Nucleate Podcast

Laurence Reid, biotech entrepreneur and former CEO of Decibel and Warp Drive with leadership roles at Alnylam, discusses translating genomics into therapies. He covers moving from bench science to business, the art of durable deal-making, building platform-driven drug discovery, gene therapy for hearing loss, and lessons on leading and fundraising in tough markets.

Time Stamps (0:55) Introduction to Michal’s background and her professional journey  (7:58) How Michal leveraged tech skills to break into computational biology  (13:15) Her experience at Compugen working on early AI-enabled drug discovery   (19:52) Challenges startup founders face and strategies to overcome them (25:19) Michal’s personal experience as a founder at Anima Biotech (32:52) Resources available at academic institutions to support startups  (40:15) How to successfully negotiate as a scientific founder (46:51) Michal’s role at Johnson & Johnson (53:13) Introduction to MassBio and their purpose (58:35) Advice on networking and how to form meaningful partnerships

Szabi Nagy, CEO and co-founder of Turbine and former Tresorit founder, pivoted from economics to build AI-driven virtual biology. He discusses virtual experiments that speed drug discovery, the three phases of applying their models, forming pharma partnerships, fundraising in tight markets, and finding resilient mentorship and team structures.

Travis Potter, a finance-to-biotech CEO who left Wall Street after personal fertility struggles, and Merrick Smela, a Harvard-trained stem cell scientist working on inducing meiosis from iPSCs, discuss Ovel’s work. They talk about in vitro gametogenesis, regulatory-factor-driven approaches to start meiosis, building a mission-focused team, safety and validation for lab-grown eggs, and fundraising for a novel fertility tech.

Claire Smith, Partner at Springtide Ventures and former biological engineering student and startup operator, shares her path into early-stage tech‑bio investing. She discusses Springtide’s platform-first approach, how to spot real AI and data moats, East vs West Coast attitudes toward tech, and practical advice for founders on timelines, fundraising and pitching for follow-up meetings.

Michael Zering, CEO of Apricot Bio, Lucas Pelkmans, a cell biology expert, and oncologist Andreas Wicki discuss groundbreaking advancements in functional precision oncology. They highlight the limitations of traditional genomic diagnostics and propose ex vivo testing of patient-derived cells to enhance treatment decisions. The trio compares real-time cellular data to Google Maps for better navigation through cancer treatment. They also cover the potential of smarter clinical trials and the integration of AI in predicting patient responses, promising a transformative future for cancer care.

Christoph Lengauer, a biotech executive and co-founder of Curie.bio, shares his journey from academic burnout to drug hunting. He emphasizes the importance of a 'Chief Drug Hunter' mindset and traits like humility and truth-seeking for successful drug discovery. Christoph discusses rethinking drug development timelines and highlights Curie's founder-friendly model that fosters innovation. He delivers insightful advice for aspiring academic founders and stresses the significance of clear communication and collaboration in the biotech landscape.

Time Stamps[00:00] Titus’s ethos of doing hard things with good people[00:43] Introduction to the Nucleate Podcast and Alexander Titus[01:22] Titus discusses his post-college pivot and solo travel through Central America [04:47] How travel philosophy maps to Titus’s career [05:56] Titus discusses his experience living in a casino and learning risk management via blackjack[12:39] Resilience and irreversible mistakes [17:12] Titus discusses his non-linear career path [20:57] Tackling hard problems: humility, small wins and amplifying others [27:05] National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) & $15B roadmap[30:53] Balancing policy and industry roles[34:42] The under-invested pillar of bio-literacy[37:50] Sci-fi novel Synthetic Eden and using fiction as a bio-ethics tool[46:36] AI, biotech risk and data-driven governance [49:04] Titus’s insights into AI in therapeutics, especially its current reality versus hype [59:39] Rapid-fire Q&A: name, favorite places, book recommendations 

Time Stamps[00:44] — Introduction to the Nucleate podcast and Mikael Dolsten.[02:42] — Mikael shares his upbringing and academic journey at Lund University, highlighting the influence of mentors.[05:46] — Transitioning from academia to the pharmaceutical industry, driven by curiosity and patient needs.[19:18] — Reflecting on the pressures and leadership style of managing thousands of scientists at Pfizer.[39:56] — Highlights of vaccine development, particularly Pfizer’s role in COVID-19 vaccines and global impact.[51:09] — Behind the scenes of developing Paxlovid during COVID-19 and Mikael’s personal connection to the pandemic.[1:05:15] — Traits Mikael looks for in founders: the value of humility, talent, and collaborative culture.[1:12:05] — How to support early-stage biotech companies while maintaining entrepreneurial spirit and adaptability.[1:13:41] — Mikael’s insights into the evolving role of AI in drug discovery and precision medicine.[1:23:32] — Rapid-fire Q&A: personal reflections, career advice, and influences outside of science.

John Maraganore, the founding CEO of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, shares his inspiring journey from a Greek immigrant family to a biotech legend. He reveals how a serendipitous lab experience led him to create bivalirudin and pivot into business. John discusses challenges in advancing RNAi therapies, targeting TTR amyloidosis, and maintaining team morale during tough times. His insights offer valuable lessons for entrepreneurs and scientists alike, emphasizing resilience, optimism, and a patient-focused approach to innovation.