Meet the under-35s shaping the future of biotech. From lifesaving devices to age-reversal tech, they’re on the cutting edge.

One innovator, Paschal Kija, has developed a device called Mkanda Salama to treat postpartum hemorrhage, which contributes to around 29% of maternal deaths in his home country, Tanzania. The device is simple, effective and affordable.

Xiao Yang, 34, is creating ultra-small, flexible electrodes inspired by the traditional Japanese art of kirigami. These electrodes are being used in studies to better understand brain cells and potentially treat neurological disorders.

Sarah Grandinette, 26, worked on a gene-editing therapy for baby KJ, who was born with a rare and potentially fatal genetic disorder. She created cells with KJ’s genetic variant and used them to screen gene-editing approaches before testing potential medicines in mice and monkeys.

Yuancheng (Ryan) Lu, 34, has developed a reprogramming therapy that reversed vision loss in aged, blind mice. An almost identical version of the therapy is now being tested in people with eye disease.

Samuel King, 27, used a generative AI model to design new genetic blueprints for bacteriophages, teeny viruses that can infect bacteria. His AI-designed viruses are being tested for their potential to create new copies of themselves, burst out of bacterial cells, and infect other nearby bacteria.