26.- Matti Jalasvuori: decoding phage dark matter with bioinformatics at PrecisionPhage
Description
In this episode, we talk with Matti Jalasvuori, CEO and co-founder of PrecisionPhage, a Finland-based biotech advancing bioinformatics to make phage research more practical and scalable.
Matti explains his daily work leading the company, staying close to the science while guiding development of new tools that make phage data easier to use for researchers and industry. He shares how PrecisionPhage began – from early genome analysis in his academic group to developing Phagenomics software, platforms that automate phagegenome assembly & annotation and qualitycontrol. Matti discusses how such tools can meet strict requirements for future GMP-level phage production and help address the long-standing challenge of phage “dark matter”, where many phage genes still have unknown functions. Beyond the technical side, Matti reflects on the process of starting a company, lessons from hisresearch on the origins of viruses, and what it means to bridge science and business. He closes with thoughtful advice for young scientists: stay curious, understand biology deeply, and choose which ideas are truly worth developing.
United States
