Columbia University BioWorks

In which Craig Shimasaki (PhD), CEO of Moleculera Labs, discusses his experience as a founder of startups, professor, student, and thinker. He gives advice to those looking to get involved in the industry and explains how he has learned and grown through his career. Hosted by Rinn Kersh.

In which Vasilis Stenos, Columbia alumni and Founder and CEO of Solmeyea, discusses his company’s innovations in producing carbon-negative biological products (such as pigments and proteins) through fermentation and hybrid vertical microalgae photosynthetic processing. He shares his experience integrating various technologies into a unique product pipeline and collaborating with government agencies, carbon emitters, and food manufacturers along the way. Hosted by Kevin Xu. Note: Solmeyea and Vasilis’ team are actively recruiting students and researchers who are interested in working with Solmeyea for 2024 Spring/Summer either as interns or permanent employees. For anyone interested, reach out to Vasilis at vasilis@solmeyea.com or info@solmeyea.com!

In which Kou Qin (PhD), Investment Director at Eisai Innovation, discusses his experiences as a life science researcher, product manager, entrepreneur, and investor. He also shares his insights on how corporate VC fosters collaborations between pharma and biotech startups, as well as his perspectives on emerging trends within the life science sector. Hosted by Emma Chen.

In which Elena Itskovich, PhD, co-founder and president of Nest Catalyst, discusses her experiences helping Israeli science founders translate their research into biotech startups and explains the unique challenges of entrepreneurship in the life sciences. She also shares her takeaways speaking with scientists outside of academia in her podcast: mAcademia. Hosted by Kevin Xu.

In which Jeffrey Kim, co-founder and CEO of Slingshot Biosciences, discusses how synthetic cell mimics are revolutionizing the way cell-based assays and therapies are performed. He also explains the metagenomics data platform he built at Radiant Genomics and shares his insights on the industry as a scientist, investor, and entrepreneur. Hosted by Kevin Xu.

In this conversation, Alex Zhavoronkov, founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine, dives into the transformative power of AI in drug discovery, discussing everything from target identification to speeding up clinical trials. He shares his unique journey from computer science to biotech, emphasizing the vital role of deep learning in tackling age-related diseases. Alex introduces the concept of 'pandaomics' for understanding gene networks and highlights the importance of interdisciplinary teams in innovation. He also shares insights on personal growth and the future of biotech.

In which Adam Feuerstein, national biotech columnist at the healthcare and life science digital media company STATNews, discusses his experience covering the biotech sector from a business-focused perspective. He also shares his views on past and future trends of the industry from technological, financial, and regulatory lenses.

In which Sean Escola (MD, PhD), a theoretical neuroscientist and psychiatrist at Columbia University, discusses his research background and gives insights into neuro-inspired AI. He also shares his experiences with founding a drug discovery company: Herophilus, Inc. and a non-profit: Neuromatch Academy.

In which Caleb Bates discusses his work in life sciences patent prosecution and strategic patent portfolio management at Fish & Richardson. Caleb also discusses technology transfer as well as trends in life science patent portfolios. 

In which David Sable, a portfolio manager for the Special Situations Life Sciences Fund and a lecturer in the Biology Department at Columbia University, shares insights about life science investing. David also discusses the need for investing in reproductive medicine, specifically in vitro fertilization.