Nobel Prize-winning chemist Prof. Roger D. Kornberg of Stanford University is joining the advisory board of Rehovot-based Tissue Dynamics, a disruptive artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) biopharma company.

Tissue Dynamics aims to revolutionize drug development using its proprietary robotic DynamiX platform. The sensor-embedded human-on-chip models of organs reduce R&D time, expense, and use of lab animals for drug discovery.

DynamiX was used to develop an antiviral therapy that recently completed successful Phase 3A clinical studies. A novel biological therapy for fatty liver disease completed successful preclinical studies earlier this month.

“The rising costs and clinical failures that plague the pharmaceutical industry are due to the failure of animal models and brute force approaches,” said Kornberg, who has won numerous awards for his contributions to cancer research and cardiovascular disease and previously advised Pacific Biosciences and Teva Pharmaceuticals.

“Tissue Dynamics’ vision of human and mechanism-focused discovery offers great potential for disruption,” Kornberg added. “I am honored to join the advisory board of Tissue Dynamics and look forward to contributing to its success.”

Hebrew University Prof. Yaakov Nahmias, founder and chairman of Tissue Dynamics, said Kornberg’s input will be invaluable.

“His discovery of the basic mechanism of cellular transcription has fundamentally transformed our understanding of biology. It is this pursuit of mechanistic understanding that brings us together in Tissue Dynamics, sharing a common vision of mechanism-focused drug development,” said Nahmias, who also heads cultured meat startup Believer Meats.

This announcement comes on the heels of the FDA Modernization Act, which allows pharma companies to file for clinical trials by relying on human-on-chip models instead of animal testing.