Seek Labs Secures $2 Million to Develop Next-Gen Therapeutics for Avian Influenza
Seek Labs, a private TechBio company focused on programmable disease response, has received a $2 million award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to advance a novel, mutation-resistant therapeutic for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The initiative is part of APHIS’s broader $100 million HPAI Grand Challenge, aimed at accelerating solutions to combat a virus that continues to threaten poultry production, global food supply, and animal health.
Tackling a Moving Target
“HPAI is a persistent, evolving threat with real consequences for food security, agricultural stability, and global health preparedness,” said Alison O’Mahony, Senior Vice President of Research at Seek Labs. The company’s approach combines its proprietary Programmable Target Ablation Platform (PTAP) with BioSeeker, an AI-driven disease intelligence layer. This system continuously monitors viral evolution and programs the therapeutic to target stable genomic regions of HPAI, making it resistant to mutation.
Rather than addressing a single viral strain, the technology adapts in real time to the virus’s changes across geographies and species. “By converting biological information into data, our platforms can be programmed to target and respond to diseases faster than traditional approaches,” added Jared Bauer, co-founder and CEO of Seek Labs.
Why It Matters
Highly pathogenic avian influenza spreads rapidly and can decimate entire poultry flocks within days, causing significant economic losses and disruptions to food supply. In recent outbreaks, HPAI has even jumped to dairy cows, highlighting the broader risk to animal health and food systems.
Yohannes Berhane of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) emphasized the importance of cross-border collaboration: “Addressing a threat of this scale requires sustained research, scientific innovation, and cross-border collaboration. We are excited to be working alongside Seek Labs to address this ongoing threat.”
A Collaborative Effort
The project will involve close collaboration with CFIA, with Douglas Gladue, Vice President of Veterinary Pharma at Seek Labs, and Yohannes Berhane, Head of the Avian Disease Research Unit at CFIA, serving as Principal Investigators. This partnership underscores the importance of international coordination in disease surveillance and response.
By combining CRISPR-based molecular therapeutics with AI-driven genomic intelligence, Seek Labs aims to develop a pan-HPAI treatment that remains effective as the virus evolves. This represents a significant step forward in building adaptable, rapid-response systems for highly pathogenic viruses that threaten animal health, food security, and global biosecurity.
As HPAI continues to challenge poultry and livestock industries worldwide, this initiative highlights how innovation at the intersection of biotechnology and data science can provide next-generation tools for detection, prevention, and treatment.
