Invent: Life Sciences

Across the life sciences industry, there is much excitement over the potential impact of stem cells in medicine. And it is clear why; these cells, which can be differentiated into any other cell type, could rewrite the playbook in terms of sourcing cellular material for advanced therapies manufacture. So how might therapy developers benefit from the unique abilities of stem cells? And will they live up to their expectations?To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.This Week's GuestsMarinna MadridMarinna Madrid is a co-founder at Cellino, a venture capital-backed biotech company building the next generation of cell-based tissues and therapies with a proprietary platform technology. Marinna earned her PhD and MA in Applied Physics from Harvard University, where she played a significant role in co-inventing laser-based intracellular delivery techniques. Prior to her graduate studies, she completed her BSc in Biophysics at the University of California, Los Angeles, having initially started her academic journey at Riverside Community College. In addition to receiving honors for her achievevements, including the Harvard Graduate Prize Fellowship, she also earned a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Healthcare in 2019. Adil DuruAdil Duru is a Senior Research Manager at Glycostem Therapeutics. Glycostem Therapeutics is a Dutch biotech company established in 2007 that focuses on the development of Natural Killer cells (NK cells) as a medicinal asset in the fight against cancer. Adil's main research and development interest is exploring novel NK cell and T cell based cancer immunotherapy approaches including genetically engineered NK cells and T cells.

Throughout almost all of medical history, it was assumed that the average white male response to drug trials could be extrapolated to all potential recipients. But when we look at the poorer health outcomes for women and minorities, could the underlying assumptions in medical research be a contributing factor? If so, what is being done to solve them?To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.This Week's GuestsDiana TorgersenDiana Torgersen is the Executive Director for External Innovation & Emerging Science at Organon. Organon is a global healthcare company with a portfolio of therapies and product's in women's health, biosimilars, and established medicines across a wide array of conditions and diseases.Shirin HeidariShirin Heidari is the Founding President of GENDRO, a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to advance equity through sex and gender senstive-research across discplines by creating public awareness about the implications of lack of sex and gender considerations in research and innovation.Deana MohrDeana Mohr is CEO of MUVON Therapeutics. MUVON Therapeutics is a clinical stage Life Science spin-off from the University of Zurich developing a therapeutic platform for the regeneration of skeletal muscle tissue based on autologous cells, not only repairing damaged tissue but also increasing the regenerative potential of weakened muscles. 

Pharmaceutical companies undertake rigorous clinical trials in order to find out which drugs are safe. But in order to better protect the people volunteering for these tests, regulators decreed that data from studies on animals would be the primary evidence needed before approving a clinical trial in humans. Testing drugs on animals has many ethical and practical issues, and so scientists are looking towards different types of in-vitro models as a solution. But what are these models? How can they move us towards safer, better trials?To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.This Week's GuestsSylvia BojSylvia Boj is an accomplished scientist and the current Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of Hub Organoid. Sylvia's journey in the world of organoids began during her postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Hans Clevers - now, at Hub Organoid, Sylvia leads the charge in harnessing the potential of organoids for the pharmaceutical industry. Her mission is to translate the remarkable capabilities of organoids into a vital preclinical platform for drug development and discovery. Bas TrietschBas Trietsch is a co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Mimetas in the Netherlands. For the past decade, Bas has been using his expertise in drug development and microfluidics to advance "organ on a chip" technology. This technology creates tiny versions of organs and tissues on a chip, allowing scientists to see how they react to different things and is more accurate than traditional methods. 

Modern medicine has helped us develop many effective treatments for diseases found throughout the body, but we’ve yet to have the same success with the brain. The so-called 'blood brain barrier' controls the passage of molecules out of the blood and into the brain, and so it’s not as easy to use the bloodstream to carry therapeutic molecules as we might do for other diseases. Could the blood brain barrier be the key to treating neurological disorders? How can we target this structure to make therapies more effective?To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.This Week's GuestsJames ChoiJames Choi is the Principal Investigator of Non-invasive Surgery and Biopsy Laboratory at Imperial College London and is an Associate Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the institute. The purpose of the Noninvasive Surgery & Biopsy Laboratory is to build incision-less microsurgical devices and methods to locally deliver drugs to the brain. James Choi is a leading expert on the blood brain barrier and has authored numerous research publications in the fields of noninvasive surgery and delivery through the blood brain barrier using focused ultrasound. James Choi's work at the laboratory is currently focused on treating several dieseases, including Alzheimers, using non-invasive devices for delivering drugs across the blood-brain barrier.Sam BarkerSam Barker is the Chief Business Officer at Somaserve, a genetic medicines company that is pioneering new medicines for crossing the blood brain barrier and other biologicial barries. Using a proprietary targeted polymer nanoparticle technology, PolyNaut®, Somaserve is delivering genetic materials to cells and tissues of choice, including targeted delivery to the central nervous system. Sam Barker has deep experience in start-up and growth stage companies across drug development from discovery to delivery, with expertise in developing and commercialising innovative platform technologies.

In the pharmaceutical industry, there is a desire to go beyond the traditional ‘compound x acts on protein y,’ and achieve a more nuanced effect on the underlying biology. So, could innovative approaches to small molecules open up a wider application space? And what benefits might this bring to cash-strapped healthcare systems?To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.This Week's GuestsAnne HorganAnne Horgan is a partner at Cambridge Innovation Captial, a venture capital firm that invest in IP rich businesses in both deep tech and life science. With a robust academic foundation in organic and medicinal chemistry, Anne's career path began in Ph.D and postdoctoral research which culminated into a role in a small cambridge-based company dedicated to the creation of small molecules for therapeutic applications. Her journey then took her into the fascinating domain of technology transfer, where she honed her skills at Cancer Research UK (formerly known as Cancer Research Technology), helping bridge the gap between groundbreaking research and practical applications, now under the banner of Cancer Research Horizons. Now, Anne's expertise and experience has found their home at Cambridge Innovation Capital, where she continues to play an instrumental role in shaping the future of innovation and technology-driven businesses. Rabia KhanRabia Khan is the founder and CEO of Serna Bio. Serna Bio (previously Ladder Therapeutics) is using an AI-based, data-first approach to write the rules that define RNA-small molecule interactions. Rabia's educational pursuit took her from Pakistan to Canada, where she pursued a degree in genetics, followed by a Ph.D and an MBA. Rabia would also go on to complete a postdoc on IPS derived macrophages in the UK. Rabia's passion for genetics stemmed from the elegance of the four-letter genetic code (ATGC) that defines all living beings, eventually leading her to a company called Sensyne Health, working at the intersection of computational methods and patient data to enable drug discovery. Rabia's journey has traversed both geographic and scientific landscapes, now, Rabia's work at Serna Bio is driving towards the world's first map of the druggable transcriptome.

Cell and gene therapies are extremely effective but their complex production processes, arduous supply chain, and life-critical logistics have prevented mass market adoption. Could digitisation and AI provide a breakthrough in manufacturing? Would more companies be willing to work together on standardisation to provide more flexibility?To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.This Week's GuestsMatthew DurdyMatthew Durdy is a biologist, investor, entrepreneur, and the Chief Executive of the Cell and Therapy Catapult. Previously responsible for the development of the business and strategy arm of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, Matthew's work now combines three sets of experience: corporate investment banking; new venture and innovation management, and biotechnology leadership, into one passion; creating the environment for, and leading the commercialisation of brilliant science into life-changing products. Alexander SeyfAlexander Seyf is a business leader, entrepreneur, and one of the co-founders and CEO of Autolomous. Autolomous offers pragmatic digital solutions for cell and gene therapy manufacturing and was founded in 2019 with a mission to revolutionise cell and gene therapy manufacturing through digital innovation. Alexander brings a unique perspective to this endeavor, drawing from his background in physics, the telecom industry, and extensive experience in management consultancy and startups.

The Covid vaccination campaign demonstrated the effectiveness of mRNA-based treatments, so what else is this technology capable of? How can we improve our manufacturing and distribution to ensure treatments are available to those who need them most? To find out, join us on Invent: Life Sciences, a podcast brought to you by technology and product development company TTP.What is mRNA and what is the importance of mRNA treatments?Messenger ribonucleic acid, or mRNA for short, is a crucial molecule in the process of making proteins in our bodies. Proteins are essential for the structure, function, and regulation of the cells, tissues, and organs in our bodies.mRNA treatments, also known as mRNA therapeutics, are a type of medical technology that uses synthetic mRNA to treat or prevent various diseases and medical conditions. Vaccines are one of the most well-known examples of mRNA treatments. These treatments are a relatively new and exciting area of medicine with the potential to revolutionize how we approach healthcare.This Week's GuestsDavid SokolowskiDavid Sokolowski is the Global Workflow Manager for the Nucleic Acid Therapeutics business unit within Cytiva. Cytiva is a global life sciences leader dedicated to helping customers discover and commercialise the next generation of therapeutics. David has been closely monitoring the RNA field and its evolving applications and manufacturing technologies.Dan PeerDan Peer is a Professor at Tel Aviv University and the Director of the Laboratory of Precision Nanomedicine at Tel Aviv. Dan has been actively engaging in nanomedicine for the past 20 years and is also the university's Vice President for Research and Development. Dan is at the forefront of mRNA research and shares his insight on the rapid expansion of mRNA applications.

Invent: Life Sciences is back for Season 2! Invent: Life Sciences is a podcast about the future of life science and technology, hosted by Head of Cell Gene Therapy and Biotechnology at TTP, Stuart Lowe.Each episode, we’ll be joined by the top scientists, designers, business leaders, and academics working at the vanguard of this vital industry, to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the world of life science.In this new season, we now turn our focus onto advances driving forward the pharmaceutical sector, and how life scientists are dedicating their lives to bringing the benefits of medicine to those who need it most.Listen to the full trailer now!

Calling all Invent: Life Sciences Subscribers! While you wait for more episodes, make sure to subscribe to our sister podcast, Invent: Health, which has just begun its second season. Listen to the trailer here now! Invent: Health sees host Matt Parker explore the fascinating future of Health technologies. From new closed-loop systems for diabetes to sensing innovations in cardiac health, Matt will be taking a look behind the scenes of these technologies and meeting the people working to transform our collective health.Listen and subscribe from anywhere you get your podcasts, just search 'Invent: Health'. You can also follow the Invent: Health series from our Transistor page and listen to the recent episode on the future of epilepsy treatment: inventhealth.transistor.fm The Technology Partnership is where scientists & engineers develop new products & technologies that bring innovation & value to clients.Find out more about our work here: www.ttp.com

The pandemic drastically altered the landscape for investment flowing into the Life Sciences. Not only was there more money going in, but the market needs changed too, with an unprecedented focus on scaling sectors like testing and vaccines. But what did this mean for sectors which were not on the Covid front line? What happened to the trends that were in train before the pandemic hit? And what have we learnt from this experience that we can deploy in the face of the next global challenge? In this episode of Invent: Life Sciences, we look at the past, present and future of investing in the sector, to explore the profound effects that the pandemic has had on it as a whole - and find that, when we pull together, amazing things can happen.Find out more on this week's episode of Invent: Life Sciences from TTP.This Week's GuestsDr. Gonzalo GarciaGonzalo Garcia is a Biotech investor, company builder and partner at Syncona limited. Syncona are a company who found, build and fund early stage companies to turn science into transformational treatments, in fields ranging from cell and gene, to biologics and small molecule. Prior to this, Gonzalo completed a PhD in Protein Biophysics from the University of Cambridge, an EMBO Short Term Fellowship in Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School, and was a project leader at Boston Consulting Group. His work at Syncona includes his role as Chief of Staff and Board observer at Resolution Therapeutics.https://www.linkedin.com/in/gonzaloagarciag/?originalSubdomain=ukDr. Jason MelladJason Mellad is the CEO and co-founder of Start Codon. After a phd in medicine from the University of Cambridge, Jason worked in various directing roles for a number of exciting Life Sciences companies, like Cambridge Epigenetics, before founding Start Codon in late 2018. Start Codon are a venture capital investor and venture builder who support aspiring entrepreneurs in development and commercialisation of their businesses. They look for the most disruptive innovations in the life sciences space, and have already seen dozens of successful start ups come through their programme to bring their ideas to the world.https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-mellad-54890622/The Technology Partnership is where scientists & engineers develop new products & technologies that bring innovation & value to clients.Find out more about our work here: https://www.ttp.com/

In the past decade, two events have sent shockwaves through the diagnostics industry: Theranos and Covid. The first, is a parable against faking it in an industry which rightly prizes accuracy and safety. The second was an almost insatiable demand for diagnostic testing kits, where the speed of information took second place to accuracy. Was Elizabeth Holmes onto something when she founded Theranos? What if her devices had been able to live up to the hype? And what reputation does self-testing now have in the diagnostics industry? In this episode of Invent Life Sciences, we take a look at the Theranos story and the Covid pandemic and see what lessons can be learned from each. Find out more on this week's episode of Invent: Life Sciences from TTP.This Week's GuestsProfessor Tony CassTony is a professor of chemical biology at Imperial College London, an institution he has been a part of for the best part of three decades. Alongside his fellowship of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Tony pioneered the use of synthetic electron transfer mediators for enzyme biosensors, and his work in this area led to the development of the first electronic blood glucose measuring system. https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonycass/?originalSubdomain=ukDr. Giles SandersGiles is the head of In Vitro diagnostics at TTP and has been with us for two decades. During that time he has been influential in the development of numerous diagnostics systems that have been successfully placed on the market. He works across all aspects of In Vitro diagnostics, from automated central lab, to point of care and home use devices. https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilessanders/?originalSubdomain=ukThe Technology Partnership is where scientists & engineers develop new products & technologies that bring innovation & value to clients.Find out more about our work here: https://www.ttp.com/

Following our first episode of two focusing on cell and gene therapies, outlining the promise and practicalities of delivering curative therapies for chronic diseases, we now focus on cell therapies - so called ‘living drugs’ that are both as powerful as they are complex. Despite the impressive trials and life-changing impacts at the individual level, it’s still not possible to manufacture cell therapies at scales that could benefit a wider range of patients. So what are the differences between cell therapies and conventional medicines that make them so difficult to manufacture? Can we redeploy hardware and learnings from other industries or are custom solutions needed? And does the ‘where’ we manufacture these therapies matter more than the ‘how’? As we discover in this episode, efforts to address these questions and provide scalable manufacturing solutions could unleash a new wave of pharmaceutical innovation that promises to revolutionise the way we develop medicines. Find out more on this week's episode of Invent: Life Sciences from TTP.This Week's GuestsDr. Edwin StoneEd is our head of cell and gene at TTP. After a PHD specialising in Vehicle Dynamics from the University of Cambridge, Ed started working at TTP some 18 years ago, most of which has been spent specialising in cell and gene. He’s been focusing on the manufacturing realm of cell and gene for the past seven years. His work spans everything from commercial strategy through to technology development and on to production.https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwin-stone-98560212/Mike LehmickeMike is the Senior Director of Science and Industry Affairs at the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, and has over 20 years of R&D experience in biomaterials, medical devices, and regenerative medicine. His work focuses on cell based tissue engineering, bioceramics and medicines which have the ability to help repair or replace damaged human cells or tissues.https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-lehmicke-76b45435/Dr. Félix A. Montero-JulianFélix is a Scientific Director of the Healthcare Business of bioMérieux. With over 25 years of experience in industrial and clinical diagnostics, Félix is extensively involved in the implementation and acceptance of rapid and alternative microbiological methods, with an array of technical experience across the cell and gene therapy manufacturing process.https://www.linkedin.com/in/f%C3%A9lix-a-montero-julian-phd-0a3a501b/The Technology Partnership is where scientists & engineers develop new products & technologies that bring innovation & value to clients.Find out more about our work here: https://www.ttp.com/

With therapies like cell and gene - amongst some of the most significant innovations in modern medicine - the idea of delivering cures for conditions from cancer to diabetes is now within the realm of scientific possibility. But will it be possible to provide the benefits of advanced therapies to all? Should we expect our healthcare systems to foot the bill? And can we re-imagine the development ecosystem to truly realise the potential of cell and gene therapies? In this first of two episodes about curing diseases and cell & gene therapies, we outline why we would want to treat diseases in this way, the main economic barriers to achieving it, and where these exciting new therapies are going next.Find out more on this week's episode of Invent: Life Sciences from TTP.This Week's GuestsDr. Dan StrangeDan is a technologist and engineering leader with a background in tissue biomechanics, regenerative medicine, and mechanical engineering. He's been at TTP for the past decade, driving forward large development programs from start to finish, as well as being a huge advocate for cell and gene therapies.https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdanstrange/Professor Jacob PetersenJacob is the head of cell therapy research & development at Novo Nordisk and an adjunct professor in biomedicine at Copenhagen University Medical Faculty. With over 20 years in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology spaces, Jacob has worked in R&D for everything from diabetes to cardiovascular disease, and through his current head of cell therapy R&D role, he is involved in the creation of new treatments in this space from start to finish. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-petersen-820529/Dr. Kath MackayKath is the director of Life Sciences for Bruntwood SciTech, a company that provides companies with the infrastructure around Cell and Gene. Previously on the executive management team at Innovate UK, Kath has a track record which proves her passion for growing the UK’s life sciences sector, and in her new role is responsible for developing Bruntwood SciTech’s life sciences vision, strategy and services in their campuses, which includes Alderley Park, Birmingham Health Innovation Campus, Citylabs, Manchester and Melbourn Science Park.https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkathmackay/The Technology Partnership is where scientists & engineers develop new products & technologies that bring innovation & value to clients.Find out more about our work here: https://www.ttp.com/

From cosmetics to medicines, animal testing is still widely mandated by regulators. Up to now, there have been few other ways to gather information about the potential human response to drug candidates. But are animal models still the most effective way to test drugs before we use them in humans? Or are these in vivo models outdated, ready to be replaced by innovative new in vitro models of drug development? In this episode of TTP Invent: Life Sciences, we take a look at some of the fascinating alternatives to animal testing in drug development, before assessing what new realms of medicine these new methods could soon open up - from replicating your organs on a chip, to regenerating entire tissues.Find out more on this week's episode of Invent: Life Sciences from TTP.This Week's GuestsProfessor Molly Stevens FRS FRENGMolly is Professor of Biomedical Materials and Regenerative Medicine in the Departments of Materials and Bioengineering at Imperial College London. Following a postdoc working on tissue engineering methods with Bob Langer at MIT, Molly set up her own group at Imperial in 2004. The Stevens Group is a multidisciplinary research group using innovative bioengineering approaches to address key problems in regenerative medicine and biosensing.https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-stevens-81742822/Dr. Lorna EwartLorna is the CSO at Emulate, a company that creates advanced in vitro models for understanding how diseases, medicines, chemicals, and foods affect human health. Lorna is passionate about the pursuit of drug discovery and development. After working in the Microphysiological Systems Centre of Excellence within AstraZeneca, and beginning her own firm Veroli Consulting, Lorna is now renowned for her expertise in Organ-Chips and Organoids.https://www.linkedin.com/in/lornaewart/Professor Maria KavallarisMaria is best known for her pioneering work in children's cancer. Last year she and collaborator Justin Gooding were awarded the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes for their contribution to a 3D bioprinting technology that promises to revolutionise cancer research, and her work on tumour cells, drug resistance, nanotechnologies and bioprinting have produced countless new discoveries to the field.https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariakavallaris/The Technology Partnership is where scientists & engineers develop new products & technologies that bring innovation & value to clients.Find out more about our work here: https://www.ttp.com/

The hunt to discover new pharmaceuticals in areas of high unmet need can be complex, time-consuming, and costly. For every life saving therapy that hits the market, thousands and even millions of candidate drugs are rejected. A new technology could be changing the way we home in on the most effective therapy: AI. The use of AI in drug discovery - whether through mining research or in highlighting new experimental insight - is one of the most exciting new sectors in the field. But how does it really work? What are the conditions needed to implement it? Is it really anything more than just a useful tool? In this episode of Invent: Life Sciences from TTP, we take a look at this fascinating new frontier for drug discovery.Find out more on this week's episode of Invent: Life Sciences from TTP.This Week's GuestsDr. Sarah MorrowSarah is a Life Sciences Consultant at TTP, joining in 2020 after getting her PhD specialising in Organic Chemistry from the University of Oxford. Sarah brings a chemist’s perspective on the challenges encountered within drug discovery, as well as focusing on the technology - both hardware and software - that could enable and accelerate the field.https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-morrow-841719146/Aaron MorrisAaron Morris is the CEO and co-founder of PostEra, a company building an end-to-end medicinal chemistry platform to advance drug discovery, using machine learning and AI to do so. After seeing the limiting nature of drug discovery on bio tech companies and pharma, Aaron set up PostEra to come in at this early stage and work alongside them to reduce these issues, and to serve the world's ever expanding community of drug hunters.https://postera.ai/Dr. Andreas BenderAndreas Bender is a Professor of Life Sciences informatics interested in developing new life science data analysis methods for their application in drug discovery. After over a decade at Cambridge University working in molecular informatics, Andreas is now the CSO at Terra Lumina, a company building the world’s largest dataset of natural compounds, using AI that unlocks the connection between nature’s small molecules and the human body.https://terralumina.bio/The Technology Partnership is where scientists & engineers develop new products & technologies that bring innovation & value to clients.Find out more about our work here: https://www.ttp.com/