Podcast. 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2025-01-30.
- ^ a b "IndieBio's cultivated meat startup Prolific Machines emerges from stealth with $42M from investors". IndieBio - #1 in Early Stage Biotech. 2022-09-16. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ^ Watson, Elaine (2024-06-06). "Optogenetics startup Prolific Machines raises $55m series B1, uses light to 'control virtually any cell function in any cell type'". AgFunderNews. Retrieved 2025-01-30.
- ^ Darling, Daniel. "Future of Biotech with Prolific Machines CEO Deniz Kent | 5YF #26". 5 Year Frontier. Retrieved 2025-01-30.
- ^ company”, “I’m open to making our technology available to every meat (2022-09-15). "Prolific Machines Reveals $42M Series A to Scale 'Assembly Line' Tech for Cultivated Meat". vegconomist.com. Retrieved 2025-01-30.