Machines and Molecules

Mark DePristo, former CEO of BigHat Biosciences, reveals why the best biotech innovation doesn't bolt on AI later but bakes it into research from day one. He shifts from scaling a clinical-stage antibody powerhouse to the nimble "zero-to-one" world of Ember AI Studios, where small teams leverage AI to solve overlooked deep-tech problems. Mark illustrates how embedding high-throughput...

In this episode of the  Machines and Molecules  podcast, host Marcus Bühler, the McAfee Professor of Engineering at MIT, discusses the principle of "adaptability" as the most important universal principle of materials for newcomers to absorb. His work focuses on bridging atomistic simulation, multiscale mechanics, and AI-driven materials design, aiming to automate the scientific process. He explai...

Chris Bahl is founder and CEO of AI Proteins. The conversation delves into the challenges faced by platform companies in the biotech sector, highlighting the financial pressures that lead to the cutting of innovative projects. It discusses how investors prioritize immediate monetization of assets over long-term development, often resulting in the abandonment of potentially successful platforms. Ta...

Victor Guallar is an ICREA Professor and group leader of the EAPM at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and Co-Founder of Nostrum Biodiscovery. With a joint PhD from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and UC Berkeley, followed by roles at Columbia University and Washington University, he has built extensive expertise in molecular modeling, enzyme engineering, and drug discovery. At the Barcel...

Markus Müller is an experienced project manager with expertise in biotechnology and bioeconomy, focused on bridging research and industry to advance sustainable bioprocesses. As Project Manager at CLIB – Cluster Industrial Biotechnology, he oversees collaborative initiatives that support innovation across academia and industry. Previously, Markus led the Bio² project at RWTH Aachen University, int...

Laura Möller is a seasoned expert in venture capital and entrepreneurship, with a focus on artificial intelligence and technology transfer. She holds leadership roles as Director of the Künstliche Intelligenz Entrepreneurship Zentrum (K.I.E.Z.) and UNITE in Berlin, and is the founder of Paola Ventures. With over a decade of experience, she has built expertise in supporting start-ups and fostering...

Dr. Martin Steinegger is an expert in computational biology and bioinformatics, specializing in large-scale sequence data analysis. He earned his Ph. D. from the Technical University of Munich in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, focusing on methods to cluster and assemble metagenomic sequencing data. Currently an Associate Professor at Seoul National Universit...

In this episode we host Carlos Härtel, an expert in innovation and strategy within the applied sciences. Carlos holds a Habilitation in Mechanical Engineering from ETH Zürich and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University of Munich. Currently, he is a Venture Partner at Spacewalk VC, investing in deep tech startups, and a Senior Advisor at Carbon Removal Partners, focusing on carb...

In this episode, we are excited to host Dr. Stanislav Mazurenko, a leading expert in protein engineering and artificial intelligence. With a Ph. D. in applied mathematics and cybernetics from Lomonosov Moscow State University and extensive postdoctoral research at Loschmidt Laboratories, Stanislav now leads research at RECETOX. We delve into molecular dynamics simulations, statistical models, and...

In this episode, we're joined by Matteo Aldegni, Director of Machine Learning Research at Bayer, where he leads a team specializing in Machine Learning applications for chemistry and drug discovery. Matteo delves into the intricacies of Molecular Dynamics, the cornerstone of computer-aided molecular design, shedding light on how it paved the way for modern Machine Learning techniques. From the...

In this episode, we welcomed Richard Socher, AI expert and serial entrepreneur, serving as CEO and founder of you.com, a pioneering chat-search assistant, and as founder and managing partner of AIX Ventures, guiding and supporting AI startups. Focusing on this wealth of experience, we delved into the core drivers of AI startup success and investment strategies. Richard emphasized AI's versatil...

A decade ago, Martin Rahmel co-founded a startup with the idea of dissolving catalysts in water for reuse. Today, he leads the Chemical Invention Factory (CIF) in Berlin, a hub for green chemistry startups. CIF's story began simply with providing a brick-and-mortar lab to decrease cost for chemistry startups, now blossoming into a ecosystem of innovation with 10Mio Euros of funding. Martin sha...

This episode features Max Welling, a visionary at the intersection of science and machine learning. Starting under Nobel laureate Gerard 't Hooft, Max shifted from the enthralling world of physics to machine learning, inspired by the methods of his early studies. His journey through prestigious labs, including Turing Award winner Geoff Hinton's, illustrates his belief in intuition-driven r...

In this enlightening episode, we delve deep with Finnish machine learning grandmaster Aapo Hyvärinen, as he discusses his latest book, “Painful Intelligence”. Hyvärinen, a trailblazer in unsupervised learning, sheds light on the profound connections between human suffering, the pursuit of goals, and the mechanics of learning. His discussion moves from super technical realms of non-gaussian latent...

In this episode, we explore the challenges faced by scientists like Patrick Torbey, the founder of Neoplants, as they transition from academia to entrepreneurship. Patrick shares his struggles in finding a co-founder with business acumen, emphasizing the rare intersection of academic and business worlds. He discusses how building a startup, like his venture that engineers plants to purify air rapi...

In the latest episode, Alan Aspuru-Guzik introduces us to the transformative potential of self-driving labs, where complex chemical equipment merges with machine learning. However, it's not about chasing the perfect algorithm – it's about making things work. Old workhorses like Bayesian optimization he augments with a wide range of innovative twists. Motivated by David King's chilling...

In this captivating episode, delve into the intriguing world of enzymes, nature's microscopic machines, as Uwe Bornscheuer recounts his early fascination with their intricate design and function. Traverse through time as we explore both historical and contemporary methods of enzyme engineering and discover the parallels between enzyme optimization and techniques used in machine learning and op...

In this enlightening episode, Kristof Szalay unveils the journey of Turbine - from a mere idea to a pharmaceutical game-changer. By simulating how proteins send messages in cells, Turbine is on the cusp of slashing drug discovery timeframes and ushering in groundbreaking drugs. Kristof highlights how Turbine transitioned from academia's incremental approach to the realm of engineering moonshot...

This episode is a deep dive with Tina Klüwer, a beacon in Germany's AI landscape. From trying to understand human thought by replicating it in machines to founding an AI startup in 2014, Tina's overflowing enthusiasm has always been an asset. We discuss the nuances between academia and startup culture and tackle pressing topics like societal biases mirrored in AI. We touch upon her role in...

In this episode, Ingmar chats with François-Xavier Briol (FX for short), a lecturer at University College London. FX specializes in probabilistic numerics and its applications in the natural sciences. In the episode, we nerd out about model misspecification, which addresses the challenges posed by the idea that "all models are wrong, but some are useful." We also discuss personal growth...

In this first episode of Machines and Molecules, Ingmar talks with Dr. Mikio Braun talks about machine learning before it was a hype, Math and persevering through hard phases in your work (read: PhD thesis). We discuss what you learn when you move from academia to industry and the probability that humanity will be terminated by AI.