Learning With Lowell

How to build a factory to automate processes, Scaling DNA circuits tests to be able to be done in under 30 minutes,  why now is the prefect time for Cell Free to exist, a bit on his founding story and struggles, and great rapid fire questions at the end!

 

CEO of Cell Free and Director of Open Cell Dr.Thomas Meany

"As a former interdisciplinary Research Fellow at Cambridge, Tom spent his career working closely and across academia, industry, nanoelectronics & synthetic biology." From Website

 

 

 

Cell Free 

"we develop practical tools for industry, researchers and individuals who wish to test and trial biological circuits. Our technology allows users to test a DNA circuit in as little as 30 minutes without any laboratory infrastructure. This completely revolutionises how one can conduct experiments. Instead of testing tens of recombinant DNA samples in cell culture over the course of a few days, you can now trial thousands of variants in a few hours. This data and detailed understanding of how bio-circuits work allow us to design practical technologies as biological sensors and materials that can be incorporated into tangibles like wearables and smart devices.We are hiring for wetlab and programming roles. Get in touch! [email protected]" from website

 

Open Cell

From a great Article write at Synbiobeta on Open cell " Open Cell is a new collaborative space for bio designers in Shepherd’s Bush London. It aims to support the London ecosystem of designers and scientists specializing on incorporating new biological techniques into material development. It’s a unique space, composed of modular mixed use areas including labs, studios and workshops. Open Cell is located within 45 shipping containers adjacent to Shepherd’s Bush Market. The team is building the space from the bottom up with a user-centric approach." Article link. There is a lot more to the story in the link. Check them out. 

Links/Sources

Website Cell Free 

Open Cell Website

Thomas Linkedin

Article link.

Facebook link

Twitter link

Hyperlinked Timestamped Show Notes

[ 01:10 ] How he divides his time between Cell Free and Open Cell.

[ 01:50 ] He explains how he is able to be the Director of one and the CEO of the other.

[ 02:20 ] Why he choose to separate them legally instead of making them like Google under Alphabet.

[ 03:06 ] The rocket science aspect of Cell Free (2 key big things).

[ 04:40 ] He explains some of the scaling issues he has had to overcome and how he overcame them.

[ 06:04 ] The timing question. Basically, why he choose now to build Cell Free.

[ 09:40 ] I ask what a lab cloud is, what his facility looks like, and he explains it.

[ 11:34 ] How people send over samples (i.e. you do not have to send over live samples).

[ 12:30 ] What about him would be surprising to learn (i.e. he built a small quantum computer).

[ 13:16 ] What he wants to build and work on moving forward (5-10 year project).

[ 14:50 ] Answering what's getting in the way of scaling, and where things are going.

[ 16:30 ] He explains what the error rate is like, and to what extent it is a concern.

[ 18:30 ] The above section continued.

[ 20:00 ] We talk about his plans to create a type of factory (i.e. automation).

[ 22:40 ] How close he is to Ramen profitability and his thoughts on the business side of things.

[ 23:23 ] The partnerships and team members he is looking for (characteristics, etc).

[ 24:50 ] The hard coded things he needs applicants to have.

[ 27:14 ] We finished talking about the dream team. He answers what a nightmare would look like.

[ 28:05 ] How he differentiates how to find the dream team members versus the potential nightmare members.

[ 29:49 ] Recommended books (Guerilla Days in Ireland, BioBuilder (reading now), Switch Bitch).

[ 31:32 ] What he does for fun, and what he shares in common with Dr. Doudna (CRISPR).

[ 32:42 ] Common mistakes he sees people makin...

Celiac Disease with Dr. Ingrid of PvP Biologics, the creation of a Therapeutic for Celiac Disease, Seattle, Protein engineering, resource recommendations, and IGEM competition are all topics discussed.

Dr. Ingrid is the co-founder and the chief scientific officer of PvP Biologics, and Transnational Investigator of  Institute for Protein Design

About Ingrid

"Ingrid Swanson Pultz, Ph.D., is a co-founder and the chief scientific officer of PvP Biologics. Dr. Pultz is a leader in computational enzyme design, and has a distinguished track record of leading research teams to success. As an inventor of PvP’s gluten-degrading enzyme technology and an entrepreneur, Dr. Pultz has established cross-disciplinary connections and bridged industry with academia to accomplish research goals. Dr. Pultz established PvP Biologics in 2012 and joined the team as its chief scientific officer in 2016. Prior to PvP Biologics, Dr. Pultz led the effort to develop effective therapeutics for celiac disease at the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington, where she held a faculty position in the Department of Biochemistry. Dr. Pultz completed her Ph.D. in microbiology at Washington in the laboratory of Dr. Samuel Miller, and post-doctoral research with Dr. David Baker. She holds a B.A. in biology from Wellesley College. While operating at the forefront of protein engineering, Dr. Pultz also has a strong interest in training the next generation of effective leaders in science and technology. Dr. Pultz has received numerous awards and recognitions including a Life Sciences Discovery Fund grant, the Neil Groman Award for Excellence in Teaching, and a competitive NSF research fellowship. " Taken from website

 

About PvP Biologics

Our mission is to develop a highly-effective therapeutic product to reduce the burden of living with celiac disease. Towards this end, we are advancing a product candidate designed to break down the immuno-reactive parts of gluten in the stomach and thereby avoid the painful symptoms and damage done in the small intestine from accidental gluten ingestion.

Website https://www.pvpbio.com/

 

About Institute for Protein Design

"The exquisite functions of naturally occurring proteins solve the challenges faced during evolution.  However, we face challenges today that were not faced during natural evolution.  The goal of the Institute for Protein Design (IPD) is to develop and apply methods for designing a whole new world of synthetic proteins to address these challenges.

To achieve this goal, the Institute for Protein Design was established in 2012, and is building on strengths within the University of Washington and Seattle more generally.  Protein design requires high-level expertise and talent in computing and software, biochemistry, genome sciences, biological structure, pharmacology, immunology and other basic science disciplines, as well as clinical medicine.  We are marshaling deep institutional strengths in our faculty, scientific staff, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, our partners from collaborating institutions, innovator networks, and from the computer and biotechnology industries — bringing extraordinary expertise to bear on a singular focus to advance the potential of protein design.

Over the past 16 years, UW researchers have made significant progress in protein design and protein structure prediction, developing the world leading Rosetta software.  During this period, UW scientists have developed methods for designing proteins with a wide range of new functions, including catalysts for chemical reactions, HIV and RSV vaccine candidates, and flu virus inhibitors.  The IPD integrates these strengths in protein design with Seattle-area expertise in biochemistry, engineering, computer science and medicine, and leverages the exceptional Seattle strength in the software industry." Source

Broadband for the brain. Paradromics is developing high-volume, bidirectional data streaming capabilities between brains and computers. Their neural interface technologies will initially be used to help physically disabled patients reconnect with the outside world (i.e. blindness, deafness, paralysis, ALS, etc)

People in this episode

Matt Angle, CEO of Paradromics

Kunal Sahasrabuddhe, Applied Scientist Paradromics

Yifan Kong, Hardware and Fabrication Lead at Paradromics

About Paradromics

"Paradromics is developing high-volume, bidirectional data streaming capabilities between brains and computers. Our neural interface technologies will initially be used to help physically disabled patients reconnect with the outside world – with infinite possibilities beyond.

Blindness, deafness, paralysis, ALS, and amputation – all of these conditions fundamentally involve the breakdown of communication between the brain and the outside world.

So what if patients with connectivity disorders could interact with the world through a direct computer link?

In an instant, an entire ecosystem of digital devices and online services would be available to compensate for a patient’s loss of biological connectivity. A blind person could see through the aid of a digital camera. A paralyzed person could order groceries, receive them at the door, and then invite a friend for dinner, all without moving a muscle.

Together with our government, academic, corporate and clinical partners, we are developing high-volume digital connection capabilities for the human brain." Source Website. 

Press/funding

1) Brain-Machine Interface Company Paradromics Secures a $7 Million Series Seed Led by Arkitekt Ventures

2) DARPA Invests $18.3 Million In Brain Implant Startup That's Building 'A Modem For The Mind'

3) U.S. to Fund Advanced Brain-Computer Interfaces

Links

Website

http://www.paradromics.com

Emails

Linkedin

https://www.linkedin.com/company/paradromics-inc/

Twitter

https://twitter.com/paradromics/

AI, Neuroscience, and Cognition exploration with CEO and Founder of the startup NeuroCreate, which aims to use personalized AI to help you feel 'in the zone' more quickly at work.

Website

Shama Linkedin

Email: [email protected]

Twitter link 

About Dr Shama Rahman

Scientist, Explorer, Singer, Multi-instrumentalist, Composer, Actor and Theatre-maker

Multi-disciplinary PhD exploring the Neuroscience and Complex Systems of Creativity.

CEO and Founder at NeuroCreate Ltd- startup at the junction of AI, Neuroscience and Cognition.

First Sitar and Roli Synth player to perform in Antarctica. I was invited to be an Art/Science Explorer on an expedition with the first ever Antarctic Biennale. First artist-in-residence with the pioneering wearable technology mi.mu gloves.

Artistic Director of Art-Science agency Jugular Productions (tagline: Joining the Head and Heart) authentically bringing together cutting-edge research and visceral lived experience.

About NueroCreate

NeuroCreate uses personalized AI to help you feel 'in the zone' more quickly at work. With our digital interface we help accelerate you to reach flow; a mental state where you feel capable of overcoming challenges effortlessly.Flow improves wellbeing, creative productivity, and mental flexibility, leading to a better experience at work.

Hyperlinked Timestamped Show Notes:

[ 01:01 ] What she is working on and her goals.

[ 05:30 ] Flow explained.

[ 06:30 ] What she has built so far, and what still needs to be developed in order to get it in consumer hands.

[ 07:51 ] Who helps develops the A.I. components.

[ 08:30 ] Who all are a part of the team, and what they do.

[ 09:15 ] What some of the biggest challenges that she went through are, and how long her startup has been in existence.

[ 10:55 ] The different types of investors and her thoughts on finding the right type.

[ 12:45 ] Benjamin Franklin origin story, and how her technology could develop educational resources. We discuss a few different applications.

[ 15:37 ] From PhD to CEO. What allowed her to make that transition.

[ 18:16 ] Her early adopters, and what they love about it.

[ 21:45 ] The special "rocket science" aspect about what she is developing.

[ 24:23 ] An idea for a business card with a logo of flow state.

[ 25:00 ] Worst things and best things about the startup journey thus far.

[ 26:45 ] The different markets she is going to target.

[ 28:00 ] When will she consider herself a success.

[ 29:30 ] Different ways to finance her startup (i.e. Kickstarter).

[ 31:48 ] Last two questions. What is something amusing that happened in her startup journey, and how we can follow along?

[ 33:15 ] Looking for human guinea pigs and a silly joke before the end.

Living Ink is a cutting edge biomaterials company developing the next-generation of ink and coatings. Algae cells are transformed into sustainable pigments for renewable, biodegradable, and safe ink products. In this episode, we get into Scott's journey to create this startup, what's unique about it, the future of what he is working on, and a little parenting discussion at the end.

Living Ink

At Living Ink, we are developing patent pending processes that transform algae into eco-friendly ink and coating products. The value proposition is renewable, biodegradable and safe. Our goal is to use biomaterials to make the world's most sustainable ink.

*Awarded NSF-SBIR Phase II for $750,000

*Awarded NSF-SBIR Phase I grant for $225,000

*Awarded Colorado Advanced Industry grant for $75,000

*Awarded U.S. Department of Energy prize of $50,000

*Won business competitions from CU-Denver and Colorado State University for >$25,000

*Ran successful Kickstarter campaign with over $60,000 and 977 backers

Source

Founders

Scott and Steve met when they were PhD students in the Cell and Molecular Biology Program at Colorado State University. They were both researching algae projects related to biofuels and bioproducts. In 2013, it was brought to their attention that the majority of printing ink used in the world are produced from toxic petroleum products. This inspired them to use algae as biopigments to develop the world's most sustainable ink. Source

 

Other great links.

Mental Health, VR, Reduce stress, Increased self-esteem, Increase happiness, Reduced anxiety. We get into how to a lot in their startup journey and the differences they are seeing with their technology.

 Small disclaimer: I am traveling, so the notes on this episode will be fleshed out when I am done traveling.

About Psylaris and the Mission

"Realizing that a large part of our population isn’t receiving the best possible care regarding mental health, Yoeri set out on a mission to change this. after contacting his old friend Christoph, they thought of the concept to combine VR with therapy. Mike completed the team with insights in optimizing the personalized session. Since then they have been on their  mission:

To provide better mental healthcare for everybody in the world. With our VR tools, we believe that all individuals can have access to the needed psychological help, regardless of their geographical, economic or social status."

What they currently Target

Stress

Low self-esteem

Addiction

Negative memories

Phobias

Anxiety

Negative beliefs

Personal conflicts

 

 

Mike Verhiel CEO

Experienced growth-hacker and product manager. In charge of sales and growth.

Christoph Lynen CTO

Former AltspaceVR consultant. In charge of development and release management.

Christoph Lynen Linkedin

Mike Verhiel Linkedin

Website

Facebook page

Twitter Page

Show notes to come

No calories, has significant health benefits,  is coming out within two years, 1500 times sweeter than sugar, and comes from a plant.

About Dr. Abhiram Dukkipati

"Experienced Chief Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the lifesciences sector. Skilled in Life Sciences, Protein Expression, Molecular Biology, Structural Biology, and Cell Culture. Strong entrepreneurship professional with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) focused in Biology from Syracuse University." Who was a post doctoral research fellow at Oxford and Stanford Universities. Linkedin Source 

About Magellan Life Sciences

"There are those who follow and those who lead. If we think there is a quicker and more efficacious way to reach our destination, we will first explore THAT pathway than go down the old, beaten road. Our mission is to create a strong portfolio of intellectual property in proprietary protein production platforms and novel protein based molecules for use across a wide spectrum." Website link

Links

Website

Startup Linkedin

Abhiram's Linkedin

Twitter

Hyperlinked Timestamped Show Notes

[ 01:08 ] Where he got their startup name, and how it exemplifies what they want to do/be.

[ 02:45 ] How he would describe his product on the natural to synthetic spectrum.

[ 04:12 ] How he discovered the plant and realized it would be a great opportunity. Also, how most people passed it up.

[ 07:08 ] We discuss how now is great timing for what he is making.

[ 08:37 ] How he went from a post doc, to working to make this commercially viable.

[ 10:00 ] How he would teach someone to figure out how to scale something developed in the lab.

[ 12:30 ] What the benefits of his product are over sugar (i.e not being a carbohydrate, etc).

[ 14:14 ] From the tests they've run, how people have responded to the taste when compared to sugar.

[ 15:11 ] How partners have responded to what he has created.

[ 15:57 ] How long until this is ready to hit the market.

[ 16:22 ] What's left to do to get this to market.

[ 17:00 ] Why someone who produces sugar wouldn't try to knock them off. Basically, how it is defensible.

[ 18:10 ] The future of his company (i.e. licensing, production, etc).

[ 18:50 ] Who will be the first beach head markets.

[ 20:20 ] Who all are a part of the team, and what they bring to the table.

[ 22:25 ] Thoughts on finding the right people to hire.

[ 24:37 ] The most rewarding aspect of his journey.

[ 25:10 ] His other hobby (i.e. trading currencies).

[ 26:17 ] What makes him hopeful for the future.

[ 26:45 ] What he will do to celebrate when they succeed at passing their milestones.

[ 28:10 ] What a typical day/week looks like.

[ 29:15 ] He explains how his being in a plane crash is funny.

[ 30:55 ] Who in the science community inspires him.

[ 31:25 ] What things he is currently watching in the science community that he thinks is very exciting.

[ 32:00 ] Resource recommendations.

[ 32:45 ] For people sitting on the fence, what he would encourage those people to think about.

[ 34:40 ] The call to action he wishes to leave us with, and his twitter handle (the best way to reach him).

Bioplastics, methane based materials that are competitive with conventional, oil-based plastics that do not biodegrade or have the same fantastic features.

About Molly

"Dr. Molly Morse is an innovator, inventor and entrepreneur who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the CEO and co-founder of Mango Materials, a startup company that uses methane to manufacture biodegradable materials. She has engineering degrees from Cornell University and Stanford University and is excited about how innovation and science can transform the world, leaving it a better place." Linkedin source

About Mango Materials

"Mango Materials produces biodegradable polymers from waste biogas (methane) that are economically competitive with conventional, oil-based plastics. Mango Materials produces poly-hydroxyalkanoate (PHA) powder, a valuable biopolymer that is converted into a variety of ecofriendly, plastic products such as children’s toys, electronic casings, water bottles, and food packaging containers. Due to a rising preference for green products, demand for biodegradable and non petroleum-based plastics is growing rapidly. Mango Materials uses affordable methane gas and a process that competes favorably with petroleum-based plastics to produce low-cost, biodegradable plastics." Linkedin Source

Links

Website

Molly's Linkedin

Startup Linkedin

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Hyperlinked Timestamped Show Notes

[ 01:10 ] What made her choose Mango Materials as the name for the startup, and the story of how it came to be.

[ 02:51 ] Her origin story of creating the company, the founding team, and her background.

[ 05:34 ] Why PhD isn't on her business card, and what advice she would give to people from a technical background to break the mold and start their own company.

[ 07:33 ] Suggested accelerators.

[ 08:16 ] What things from her technical background she uses to be successful now.

[ 09:35 ] Her suggestions to someone from a non-technical background to level up their skills.

[ 11:41 ] How to reach out to people effectively.

[ 12:18 ] What she does for fun outside of eating mangoes.

[ 12:59 ] Things she won't try.

[ 13:14 ] Thoughts on clean meat.

[ 14:01 ] How she gets the methane to produce her bioplastic.

[ 15:15 ] Are there still redwoods in Redwood City, CA?

[ 15:40 ] What the reactors look like, and what the process to creating the bioplastic is.

[ 16:24 ] What application she is most interested in creating.

[ 19:03 ] If it looks or feels different.

[ 19:33 ] The cost of the product, and what she is working on to reduce costs.

[ 20:25 ] What would help her and the startup.

[ 21:21 ] How close she and the startup are to their goals.

[ 22:50 ] Why now is the best time to create a startup like this.

[ 23:21 ] How long it took her to say the chemical name correctly, why she says it a lot, and a quick reference to The Office.

[ 24:35 ] A fun discussion on how to name products, such as PHAT.

[ 25:08 ] What things people tend to get wrong about what she is building with examples.

[ 26:58 ] Certifications and her thoughts on them.

[ 28:15 ] How her vision for the company has only focused down versus pivoting over the years.

[ 29:57 ] What keeps her up at night (i.e Funding and scale).

[ 30:47 ] How much funding she needs to get to her goal.

[ 31:32 ] Partnerships, and how they have helped them survive.

[ 32:55 ] How she learns to be better (i.e. failures).

[ 34:11 ] What biographies she likes, and our thoughts on the Hamilton musical by Lin Manuel Miranda.

[ 35:24 ] Book recommendations.

[ 36:42 ] How she loves to run, but can get lost easily.

[ 37:46 ] What methods she uses to get things done at her company (i.e. walking meetings, etc.).

[ 38:15 ] How taking traditional funding versus not taking traditional funding was one of the biggest decisions for her company.

[ 41:29 ] How she chooses her employees and her scientific pro...

Antibody Expert, Structural bioinformatician specializing in antibodies and mutations, Experienced expert witness, Antibody consultant.

See the separate text interview we did as well by clicking here.

Check out Andrew's Website here

Check out Andrews Linkedin Page

About Andrew

"I am a Bioinformatician / Computational Biologist specializing in antibodies and the effects of mutations on protein structure and function. During my PhD, I co-developed one of the first automated protein modelling programs for modelling antibodies which was commercialized by Oxford Molecular as 'AbM'. I have maintained my interest in antibodies ever since and have published widely on this topic. We have developed various tools for dealing with antibody sequence and structure including the abYsis web-based analysis platform (www.abysis.org). I have helped a number of labs and companies with antibody humanization and acted as an Expert Witness in numerous patent disputes related to antibodies and general bioinformatics. I am also an adviser to the WHO-INN on the description and annotation of antibody-based drugs and naming of biologics.

My other main interest is in the effects of mutations on protein structure and predicting whether a mutation will be pathogenic using machine learning. We have developed specialized predictors for specific phenotype prediction in individual proteins as well as a general predictor.

We also develop tools for use by the structural bioinformatics community, most of which are available as open source. In the past I have also done contract scientific programming for the National Grid Company and Bradwell Nuclear Power Station.

I teach general biochemistry topics as well as the structure of antibodies and bioinformatics at various levels from introductory first-year undergraduate lectures to masters and specialist training level." Source

Hyperlinked Timestamped Show Notes

[ 01:20 ] The start of a discussion on what makes antibodies beautiful and key characteristics.

[ 04:40 ] What made him choose antibodies as his vocation, and the roles/versatility of antibodies.

[ 08:30 ] What his focus is.

[ 09:30 ] How he thinks about antibodies, evolution, and how clever they are.

[ 13:25 ] How hard it is to determine different factors in antibody loops, how that's surprising, and how machine learning can help.

[ 17:30 ] How antibodies and DNA remind him of computer code or computer analogies.

[ 23:25 ] How machine learning specifically comes into his work with antibodies (free programs, process, etc).

[ 24:55 ] He went to Oxford, so is it really different than other campuses or does it just have a great brand awareness. He gets into what's special about Oxford, and what he did while he was there.

[ 29:45 ] His work as an expert witness and antibody humanization explained (i.e. benefits, limitations, issues, work arounds, etc).

[ 41:50 ] Good ways to follow up with Andrew. Learn more, and find software at his website.

Surgery, Patient Safety, AI, Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Medical errors, and Human Factors

About Yesh CEO and Founder:

"I am a generalist who builds technologies that improve healthcare. Trained as a dentist, I have over five years of interdisciplinary experience in healthcare and technology (Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Computer Vision). I previously built a startup (Open Simulation) to provide low-cost surgical simulation using Augmented Reality. In my PhD, I designed and evaluated one of the first immersive virtual reality training tools for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. I can understand healthcare challenges from a clinical point of view and build tools that address those needs. Currently, I am focused on making surgery safer through Scalpel Ltd." Source

About Scalpel

"To help hospitals reduce preventable errors and cut down costs in litigation, Scalpel Ltd. is building an end to end patient safety platform. This AI-powered platform checks and verifies the implementation of safety steps during surgery using a combination of computer vision and machine learning technologies. Unlike standard checklists, Scalpel’s solution doesn’t require any human interaction, sitting in the background in any operating room it automatically monitors, it provides real-time feedback to detect and prevent errors."

Key factors that this startup is working on or with: Surgery, Patient Safety, AI, Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Medical errors, and Human Factors

Website link

Hyperlinked Timestamped Show Notes:

[ 01:20 ] Why he choose to build Scalpel, his backstory, and his failure turning into a success.

[ 03:58 ] How Scalpel makes surgeries safer, and how it works.

[ 06:20 ] How problems creep in (i.e. Martin Bromley).

[ 08:40 ] How big of an impact, and how medical errors are the 3rd leading cause of death in the USA.

[ 11:10 ] Why we have not thought of this solution before, and what separates humans vs machines.

[ 14:50 ] How he has gotten people involved who help determine to what extent this technology will be appreciated.

[ 16:35 ] His process to get this in as many hospitals as possible.

[ 17:35 ] Where they are now, and what features they would work on next.

[ 19:11 ] What tools he has used to developed this technology.

[ 21:45 ] Who all is a part of the team, and how they help.

[ 23:52 ] What hurtles he has overcome.

[ 28:18 ] Lessons he has learned from his dental background.

[ 29:59 ] Other nuggets of wisdom he has come across in his experiences.

[ 32:48 ] His resource recommendations.

[ 36:11 ] How people can follow along with his journey (i.e. website).