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Part 1 of 2: Jon Chee hosts our latest guest, Michael Chen, the Co-Founder and CEO of Nuclera, a biotech company that focuses on bringing rapid protein access to other labs. Michael is a seasoned scientist and entrepreneur who brings his rich background and insights to our podcast.
Before becoming the Co-Founder of Nuclera, Michael did extensive research as an undergrad student at both Georgia tech and Emory and eventually got his Ph,D in Chemistry from the University of Cambridge. Having worked under some of the leading scientists in their field Michael also has 9 scientific publications to his name. His past experiences both at the lab bench and as a CEO make these episodes ones you don’t want to miss.
Join us this week to hear about:- The influence of growing up in a data-driven family
- Learning to do the damn dishes in the lab
- Getting into the NIH Oxford Cambridge Scholarship Program
- Learning that what got us here won’t get us to where we need to be
- Differences between lab work in the UK versus the US
Please enjoy Jon’s conversation with Michael Chen!
Subscribe to the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994
Find Our Guest, Michael Chen, at these links:Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenmc/?originalSubdomain=ukhttps://www.nuclera.com/company/board/michael-chen/
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links:Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.com
Excedr Socials & WebsiteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@excedr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excedr_inc Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExcedrInc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excedr TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@excedr Podcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/
Enriched Notes
Topics Mentioned:Emory UniversityNicholas Hud: Origins of Life Research: https://www.storycollider.org/stories/2016/1/4/nick-hud-the-origin-of-life Witchweed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Striga Rhizosphere: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizosphere NIH Oxford Cambridge Scholars Program: https://oxcam.gpp.nih.gov/ International Institute of Tropical Agriculture: https://www.iita.org/Â
How Core Lab Support Science Research: https://www.excedr.com/blog/core-labs What is Tech Transfer?: https://www.excedr.com/blog/what-is-tech-transfer What Type of Equipment is Used in Chemistry Research: https://www.excedr.com/blog/what-type-of-equipment-is-used-in-chemistry-research Top Biotech Cities: https://www.excedr.com/blog/top-cities-for-biotech Biotech Startup Support: https://www.excedr.com/resources-category/biotech-startup-support
People Mentioned:Nicholas Hud: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-hud-754a7517/Â
Timestamps:00:49 Intro02:44 Growing up in a technical, data-driven family and other early life influences06:24 Choosing appearances over function in elementary school09:52 Family background of Jon Chee and how the Bay Area influenced Excedr11:34 How researching crop science sparked an interest in scientific research16:27 The secret of getting access to Emory's labs via Georgia Tech18:02 Learning to "Do the damn dishes" in the lab at Georgia Tech23:00 Getting his PhD through the NIH Oxford Cambridge Scholarship Program29:01 Challenges and culture shock of doing research in Nigeria32:57 Lessons of resilience entrepreneurs can learn from having limited resources36:31 Running a startup is like spinning lots of plates40:15 "What got us here won't get us there" and knowing when it's time to spend45:49 What it was like working in labs in the UK versus the US48:08 Differences between the UK and US Ph.D tracks52:11 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.
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