Joe Betts-LaCroix#Biotechnology & biomedicine

Joe Betts-LaCroix was born and raised in Oregon. He graduated from school with a D average, then spent the next six years living in a shared house with others whom he described as, "musicians, artists and weirdos". At this time, he did electronics, hardware and software work for local businesses. When his girlfriend went to Harvard, he decided to follow. After getting straight A's at a local college, he transferred to Harvard, where he studied environmental geoscience.

Beginning in earth sciences at Harvard, Betts-LaCroix contributed to the field of long-term regulation of oxygen on Earth over multi-100 Million-year timespans, quantifying the effect of the burial efficiency of organic carbon as a feedback mechanism.{{cite journal|last=Betts|first=Jonathan|title=The oxygen content of ocean bottom waters, the burial efficiency of organic carbon, and the regulation of atmospheric oxygen|doi=10.1016/0031-0182(91)90178-T|volume=97|issue=1–2|year=1991|journal=Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology|pages=5–18|pmid=11538093|bibcode=1991PPP....97....5B}}

At MIT, he designed and built an autonomous, robotic system that enables research into ocean circulation patterns and climate change, by operating untended for up to one year at sea on battery power and collecting hyper-pure water samples at predetermined intervals.{{cite journal|last=Bell|first=Jory|title=MITESS: a moored in situ trace element serial sampler for deep-sea moorings|doi=10.1016/S0967-0637(02)00126-7|volume=49|issue=11|year=2002|journal=Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers|pages=2103–2118|bibcode=2002DSRI...49.2103B}}

In work at Caltech, Betts-LaCroix moved into biophysics, publishing a paper in Science that has been cited by more than 700 subsequent scientific works.{{cite web|title=Google Scholar citations|url=https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=OJLgC9YAAAAJ&citation_for_view=OJLgC9YAAAAJ:a3BOlSfXSfwC

|accessdate=22 April 2018}} In this work, he, along with David Beratan and José Onuchic,proved for the first time that electron-transfer rates in proteins are determined by the electron orbital interactions in the protein structure.{{cite journal|last=Beratan|first=DN|title=Protein electron transfer rates set by the bridging secondary and tertiary structure|journal=Science|year=1991|volume=252|issue=5010|pages=1285–1288|doi=10.1126/science.1656523|pmid=1656523|bibcode=1991Sci...252.1285B|url=https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.1656523|accessdate=18 June 2013|url-access=subscription}}

In 2000, Betts-LaCroix cofounded OQO, a computer hardware and software OEM credited by the Guinness World Records as having created the world's smallest Windows PC.Guinness Book of World Records 2006, {{ISBN|978-0-553-58906-1}} This created a new category of mobile computing devices between PDAs and laptops, which were initially dubbed the "Ultra Personal Computer", and which subsequently became known as the "Netbook". The device won many awards for its innovation, aesthetics and functionality.{{cite web|title=OQO Model 2+ wins Popular Mechanics Editor's Choice Award|url=http://www.pocketables.com/2009/01/oqo-model-2-win.html

|accessdate=18 June 2013}}{{cite web|title=Business 2.0 Editors' Choice: OQO|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2007/03/01/8401014/index.htm

|accessdate=18 June 2013}}{{cite web|title=PopSci's Best Of CES: OQO Model 02|date = 18 January 2007|url=http://www.popsci.com/gear-gadgets/gallery/2007-01/popscis-best-ces-2007?image=9

|accessdate=18 June 2013}}{{cite web|title=OQO Wins The Stevie Award – 2008 Best Product|url=http://www.gottabemobile.com/2008/06/23/oqo-wins-the-stevie-award-2008-best-product/

|accessdate=18 June 2013|date=2008-06-23

}}{{cite web|title=OQO Wins Japans 2007 Good Design Award|url=http://www.gottabemobile.com/2007/11/13/oqo-wins-japans-2007-good-design-award-groppo-named-vp-of-engineering/ |accessdate=18 June 2013|date=2007-11-13 }}

After OQO, Betts-Lacroix was active in Silicon Valley as a lecturer and mentor for CEOs of start up companies.{{cite web|title=Startup Company Lawyer|date=4 May 2009

|url=http://www.startupcompanylawyer.com/2009/05/04/what-is-thefunded-founder-institute/

|accessdate=18 June 2013}}

Betts-LaCroix has participated in the Quantified Self movement since the beginning,{{cite web|title=First Meeting of The Quantified Self Meetup Group|url=http://blog.sethroberts.net/2008/09/11/first-meeting-of-the-quantified-self-meetup-group/

|accessdate=18 June 2013}} and has given numerous presentations on aspects of self experimentation and tracking, including experiments in the 28-Hour day.{{cite news|title=Quantified Self: Joe Betts-LaCroix on the 28-Hour Day|newspaper=Quantified Self|url=http://quantifiedself.com/2011/09/joe-betts-lacroix-on-the-28-hour-day/|accessdate=18 June 2013|date=2011-09-22}}

In 2010, he joined startup Halcyon Molecular to lead its automation efforts.{{cite web|title=VentureBeat: Genome Entrepreneurs|url=https://venturebeat.com/2012/04/21/genome-entrepreneurs-say-their-data-will-help-you-live-longer/|accessdate=18 June 2013|date=2012-04-21}} Halcyon, funded by, among others, Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, attempted to sequence human DNA using electron microscopes. The underlying goal of Halcyon's work was to make meaningful progress in understanding human biology in order to improve medicine.

Following the theme of improving medicine, Betts-LaCroix founded the [http://healthextension.co Health Extension Foundation] in 2012.{{cite web|title=Oakland Futurist: Health Extension Salon|url=http://oaklandfuturist.com/health-extension-salon-5-at-y-combinator/|accessdate=18 June 2013|date=2013-01-26}} The efforts of the people working in Health Extension are motivated by recognizing that

1. Most healthcare money treats age-related diseases;
2. Aging is the single biggest risk factor for these diseases;
3. But funding to address the biochemical processes of aging is less than 0.01% of healthcare spending—and correcting this missed opportunity to optimally assign medical research and translation priorities.{{cite web|title=Health Extension: Mission|url=http://healthextension.co/about/|accessdate=18 June 2013}}

In 2013, Betts-LaCroix cofounded Vium, which has raised $33M to accelerate the development of new medical therapies by automating in-vivo research.{{cite web|title=Bloomberg Businessweek: Building a Better Mouse Cage|website=Bloomberg News|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-02/vium-automates-the-testing-of-drugs-on-mice|accessdate=29 January 2017}}{{cite web|title=BioCentury: Digital Preclinical|url=http://www.biocentury.com/innovations/coverstory/2016-06-02/how-vium-is-automating-data-collection-to-overhaul-in-vivo-research-practices-s01|accessdate=29 January 2017}} Vium launched publicly in 2016,{{cite web|title=Xconomy: Silicon Valley Vets Aim to Shake Up Preclinical Testing With Vium|url=http://www.xconomy.com/san-francisco/2016/06/02/silicon-valley-vets-aim-to-shake-up-preclinical-testing-with-vium/|accessdate=29 January 2017|date=2016-06-02}} and was later acquired by Recursion in 2020.{{cite web|title=Recursion Acquires Vium Bolstering Its Efforts to Industrialize Drug Discovery|date=28 July 2020|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200728005616/en/Recursion-Acquires-Vium-Bolstering-Its-Efforts-to-Industrialize-Drug-Discovery|accessdate=21 July 2021}}

Betts-LaCroix is also a biotech angel investor in such companies as StemCentrx, Recursion Pharma{{cite web|title=Joe Betts-LaCroix - Angel List|url=https://angel.co/joe-betts-lacroix|accessdate=22 April 2018}} and Spring Discovery,{{cite web|title=Spring Discovery Raises $4.25M in Seed Funding|url=http://www.finsmes.com/2018/02/spring-discovery-raises-4-25m-in-seed-funding.html|accessdate=22 April 2018|date=2018-02-26}} as well as a part-time contributor at Y Combinator.{{cite book|title=Y Combinator's Summer Reading List 2017|url=https://www.scribd.com/curated-lists/21533391/Y-Combinator-s-Summer-Reading-List-2017|accessdate=22 April 2018}}

In 2020, Betts-LaCroix cofounded Retro Biosciences, which emerged out of stealth with $180 million in funding from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman{{cite web |title=Sam Altman invested $180 million into a company trying to delay death |url=https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/03/08/1069523/sam-altman-investment-180-million-retro-biosciences-longevity-death/ |website=MIT Technology Review |language=en |date=8 March 2023}} to focus on extending healthy human lifespans.{{cite web|title=Retro Biosciences Raises $180 Million With Goal of Extending Lifespan By 10 Years|url=https://spannr.com/articles/retro-biosciences-raises-180-million-with-goal-of-extending-lifespan-by-10-years/|accessdate=12 April 2022}} Retro works on autophagy, the rejuvenation of blood plasma and on partial cell reprogramming.{{cite web |title=The Most Secretive Longevity Lab Finally Opens Its Doors |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-12-19/longevity-startup-retro-biosciences-is-sam-altman-s-shot-at-life-extension?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTcwMjk5OTA2NCwiZXhwIjoxNzAzNjAzODY0LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJTNVdVS0JUMVVNMFcwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiI5MTM4NzMzNDcyQkY0QjlGQTg0OTI3QTVBRjY1QzBCRiJ9.uL78qp4PUBrvZEcQebZz4OW9wczncKEzgefMQpYLv_4 |website=Bloomberg.com |access-date=20 December 2023 |language=en |date=19 December 2023}}

• Aging-associated diseases

{{reflist|2}}

• [http://healthextension.co Health Extension]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kALa5pO2NvU "Joe Betts-LaCroix at TEDxSF 2011"]
• Goethe Institute: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt1xlg2qR8Y "Transience and Permanence"]
• Oakland Futurist: [http://oaklandfuturist.com/health-extension-9-stem-cells-and-longevity/ "Health Extension Salon #9"]

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Category:1962 births

Category:Living people

Category:Harvard College alumni

Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni

Category:Businesspeople from the San Francisco Bay Area

Category:American scientists