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"If you're not fearful, what is something that you could do? If you're not worried about just publications or things, you could really spend a few years. What could you do?"
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, host Jon Chee explores Eswar Iyer’s dynamic journey from an inquisitive graduate student in India to a trailblazing builder at Harvard’s Wyss Institute. 
Eswar reveals how hands-on problem-solving and a commitment to non-transactional relationships fueled his scientific evolution, leading to transformative roles where serendipity, mentorship, and neurodiversity powered groundbreaking innovation and fostered a vibrant, high-performing lab culture in biotech’s most exciting environments.
Key topics covered:

• From Manual to Automated: Turbocharging lab research with homegrown automation
• Philosophy of Opportunity: Humility, gratitude, and giving back drive impact
• The Power of Connection: Serendipity and mentorship unlock pivotal moments
• Inside Harvard’s Wyss & Church Labs: Neurodiverse, startup-inspired innovation culture
• Breaking Moore’s Law: Multiplexing tech slashes genomics costs and speeds progress

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Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebiotechstartupspodcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ 
Find our guest, Eswar Iyer, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eswar-iyer/Website: https://www.aikium.com/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin 
Resources & Articles:Moore’s Law: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore%27s_lawMultiplexing in DNA Sequencing: https://arep.med.harvard.edu/pdf/Church88.pdfImageJ: https://imagej.net/ij/Laser Capture Microdissection: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17406286/Next-Generation Sequencing 101 https://www.excedr.com/blog/next-generation-sequencing-101 
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:The Wyss Institute at Harvard: https://wyss.harvard.edu/George Church Lab, Harvard Medical School: https://arep.med.harvard.edu/gmc/Genentech: https://www.gene.com/
Don Ingber: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-ingber-m-d-ph-d-4a47a5318/Lance Liotta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lance-liotta-5788559b/Virginia Espina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginia-ginny-espina-187baa7a/Kevin Kit Parker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kit-parker-a18a1b162/George Church: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-church-2b86301/Joe Davis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joedavis5/
Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:45 Breakthrough Moments: From Manual to Automated Lab Research06:33 Transitioning from Biology to Tool Building08:49 Learning Machining Skills and the Art of Prototyping11:57 The Wyss Institute: How Connections Open Doors14:26 Philosophy of Opportunity: Putting Good into the Universe15:45 The Power of Gratitude and Flexibility in Science20:02 Meeting George Church: A Serendipitous Encounter in Kendall Square22:51 Joining George Church's Lab: Supportive Leadership Culture27:41 Inside the Legendary Church Lab: Neurodiversity and Innovation30:47 Breaking Moore's Law: The Power of Multiplexing in Genomics34:44 OutroThe Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.