After completing his doctorate at age 21,[4] Hsu led therapeutic research programs at Editas Medicine, a publicly traded biotechnology company based on his graduate research and backed by Bill Gates and Google Ventures.[5][6] At 23, he established his independent research group as a principal investigator at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, where he developed CRISPR-Cas13 systems for controlling gene expression and cellular behavior.[7] He later joined the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley, where his lab focuses on AI foundation models for biology and developing gene editing technologies.[8] His research has over 65,000 citations, according to Google Scholar.[9]
In 2020, he helped to start Fast Grants to provide rapid funding to scientists working on research projects that could help with the Covid-19 pandemic. Along with Stanford University professor Silvana Konermann and Stripe CEO Patrick Collison, Hsu is a co-founder of Arc Institute, an independent research organization focused on accelerating discoveries in biology and medicine.[10]
Achievements and recognition
Hsu has received several prestigious awards recognizing his contributions to CRISPR, synthetic biology, and machine learning for biology. He was named to the MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 list in 2017 for his pioneering work in genome engineering.[11] He was included in Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science in 2015 for his contributions to CRISPR technology.[12] His discovery of the first programmable recombinases was named among the 5 Important Medical Breakthroughs of 2024 by Forbes,[13] and his development of genomic language models was named one of The Most Important Breakthroughs of 2024 by The Atlantic.[14]
Hsu has also been featured in The Economist for discussions on the future of gene editing.[15] His TED Talk on genome engineering has contributed to the public discourse on CRISPR,[16] and his work played a role in CRISPR being named Breakthrough of the Year. He recently gave an interview with Sequoia Capital on 'Building an App Store for Biology with AI'.[17]
DNA foundation models that enable biological sequence modeling and design across molecular contexts and modalities, published on the cover of Science in November 2024.[20]
AI-driven gene editing, where computational models are used to design new gene editors that surpass naturally occurring enzymes.[21]
Bridge RNAs for programmable recombination, which allow for precise DNA modifications without traditional genome-editing tools.[22] In 2025, his research group reported in Science the ability to manipulate up to 1 million bases of the human genome.[23]
"Jumping gene" enzymes, which enable DNA insertion and deletion without using CRISPR, a novel approach published in Nature in 2024.[24]
CRISPR-based DNA and RNA-targeting technologies, establishing widely used tools for genome editing.[25][26]
Commercial interests
Hsu is a co-founder of Stylus Medicine, a biotechnology company commercializing gene insertion technology developed in his lab[27], and of Terrain Biosciences, a startup leveraging AI models and technologies for designing and manufacturing RNA.[28]
Since September 2025, Hsu has been a Venture Partner with Thrive Capital, an investment firm founded by Joshua Kushner. He joined as the firm's second-ever venture partner following Disney CEO Bob Iger.[29][30]
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