Ribbon Bio Appoints Urs Spitz As Chair To Support Cell-Free DNA Platform Growth

By Amit Chowdhry • Yesterday at 10:52 PM

Ribbon Bio, a developer of cell-free DNA assembly technology, announced the appointment of Dr. Urs Spitz as Chair of its Board of Directors as the company advances its platform for producing complex DNA molecules.

Dr. Spitz brings nearly three decades of experience scaling life sciences companies across precision instruments, fine chemicals, diagnostics, and biotechnology. He previously served as CEO and co-owner of Biosynth, where he led the company’s transformation from a regional business into a global supplier of critical raw materials, culminating in a 2022 exit to KKR.

Ribbon Bio said the appointment comes at a key stage in its growth as it continues to develop its cell-free DNA platform, which enables the production of high-fidelity DNA molecules without relying on traditional bacterial-based processes. The company’s approach is designed to deliver faster production timelines, improved purity, and greater scalability, while enabling the creation of more complex DNA structures.

The platform combines enzymatic processes with proprietary software to convert designed oligo pools into complex DNA constructs, aiming to remove longstanding bottlenecks in synthetic biology and expand access to advanced DNA capabilities for researchers and developers.

Ribbon Bio is focused on positioning synthetic DNA as a foundational tool for next-generation applications across healthcare, biotechnology, and environmental solutions.

KEY QUOTES:

“I am fascinated by Ribbon Bio’s ambition to provide reliable and quick access to complex, cell-free DNA to accelerate the next wave of breakthroughs in biotechnology. The company has built an ‘impossible’ platform that combines enzymes and software to enable simple and robust, hardware-agnostic workflows for converting intelligently designed oligo pools into complex DNA.”

Urs Spitz, Chair of the Board, Ribbon Bio

“We’re thrilled to welcome Urs as our Chairman at such a defining moment for Ribbon. His experience and strategic perspective will be invaluable as we work to make DNA more accessible and transform the cell-free DNA market. I look forward to collaborating closely as we continue to build Ribbon into a market-defining company whose technology reshapes the future of both human and planetary health.”

Jodi Barrientos, Chief Executive Officer, Ribbon Bio