27 · Part 2
Michael Chen - Part 2: Forging a Path from Chemistry PhD to Biotech CEO
Show Notes
Part 2 of 2: Jon Chee hosts 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 a rich background and valuable insights to our podcast. Before co-founding Nuclera, Michael did extensive research as an undergrad student at both Georgia tech and Emory and eventually got his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Cambridge. He has also published nine scientific papers and worked with several leading scientists in their field.
Michael’s experiences at the lab bench and as a CEO make this conversation one you don’t want to miss.
Join us this week to hear about:
- Michael’s journey from graduate studies to co-founding Nuclera
- The unique challenges scientists encounter in the business world
- The importance of adaptability and key lessons in developing/marketing a breakthrough product
- Michael’s insights into navigating big pharma’s lengthy sales cycles and building successful partnerships
- Creating a Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy for a biotech and identifying early adopters
Please enjoy Jon’s conversation with Michael Chen.
Resources Mentioned
Nuclera: https://www.nuclera.com/
Academic Research vs. Industrial Research: https://www.colabra.ai/blog/difference-in-scientific-research-in-academia-vs-industry/
Nuclear’s Protein Platform: https://www.nuclera.com/technology/
Protein Engineering: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4931902/
Gene Synthesis: https://www.biomatik.com/blog/the-basics-of-gene-synthesis-a-comprehensive-guide/
eProtein Discovery Instrument: https://www.nuclera.com/system/instrument/
Go-Market Strategy (GTM): https://www.coursera.org/articles/go-to-market-strategy
Marketing & Sales Tools for Biotechs: https://www.excedr.com/blog/marketing-sales-strategies-for-biotechs
Biotech Partnerships: How Partnering with Big Pharma Can Support R&D: https://www.excedr.com/blog/how-biotech-partnerships-support-research
How to Bootstrap a Biotech Tools Startup: https://www.excedr.com/resources/how-to-bootstrap-biotech-startup
About the Guest
Michael Chen is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Nuclera. In 2013, while working on his PhD at the University of Cambridge, Michael and his co-founders became frustrated by the inaccessibility of proteins to support everything from basic research to drug discovery. This prompted them to found Nuclera, with a clear mission in mind: make proteins more accessible to everyone by providing rapid access to high-quality, soluble, active proteins at the benchtop.
For the past 10 years, Michael has led the company in raising multiple funding rounds totaling $146M. He’s built a team of over 100 people strong over 2 continents and leads the commercial strategy behind bringing their innovative rapid protein prototyping technology to market.
