Jack Hu-Cofounder, Pumpkinseed
Jack Hu the co-founder of the startup Pumpkinseed, is exploring the adjacent possible in the world of protein sequencing. Protein sequencing has a vast number of useful applications, but the more common reasons are found in bioengineering, drug development, and understanding diseases. Jack saw that although we can produce protein via cells the technology for measuring and identifying those proteins was limited.
With collaborative efforts, Hu and co. imagined and created a tool to analysis proteins. The pumpkinseed technology manipulates light in such a precise manner that it can interact with microscopic molecules. The ultra-precise light scanner collects data which then reveals unique patterns and information about the proteins being researched. Pumpkinseed’s process is faster, more scalable, and more accurate than any system on the market.
In a Stanford innovation program Jack claims to be driven by the want to help prevent foodborne disease. Instead of soaking crops, and filling animals with chemicals Pumpkinseed can “actively monitor disease outbreak in crops and livestock, reducing the need for unnecessary agrochemicals.”
The development of Pumpkinseed’s technology was only possible through collective knowledge and efforts. Yes, the tech is used in biology research, but Jack Hu needed to merge the power of other disciples into his products like physics, engineering, and AI. Along with collaborative wisdom, Hu and his team took the initiative to start Pumpkinseed while still in their academic years.
The name behind the innovative startup comes from the bright, iridescent scales of a pumpkinseed sunfish. The silicon chips in pumpkinseed tech shimmer in a similar way. The venture’s name also reflects Jack’s vision of a world free from chemical-laden animals and ecosystems
