February 3, 2026

TL;DR. Be prescriptive about what the agent outputs, unopinionated about how it gets there.

Takeaways

• Specify the shape of the result; leave the path open.
• Over-constraining the method wastes the agent's strength.

TL;DR. Phylo launches with $13.5M from a16z and Menlo/Anthropic's Anthology Fund to build "agentic biology," debuting Biomni Lab as the first Integrated Biology Environment.

Takeaways

• New research lab Phylo is betting that AI agents can drive biological research, not just assist it.
• Biomni Lab (research preview) is positioned as the first "IBE" — an IDE-like environment, but for biology workflows.
• Backers signal serious AI-bio crossover conviction: a16z + Menlo + Anthropic's Anthology Fund co-leading.