Amazon expects most workers back in the office by fall

Microsoft gives $5M to UW for future pandemic response | Seattle region tops in tech office space | GeekWire 200 update ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: 2021 GeekWire Awards call for nominees: [Do you know a person, company or organization deserving of a GeekWire Award? Submit nominations & learn more about the GeekWire Awards today!]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES Amazon updates remote work guidance: The tech giant expects most U.S. corporate office workers back in the office by early fall. The plan, [outlined in a memo to employees]( differs from other companies that are using more flexible work models. It’s good news for local shops near Amazon’s HQ in Seattle that have been battered by the shift to remote work. “Our plan is to return to an office-centric culture as our baseline,” Amazon told employees. “We believe it enables us to invent, collaborate, and learn together most effectively.” [Read more](. Microsoft and UW vs. future pandemics: The speed of the creation of vaccines for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 was a modern marvel. But AI could help produce vaccines and therapeutics even faster in response to the next pandemic. That’s one of the goals of a $5 million gift from Microsoft to the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington School of Medicine. [Read more and listen to GeekWire’s Health Tech Podcast](. Seattle region tops in tech office space: The Seattle metro area, including rapidly growing Bellevue, Wash., helped power the region to No. 1 in the U.S. for tech leases, according to CBRE. It’s the first time Seattle has topped the San Francisco Bay Area. [Read more.]( GeekWire 200 update: With Auth0’s pending acquisition and Rover set to go public, which companies will take their place among the top 10 on our list of rising Pacific Northwest startups? [Read takeaways from this month’s GeekWire 200 rankings](. Seattle biotech news: - [Pharma giant Amgen to acquire Rodeo Therapeutics for $55M]( The Seattle startup is creating small-molecule therapies that help repair and regrow tissue. - [Outpace Bio raises $30M]( Founded by former University of Washington researchers, the company is developing software and hardware to manipulate how cells interact with diseases. - [OncoResponse lands $40.6M]( The Series C round will help fuel clinical development for the company’s antibody-based treatments for cancer. We’re hiring! GeekWire is seeking a tenacious, good-humored, inquisitive, diligent, creative and insatiably curious journalist who loves covering business and tech news. [Details here](. Thanks for reading, and see all our latest headlines below. — GeekWire Managing Editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com, and GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [Become a member, support independent journalism!]( GeekWire members support independent journalism at a time when trusted storytelling and community engagement is more important than ever. [Join Today!]( LATEST HEADLINES [Microsoft gives $5M to UW Medicine to use AI to accelerate response to next pandemic]( [Seattle region ranks No. 1 in U.S. for tech office space leases as 14 big deals help eclipse Bay Area]( [Amazon updates remote work guidance, plans to ‘return to an office-centric culture as our baseline’]( [Former Rover board member and pet-tech veteran Aaron Hirschhorn dies in Miami boating accident]( [Amgen to acquire Seattle biotech company Rodeo Therapeutics for $55M]( SPONSORED: GEEK HOME OF THE DAY [5424 NE 13th Place]( [Seattle biotech startup Outpace Bio raises $30M to fight cancer with custom-designed proteins]( [GeekWire 200 update: Top Pacific Northwest tech startups hold their ground atop the list]( [Amazon donates $1.5M to support Seattle-area hunger relief efforts through four organizations]( [Amazon Web Services is launching Space Accelerator for final-frontier startups]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [INRIX: Head of Product – Location Intelligence]( - [INRIX: Legal Contracts Manager]( - [INRIX: VP- Enterprise Sales]( - [INRIX: HR Generalist]( - [INRIX: Content Strategist]( - [Substantial: Senior Engagement Manager]( - [Symetra: Software Developer]( - [Amazon: Principal Program Manager, Finance Operations – Physical Stores Procure-to-Pay Technology]( - [INRIX: Software Development Engineer]( - [AutoDevTech: Software Engineer]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? BUY A FEATURED LISTING TO APPEAR HERE]( [About GeekWire]( [Contact Us]( [Advertise]( Copyright © 2021 GeekWire LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted to receive emails from GeekWire LLC.  Our mailing address is: GeekWire LLC 123 NW 36th St, Suite 203 Seattle, WA 98107  [change email frequency or address]( | [unsubscribe](