The hottest Life Sciences Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Science Topics

Illumina Deliver Q70. Complete Genomics Sold.

ASeq Newsletter • 51 implied HN points • 24 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Life Sciences
  1. Illumina is targeting Q50 overall read quality by the end of 2027, and some kits will achieve Q70.
  2. They’re releasing much higher-throughput options, including a 5 billion-read flow cell, a 1.5 billion-read 600-cycle kit, and upgrades pushing 10 billion reads to 14 billion (20-hour runs) and 25 billion to 35 billion reads.
  3. Per-run prices will go up while cost per base goes down, and Complete Genomics has been sold.

A Few More Roche SBX Chip Notes

ASeq Newsletter • 21 implied HN points • 03 Mar 26
🔬 Science Life Sciences
  1. More technical details and small updates about the Roche SBX chip are still being discussed.
  2. TruPath is noted as interesting but not very exciting here, partly because it’s already been covered elsewhere.
  3. The write-up is behind a paywall and requires a paid subscription or sign-in to access.

Element High-throughput: Vitari

ASeq Newsletter • 29 implied HN points • 20 Feb 26
🔬 Science Life Sciences
  1. A new high-throughput sequencer delivers up to 5 billion reads per flowcell, running 2x150bp in about 36 hours with a planned upgrade to 2x300bp in the future.
  2. It targets a $100 per-genome consumable cost while the instrument is priced at $689,000, putting it cheaper per genome than some competitors but more expensive than others.
  3. The system is compact (mini-fridge size) and uses two flowcells with six lanes each, positioning it as a solid alternative to existing high-throughput platforms.

250 Roche Axelios Instruments In the First Year Possible?

ASeq Newsletter • 14 implied HN points • 28 Feb 26
💼 Business Life Sciences
  1. Informal polls on Discord and LinkedIn had low response and are hard to interpret, but they did identify a small group of respondents who actually have purchasing influence.
  2. Even though Roche's Axelios pricing isn't much better than Illumina's, the product still appears compelling to a subset of potential buyers.
  3. Using rough assumptions about market size (>2000 instruments) and the poll results, a back‑of‑the‑envelope projection yields about 250 Axelios units in the first year, but that number relies on several optimistic assumptions and substantial uncertainty.

Recent Metascience News/Links

The Good Science Project • 40 implied HN points • 18 Dec 25
🔬 Science Life Sciences
  1. Even though we spend much more on science and R&D than in the past, the bottleneck for economic growth is often our ability to translate discoveries into marketable products, not a shortage of new ideas.
  2. Research funding and review rules are shifting: NSF is allowing fewer outside reviews and giving program managers more discretion, and NIH has removed the old requirement to get advance permission for very large grant applications.
  3. Reproducibility and data-quality problems keep appearing in areas like crystallography, and analysts caution against treating measures like “variance explained” as if they directly show a variable’s causal impact.
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Ultima Genomics, limited growth?

ASeq Newsletter • 7 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
💼 Business Life Sciences
  1. They said their installed base doubled in 2025. Since the UG100 launched in 2024, this could mean they shipped roughly the same number of instruments in 2024 and 2025.
  2. Half of the installed base is for research use and half is for clinical use, showing an even split in customer types. Their installations span North America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific.
  3. The company did not disclose total unit counts, so it’s unclear whether placements are actually accelerating or plateauing. That lack of detail raises questions about their growth momentum and the size of their contracted revenue backlog.

Digest 5/21/23

axialdaily • 39 implied HN points • 21 May 23
💼 Business Life Sciences
  1. Axial partners with inventors in life sciences for early-stage investments
  2. Nimbus Therapeutics has successfully sold assets for significant amounts
  3. Scientist David Ross focuses on integrating neuroscience into psychiatry

The Business of AI in Life Sciences

Axial • 14 implied HN points • 06 Jul 25
💼 Business Life Sciences
  1. Investing early in life sciences is crucial for innovative ideas to grow. Supporting good inventors helps bring new health solutions to life.
  2. Partnerships with passionate founders are key in building successful startups. Working together can turn great ideas into reality.
  3. The focus on AI in life sciences can lead to breakthroughs that improve healthcare. Technology is changing how we discover and develop new treatments.

Thria or Alaea Could Be Good Common Names for the Third Interstellar Object

Viruses Must Die • 8 implied HN points • 17 Aug 25
🔬 Science Life Sciences
  1. The third interstellar object, currently called 3I/ATLAS, needs a better common name. Suggestions include 'Thria,' which is easy to remember.
  2. 'Alaea' is another name option that connects to Hawaiian culture and the discovery of the object, but there are concerns about how it might be pronounced.
  3. It's important for scientists to come up with catchy and memorable names for new interstellar objects, as we will likely discover many more in the future.

LatchBio

axialdaily • 19 implied HN points • 23 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Life Sciences
  1. Axial invests in early-stage life sciences companies and supports rare inventors.
  2. LatchBio offers a platform for scientists to store, process, and visualize data and is hiring.
  3. Users can run different workflows and access popular tools in life sciences through Latch.

AbCellera: Going from Platform To Pipeline

Axial • 29 implied HN points • 23 Nov 24
💼 Business Life Sciences
  1. AbCellera focuses on supporting early-stage life sciences companies, often investing when ideas are still just concepts. They believe in nurturing innovation from the ground up.
  2. The company's approach emphasizes partnering with passionate inventors to help them turn their ideas into reality. They want to create lasting businesses that can make a difference.
  3. AbCellera is dedicated to building a strong ecosystem for biotech startups, showing a commitment to both science and entrepreneurship. They see value in guiding companies through their early phases.

Alumis: Race to a Best-In-Class TYK2 Inhibitor

Axial • 22 implied HN points • 28 Nov 24
💼 Business Life Sciences
  1. Investors are focused on early-stage life sciences companies with strong potential. They look for companies that are often just ideas at first.
  2. The goal is to support inventors who are passionate about creating lasting companies. There’s a strong emphasis on innovation and dedication.
  3. The race is on to develop a leading TYK2 inhibitor, highlighting competition in the biopharmaceutical field. This specific drug target is gaining interest for its potential benefits.

AnaptysBio: An Immunology Pipeline-In-A-Pill

Axial • 22 implied HN points • 23 Nov 24
💼 Business Life Sciences
  1. AnaptysBio is focused on developing innovative immunology treatments that can be taken as a pill, making them easier to use.
  2. The company collaborates with early-stage life sciences firms, showing a commitment to supporting new ideas and innovations in the field.
  3. They aim to help dedicated inventors create lasting solutions in healthcare, which could potentially improve patient outcomes.

Seven Powers in Life Sciences

Axial • 7 implied HN points • 06 Jul 25
💼 Business Life Sciences
  1. Axial helps new inventors in life sciences by investing in their early ideas. They look for unique founders who are determined to create lasting solutions.
  2. They collaborate with different companies, like Appia Bio and Seranova Bio, to turn ideas into reality. It's about supporting innovations that can change lives.
  3. The goal is to empower inventors to build strong and enduring companies within the life sciences industry. They focus on potential and passion for development.

Drugs that are their own pipelines

Axial • 7 implied HN points • 06 Jul 25
💼 Business Life Sciences
  1. Investors are focusing on early-stage life science companies that may start with just an idea. This can help bring innovative health solutions to life.
  2. The partnership between investors and inventors is key. It aims to support those who have a strong desire to build something impactful.
  3. These companies often create their own development pathways, which means they can turn their ideas into reality without needing external support.

Funding models in life sciences

Axial • 7 implied HN points • 06 Jul 25
💼 Business Life Sciences
  1. Funding support is crucial for early-stage life sciences companies. It's important to back inventors with strong ideas.
  2. Investors like to partner with passionate founders. They focus on helping inventors turn their ideas into reality.
  3. The right funding model can make a big difference. It helps companies grow from just an idea to a successful business.

Value investing in life sciences

Axial • 7 implied HN points • 06 Jul 25
💼 Business Life Sciences
  1. Investing in early-stage life sciences companies can lead to exciting opportunities. These companies often start with just an idea and have the potential to grow into something great.
  2. Partnering with skilled founders and inventors is crucial for success. Their passion and creativity are key drivers in building successful companies.
  3. Value investing is about helping inventors create lasting impacts in their fields. Supporting these innovators can lead to both financial returns and significant advancements in life sciences.

The Superinvestors of Life Sciences

Axial • 7 implied HN points • 06 Jul 25
💼 Business Life Sciences
  1. Axial invests in early-stage companies in life sciences, helping inventors turn their ideas into reality.
  2. They focus on partnering with unique founders who are passionate about creating lasting impact.
  3. The goal is to support rare inventors in building successful and enduring companies.

Business Model Matrix

Axial • 7 implied HN points • 06 Jul 25
💼 Business Life Sciences
  1. Axial invests in early-stage life sciences companies, often starting when they are just ideas. They focus on partnering with unique founders and inventors.
  2. The agency aims to support inventors who are deeply passionate about building lasting businesses. They look for those special innovators in their early stages.
  3. Being involved with start-ups like Appia Bio and Seranova Bio shows their commitment to nurturing new ideas in life sciences. They want to help create enduring solutions.

Substitutes and complements in life sciences

Axial • 7 implied HN points • 06 Jul 25
💼 Business Life Sciences
  1. Axial works with early-stage life sciences companies, investing in ideas that could grow into something big.
  2. They focus on supporting inventors who are passionate about building lasting solutions in the field.
  3. Collaboration and partnership are key parts of their approach to nurturing innovative ideas and inventions.

Tectonic Therapeutic: Protein Engineering and Fc-relaxin for Hypertension

Axial • 7 implied HN points • 31 Jan 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Life Sciences
  1. Tectonic Therapeutic focuses on protein engineering to help treat hypertension. This means they are working on new medical treatments using proteins to effectively lower blood pressure.
  2. Axial invests in early-stage life sciences companies. They are particularly interested in supporting new ideas and inventions that can grow to make a big impact in healthcare.
  3. Support for inventors is a key part of Axial's mission. They aim to help those who are passionate about creating lasting solutions in the life sciences field.

QuantumDx

ASeq Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 10 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Life Sciences
  1. QuantumDx has shifted from researching FET nanowire DNA sequencing to developing sample-to-answer qPCR platforms.
  2. This represents a big technological pivot toward a more conservative, near-term, market-ready diagnostics strategy instead of experimental sequencing hardware.
  3. The latest update about the company is published as paid, subscriber-only content.