Columbia University BioWorks

Join us for an insightful episode as we sit down with Mark Tomishima, Senior Vice President at BlueRock Therapeutics, to explore the latest advancements in regenerative medicine. Mark shares his experiences leading genome engineering and stem cell research, discusses key challenges in cell therapy development, and offers valuable career advice for aspiring scientists. Don’t miss this deep dive into the cutting-edge work being done at BlueRock Therapeutics to revolutionize the future of medicine! Hosted by Sophia Deng.

Dr. Andrea Califano, founder of Columbia University’s Systems Biology Department and President of the Chan-Zuckerberg Biohub New York, talks about his research on identifying checkpoints within cancer cells. Through algorithms and experimental verification, the Califano Lab is able to find specific proteins that are crucial for tumor progression, revealing useful therapeutic targets. As the co-founder of DarwinHealth, Dr. Califano explains how his research is translated into New York City’s biotech scene. Be sure to tune into this episode’s discussion on cancer therapeutics, startups, collaboration, and more. Hosted by Alex Chen.

In which Dr. Jimmy Sastra, co-founder and CEO of Monomer Bio, discusses how automation can drive greater scalability, standardization, and data accessibility in complex cell culture workflows. We also chat about the importance of building killer apps and not just platforms, the fickleness of growing stem cells, the software layer behind Waymos, and Jimmy’s philosophy on building a mission-driven team. Hosted by Emma Chen. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:45) Monomer Bio (06:00) The challenge and opportunity of complex cell workflows (10:47) Timeline of collaborations (11:57) Onsite automation v.s. cloud labs (15:58) From initial interest in biology to PhD (24:08) Building killer apps and not just platforms (26:28) Partnership with Gingko Bioworks and Lilly Life Sciences Studio (28:25) When to keep humans in the loop (29:33) What makes automating biology different (31:19) Industry trends for the next decade (34:55) Most rewarding part of building Monomer (37:32) Advice for listeners Links: Monomer Bio: https://www.monomerbio.com/

In which Nicholas Larus-Stone, co-founder of Sphinx Bio, discusses the future of “software-defined biology” and how his startup is accelerating scientists’ research by streamlining the process of experimental design, data processing, and data analysis. He also shares his experience working as a software engineer at early- to mid-sized biotech companies as well as the story behind Bits in Bio, a community dedicated to researchers, developers, and those interested in the intersection of software and biology. Hosted by Kevin Xu. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:04) Working at BenevolentAI and Octant Bio (08:07) Problem-driven vs. solution-driven innovation (10:50) Sphinx Bio (12:27) What makes biological data different? (18:10) Adapting to new technologies as a data platform (22:37) Bits in Bio (25:24) Sharing knowledge in a competitive industry (27:12) Software-defined biology (31:57) Studying CS in the age of AI Links: Sphinx Bio: https://www.sphinxbio.com/ "Software-defined biology": https://www.sphinxbio.com/post/software-defined-biology Bits in Bio: ⁠https://www.bitsinbio.org/⁠

In which Dr. Peter Tollman, former Managing Director and Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), shares his journey from engineering to consulting and his pivotal role in BCG's growth. Drawing from his experience as the global leader of BCG's Biopharmaceutical Practice, he discusses the unique challenges of management in the life sciences sector. Peter also highlights the significance of humility, continuous learning, and strategic thinking for aspiring professionals. Hosted by James Bole Pan. Timestamps: (0:10) - Introduction (1:00) - Peter’s early career journey (4:00) - Transition from engineering to business (6:28) - Role in BCG's expansion (9:30) - BCG’s culture (12:05) - Founding MPM Capital (15:15) - Experience at Monitor Company (17:15) - BCG’s secrets in leadership transition (18:50) - Theory on Smart Simplicity (25:30) - Managerial challenges in the life sciences (30:05) - Qualities of top CEOs (32:35) - Advice for CEOs (35:07) - Advice for translational research scientists (37:20) - Developing interdisciplinary skills (41:15) - Advice for college students

In which Dr. James Banal, co-founder of Cache DNA, shares how his startup is building efficient storage solutions for nucleic acids. Dr. Banal shares how the bit density and longevity of DNA compare to those of hard drives, how strategic encoding schemes can recover lost data, and how transport vesicles inspired Cache’s barcoding system for search and access. We also discuss the first commercial use cases for Cache’s technology and what the future may hold for DNA computing using Cache’s technology (e.g. more efficient matrix multiplications for machine learning). Dr. Banal also shares his philosophy on biologically-inspired innovation. Hosted by Emma Chen. Timestamps: (00:00) - Intro (01:05) - Density and longevity (04:52) - Converting to and writing DNA (08:54) - Cost of DNA synthesis (13:10) - Strategic encoding schemes (17:19) - DNA storage conditions (21:29) - Accessing data (27:03) - Inspiration from histones and vesicles (28:20) - James' philosophy on biomimicry (31:19) - Molecular computers (36:13) - Cache's business strategy (43:40) - Cache's origin story (46:06) - Postdoc-to-founder transition (47:46) - Advice for biotech

In this episode, Cristina Larkin, former COO of Spero Therapeutics and Executive-in-Residence at Columbia Technology Ventures, shares her journey from pharmaceutical sales at J&J to life sciences executive at Spero. She shares what her day-to-day work is like, and also offers advice on translational research for scientists. Hosted by James Pan.

In which Nephrogen founder Demetri Maxim discusses his work developing curative gene therapy for kidney diseases. He shares the company’s origin as a diagnostic device startup and shift to gene therapy, how he balanced science with competitive alpine skiing, and insights into navigating investor advice. Demetri also shared that Nephrogen is hiring! For more information, please reach out to info@nephrogenbiotech.com. Timestamps: (0:00) - Intro (1:11) - Company origin story (4:12) - Recognizing the need to pivot (6:21) - Shift to gene therapy (10:08) - Research in academia VS startup (11:50) - Intellectual property strategy (14:15) - Interaction between payload and delivery vehicle (16:09) - Competitive alpine skiing (20:18) - Committing to Nephrogen (22:27) - Nephrogen milestones (24:56) - Balancing energy as CEO (26:18) - First CRISPR therapy approval (27:28) - Treatment affordability (29:43) - Most difficult challenge (32:14) - Staying resilient (33:57) - Navigating investor advice (36:00) - Advice for aspiring founders

In which Chirag Sachar (PhD), Director of Portfolio Innovation at Novartis, discusses his experience in business development, from building partnerships at Immunai to now devising strategy for global clinical trials at Novartis. He also shares insights on combining scientific knowledge and business insight throughout one's career. Hosted by Emma Chen.

In which Kamal Obbad, co-founder and CEO of Nebula Genomics, shares his journey founding one of the largest consumer whole genome sequencing services. He also discusses trends in the consumer genomics landscape, the future of genomics research, and the implications of social and technological innovations on genetic privacy. Hosted by Kevin Xu.