Seek Labs, a biotechnology company at the forefront of AI-driven drug discovery and programmable therapeutics, has announced major progress in the development of what could become the world’s first pan-orthopoxvirus therapeutic. This next-generation treatment aims to provide broad protection against a family of viruses that includes smallpox, Mpox (monkeypox), cowpox, vaccinia, and other emerging orthopox species — all of which pose ongoing risks to global health security.
The company’s work leverages its proprietary BioSeeker™ platform, an AI-powered discovery engine, in combination with its Programmable Target Ablation Platform (PTAP™), a CRISPR-based system for designing programmable antiviral therapeutics. Together, these technologies are being used to develop a broad-spectrum, programmable treatment capable of targeting multiple orthopoxvirus species simultaneously.
Orthopoxviruses are double-stranded DNA viruses belonging to the Poxviridae family. While smallpox was eradicated through vaccination in the late 20th century, related viruses such as Mpox have re-emerged in recent years, causing outbreaks in several countries. Meanwhile, concerns remain about potential synthetic or bioterror threats involving orthopoxviruses, highlighting the urgent need for new antiviral countermeasures.
“Orthopoxviruses continue to evolve, emerge, and threaten global health security,” said Alison O’Mahony, Ph.D., Vice President of Therapeutic Research at Seek Labs. “The development of pan-targeting therapeutics is not just innovative—it’s imperative. By harnessing BioSeeker’s AI-enabled precision and PTAP’s programmable targeting, we can create broad-spectrum treatments capable of neutralizing entire viral families. These therapies have the potential to outpace mutations, bridge gaps in vaccination, and offer a vital line of defense against both natural outbreaks and deliberate biological threats.”
BioSeeker™: AI-Powered Discovery for Viral Targeting
Seek Labs’ BioSeeker™ technology plays a central role in the development of this new therapeutic. The system uses advanced artificial intelligence to identify genomic sequences that remain stable across viral evolution. These highly conserved regions act as ideal molecular targets for CRISPR-based therapeutics.
Importantly, BioSeeker™ also screens against human host genomes to minimize the potential for off-target effects — a key safety requirement for gene-editing–based antiviral drugs. By integrating both viral and host genomic data, BioSeeker™ pinpoints precise, safe, and durable targets, forming the foundation for PTAP’s programmable constructs.
PTAP™: Programmable Therapeutics for Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Defense
Seek Labs’ Programmable Target Ablation Platform (PTAP™) is a modular CRISPR-based system that can be programmed to irreversibly disrupt viral DNA once inside infected cells. This “cut-and-disable” approach prevents the virus from replicating and spreading, offering a mechanism of action that could be effective against multiple orthopoxvirus species simultaneously.
By combining BioSeeker’s predictive targeting with PTAP’s programmable editing capabilities, Seek Labs has developed multiplexed guide sets with pan-orthopoxvirus coverage—a feat that was previously considered extremely difficult given the genomic diversity across viral species.
From Discovery to Validation
The company has already initiated preclinical development of its pan-orthopox candidate, beginning with in vitro validation studies using a vaccinia virus model. Early results have demonstrated strong viral knockdown, confirming that BioSeeker™-identified targets can drive effective suppression of viral replication.
While still in the early stages, these promising results represent a critical proof-of-concept for the potential of programmable antivirals to address entire viral families rather than single species. Seek Labs’ next steps include further in vitro optimization, followed by in vivo safety and efficacy studies, before moving toward clinical-grade development and regulatory submission.
A New Frontier in Global Health Security
Orthopoxviruses have historically shaped global health policy — most notably through the eradication of smallpox, one of humanity’s deadliest diseases. However, the recent global spread of Mpox, combined with advances in synthetic biology, has re-emphasized the biothreat potential of these pathogens. Current antiviral options are limited and often specific to individual strains, leaving significant gaps in preparedness.
A pan-orthopox therapeutic would represent a revolutionary leap forward, enabling governments and health organizations to respond rapidly to emerging or engineered orthopox outbreaks without the need to develop strain-specific countermeasures.
“By building a therapeutic that can target multiple viruses at once, we’re redefining how antiviral drug development can work,” said O’Mahony. “Instead of reacting to outbreaks one at a time, programmable therapies like ours give us the ability to proactively defend against entire classes of pathogens.”
AI Meets Synthetic Biology
Seek Labs’ approach reflects a larger shift in the biotechnology industry — the convergence of artificial intelligence, gene editing, and synthetic biology to create programmable therapeutics capable of adapting to evolving pathogens.
Through BioSeeker™, Seek Labs can rapidly scan global viral databases, predict conserved regions resilient to mutation, and automatically design corresponding CRISPR guide sets for PTAP™. This allows for rapid development and reprogramming of therapeutic constructs in response to new viral threats, potentially compressing timelines from years to months.
Toward Clinical Translation
In addition to its pan-orthopox initiative, Seek Labs is applying its BioSeeker™ + PTAP™ workflow to other high-priority infectious diseases, including emerging zoonotic viruses and multi-drug resistant bacterial pathogens. The company’s modular design allows each therapeutic to be tuned to specific viral families while maintaining the scalability and precision of its AI-based discovery system.
As development advances, Seek Labs plans to collaborate with academic institutions, government agencies, and global health organizations to support further validation, preclinical evaluation, and regulatory advancement of its pan-orthopox program.
A Vision for the Future
Seek Labs’ efforts underscore the potential of programmable medicine—where biology, data science, and AI converge to deliver smarter, faster, and more adaptable therapeutic solutions. By tackling orthopoxviruses as a unified family, the company is not only addressing today’s threats but also preparing for tomorrow’s unknowns.
“Global health security depends on innovation that stays ahead of evolution,” said O’Mahony. “Our vision is to make programmable therapeutics a cornerstone of pandemic preparedness—tools that can evolve as quickly as the pathogens we face.”
