Nucleate Singapore Pulse

Nucleate Singapore
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Life Sciences
  • Updated Monthly

Singapore's premier podcast on the biotech ecosystem. The show notes and transcripts can be found on nucleatesingapore.substack.com. Subscribe and follow us to keep your finger on the pulse of Singapore’s biotech ecosystem. For feedback and suggestions, feel free to reach out to the team at singapore@nucleate.org

  1. Aug 19

    Revealing chemical dark matter to generate new medicines with Dr. Damien Keogh of BluMaiden Biosciences

    Dr. Damien Keogh, Founder and CEO of BluMaiden Biosciences, joins the show to discuss how artificial intelligence, computational biology, and entrepreneurship are transforming drug discovery. Drawing on a career that spans molecular microbiology, academia, venture capital, and biotech company building, Damien shares his journey from studying microbial biology in Ireland to founding a Singapore-based biotech company developing novel therapeutics from the human microbiome. In this episode, Damien explores how his experiences across research, investing, and startup leadership shaped the development of BluMaiden’s AI-driven drug discovery platform. He explains why successful biotech ventures require more than great science, highlighting the importance of multidisciplinary teams, founder adaptability, strategic execution, and a clear path to commercial value. He also provides an inside look at BluMaiden’s approach to discovering small-molecule therapeutics, including how the company integrates microbiome, clinical, and multi-omics datasets to identify new drug targets and candidates. Damien discusses where AI is already creating value in drug discovery, where human expertise remains indispensable, and why validation continues to be the defining challenge for computational approaches. Along the way, the conversation covers venture creation versus academic spinouts, fundraising and company building in Singapore, the evolving biotech investment landscape, and emerging technologies such as agentic AI, laboratory automation, and quantum computing. Damien also shares practical insights for founders, researchers, and investors on evaluating opportunities, building resilient companies, and turning scientific innovation into meaningful patient impact. Host: Shamieraah Jamal Editors: Shamieraah Jamal, Chi Dam, Dillon Chew 02:00 Meet Damien Keogh 07:05 VC and what makes startups win 09:38 Founding BluMaiden 19:20 Building an AI Moat 25:30 Validation Roadmap to Licensing 30:55 Biotech Collaboration Verticals 33:10 Hype Versus Reality 44:58 The direction ahead 51:57 Ecosystem Support and Talent

    Revealing chemical dark matter to generate new medicines with Dr. Damien Keogh of BluMaiden Biosciences

  2. Jul 19

    Charting Singapore's Biotech Pipeline with Dr. Katherine Wang of A*STAR's STDR

    Dr. Katherine Wang, Deputy Director of the Biomedical Research Council and lead of the Singapore Therapeutics Development Review (STDR), joins the show to unpack what it really takes to move a scientific discovery from the lab bench to a viable biotech company. Drawing on a career that spans a PhD at NYU, tech transfer, program building at Duke-NUS, and now national drug-discovery strategy at A*STAR, Katherine explains why Singapore's researchers excel at science but stumble at commercialization. She also delves into what STDR is doing about it through mentorship, bootcamps, and new schemes that pair scientists with serial entrepreneurs. Along the way she compares the US, China, and Singapore ecosystems, shares what she looks for when funding early-stage projects, and offers candid advice for any scientist curious about a career beyond the PI track. It's a practical, clear-eyed conversation about turning good science into products that reach patients.  In this episode, Katherine discusses how researchers can translate scientific discoveries into commercially viable therapeutics and why strong science alone is not enough to build a successful biotech company. She explains the importance of defining unmet medical needs, developing a clear target product profile, understanding the competitive landscape, prioritizing value-driving experiments, and building multidisciplinary teams with complementary scientific and business expertise. Katherine also shares perspectives on the differences between the biotechnology ecosystems in Singapore, the United States, China, and Europe; the role of public funding and private-sector partnerships; and how initiatives under RIE2030 may shape Singapore’s biomedical research and innovation landscape. Host: Shamieraah Jamal Editors: Shamieraah Jamal, Chi Dam, Dillon Chew Timestamp 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Katherine Wang 01:17 From Research to Research Leadership 03:13 Comparing the US, Singapore and China Biotech Ecosystems 06:20 Building a Career Across Strategy and Operations 10:10 What Is the Singapore Therapeutics Development Review? 17:59 Global Models for Translational Funding 23:22 Introducing the Venture Lead Scheme 27:15 Bridging the Commercialisation Skills Gap 29:00 New STDR Initiatives under RIE2030 33:26 The Future of Singapore’s Biotech Ecosystem 35:01 Training the Next Generation for Commercialization 37:40 Current Gaps in Singapore’s Biotech Ecosystem

    Charting Singapore's Biotech Pipeline with Dr. Katherine Wang of A*STAR's STDR

  3. Jun 17

    Rewriting human aging with Physics and AI with Dr. Peter Fedichev of Gero (Part 2)

    Dr. Peter Fedichev is the co-founder and CEO of GERO, a Singapore-based biotech startup that uses physics-informed AI and massive human health datasets to discover drugs aimed at slowing down aging and treating age-related diseases. In the 2nd part of this episode, Peter explains how Gero builds generative models of human health to predict disease trajectories and identify shared biological drivers across multiple chronic conditions. He discusses why metabolic dysfunction and inflammation represent promising intervention points, how partnerships with pharma companies like Chugai accelerate translation, and why companion dogs could become the proving ground for longevity therapeutics. Peter also shares his perspective on AI-driven drug discovery, arguing that target identification, not molecule generation, will create the greatest value. He outlines Gero’s open-source approach, fundraising journey, and vision for a future where therapies can meaningfully slow the aging process itself. Host: John Joson Ng Editors: Dillon Chew, Chi Dam, Vasilina Gedzun 00:00 Gero Roadmap Overview 00:35 Predicting Disease Trajectories 03:03 Super Targets Strategy 05:07 Ozempic Market Wakeup 07:28 Binary Strategy With Pharma 10:11 Gerosense Wearable Aging API 11:58 Crossdisciplinary Lab Workflow 14:09 ProtoBind Diff Explained 17:16 Open Source Business Logic 21:10 Chugai Partnership Begins 23:57 AI Push In Big Pharma 27:09 Funding Gero Early 31:38 Differentiating From Calico and Altos 35:56 Longevity Roadmap Dogs To Humans 42:36 Next Milestones For Gero 43:45 Personal Motivation To Fight Aging

    Rewriting human aging with Physics and AI with Dr. Peter Fedichev of Gero (Part 2)

  4. Jun 17

    Rewriting human aging with Physics and AI with Dr. Peter Fedichev of Gero (Part 1)

    Dr. Peter Fedichev is the co-founder and CEO of GERO, a Singapore-based biotech startup that uses physics-informed AI and massive human health datasets to discover drugs aimed at slowing down aging and treating age-related diseases. In this episode, explains his transition from a decade in theoretical physics to longevity biotech, motivated by applying physics tools to complex living systems and discoveries like the naked mole rat’s lack of mortality acceleration. He contrasts biology’s case-control, fact-collecting culture with physics’ search for universal variables, arguing aging is a universal, chronic-process problem well suited to physics-style modeling. Peter describes Gero’s approach as building predictive, generative AI models from large-scale medical records and omics data to capture the “equations of motion” of health over time. He critiques hallmark-of-aging narratives and emphasizes “functional decline” (functional span) over healthspan, noting very old people can be disease-free yet severely impaired. Using thermodynamics as an analogy, he argues aging involves entropy-like, stochastic damage that is hard to reverse but potentially possible to slow or stop by targeting fundamental control variables. Host: John Joson Ng Editors: Dillon Chew, Chi Dam, Vasilina Gedzun 00:00 Meet Peter Fedichev 00:23 From Physics to Biology 02:30 Non Aging Animals Spark 04:27 Physics Lens on Aging 06:21 Why Gero Exists 09:46 Modeling Health Dynamics 10:49 Beyond Lifespan Healthspan 12:43 Functional Decline Focus 16:07 Thermodynamics Meets AI 18:56 Entropy Limits Reversal 22:02 Temperature and Lifespan 25:12 Modeling to Speed Drugs 27:20 Closing Why Aging First

    Rewriting human aging with Physics and AI with Dr. Peter Fedichev of Gero (Part 1)

  5. May 14

    Advancing Precision Microbiome Innovation with Dr. Boon Chong Goh

    Dr. Boon Chong Goh is the co-founder and CTO of ArrowBiome, a Singapore-based biotech startup developing precision microbiome solutions through its lysin engineering platform. Spun out from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology and NTU Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, ArrowBiome develops proprietary and patented platform technologies that enable highly selective bacterial targeting and killing. With “arrow-like” precision, the company is advancing microbiome solutions across applications including body odour, acne, other bacteria-associated skin conditions, gut health, and antimicrobial resistance. In this episode, Boon Chong shares how his journey from physics, protein structure, and molecular simulations led him into antimicrobial resistance research and eventually entrepreneurship. He discusses why lysins are powerful tools for precision microbiome control, how ArrowBiome moved from academic research to commercialization, and why the company strategically entered skincare and personal care before tackling more complex antimicrobial challenges. He also reflects on startup fundraising, Singapore’s biotech ecosystem, scaling production, global expansion, and the personal shift from scientist to entrepreneur. Host: Shamieraah Jamal Editors: Chi Dam, Shamieraah Jamal, Dillon Chew Timestamp: 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Boon Chong Goh 00:54 Journey From Physics to Antimicrobial Research 01:36 Why Lysins Became the Focus 04:24 Why Lysin Technology Matters for AMR 05:25 Funding Early Antimicrobial Projects 07:19 From Research Scientist to Entrepreneur 09:19 From CEO to CTO 14:10 Building ArrowBiome in Singapore 15:48 Why Singapore for Deep Tech and Cosmeceuticals 17:28 ArcherZyme and SmartArrow 19:19 Why Start with Cosmeceuticals 21:15 Regulatory Pathways and Clinical Testing 22:01 Measuring Success in Acne and Body Odor 23:23 Microbiome Differences Across Populations 24:51 Scaling Fermentation 25:37 B2B Partnerships and Global Clients 26:33 Formulation Partnerships with CHAKS 27:49 Singapore Startup Ecosystem and Partnerships 29:01 Winning Gold at In-Cosmetics Asia 31:06 Belgium Subsidiary and Global Expansion 32:20 What Next for ArrowBiome 33:20 M&A Strategy and Exit Planning 34:22 Advice for Researcher-Entrepreneurs 36:31 From Scientist to Strategic Founder

    Advancing Precision Microbiome Innovation with Dr. Boon Chong Goh

  6. Apr 13

    Futureproofing Aquaculture through field ready diagnostics with Kit Yong

    Mr. Kit Yong is the co-founder of Forte Biotech, a Singapore-based agritech startup developing rapid, point-of-care molecular diagnostics for aquaculture. Forte Biotech was founded in 2021. The concept behind RAPID was inspired by the founders’ experiences working with farmers in Vietnam, as well as insights from their own family businesses. Having witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by farmers, their families, and their livelihoods, the team remains committed to developing solutions that can make a meaningful and lasting impact. In this episode, Kit shares how Forte Biotech was founded to address a critical but overlooked problem in shrimp farming: catastrophic losses due to undetected disease outbreaks. He explains how the company built a portable isothermal amplification platform and proprietary DNA extraction chemistry capable of handling challenging shrimp samples, enabling farmers to conduct reliable, onsite pathogen detection without complex laboratory infrastructure. Host: Aakash Naresh Kumar Editors: Dillon Chew, Shamieraah Jamal, Vasilina Gedzun, Hana Maldivita Tambrin Timestamp 00:00 Meet Kit Yong 02:33 No Manual for Startups 04:09 Why Forte Bio Started 06:53 Net Zero and Farm Impact 09:35 Rapid DNA Extraction Breakthrough 11:57 Sample Degradation and False Negatives 14:44 Major Shrimp Diseases Explained 18:26 Bridging Farmers and Scientists 20:18 Portable Hardware and Isothermal Tech 21:19 Balancing Cost Accuracy 21:55 Rapid Hardware Overview 22:52 On Farm Reliability Lessons 24:53 Scaling Across Southeast Asia Markets 25:46 Regulation And Local Partners 31:09 Building An Agile Team 33:40 Diagnostics And Food Security 35:57 Milestones Profitability Goals 36:47 Science Communication For Impact

    Futureproofing Aquaculture through field ready diagnostics with Kit Yong

  7. Mar 15

    Building World-Class Biomedical Research Institutions with Dr. Edison Liu (Part 2)

    Dr. Edison Liu is a medical doctor turned cancer geneticist, whose work focuses on cancer genomics, breast cancer biology, and translational medicine. He has held senior leadership roles in biomedical research institutions in the United States and Asia, as the founding executive director of the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), and later the president and CEO of the Jackson Laboratory, one of the world's leading genetics research institutions. Along the way, he helped shape Singapore's biomedical landscape, led genomics research through crises like SARS, and expanded global position medicine efforts across Asia and North America. In Part 2, Dr. Edison Liu covers covers accountability and KPIs for Singapore’s biomedical initiative and how the 2003 SARS crisis validated translational research and GIS’s role, leading to recognition, embedding in MOH pandemic planning, and expanded work on H1N1/H5N1, Chikungunya, and Dengue. He shares that Singapore engineered healthcare as a discovery engine that supports economic welfare through pandemic control, precision medicine, and healthy aging, contrasting Singapore’s efficient population-based system with the US. He describes Singapore’s planned hospital/research cluster model versus evolving academic medical centers in the US, then explains leaving GIS after 11 years after developing successors. He recounts leading Jackson Laboratory’s transformation from 2012, scaling revenues and endowment and expanding campuses internationally, and emphasizes leadership traits (risk-taking, humility, learning), self-sufficiency in training, PhD reform, and Singapore’s bilingual role bridging a “two-systems” world while noting small size can enable global excellence. Host: John Joson Ng Editors: Dillon Chew, Hana Maldivita Tambrin, Shamieraah Jamal, Vasilina Gedzun Chapters:  02:40 KPI and doubts 05:25 Health as Economic Engine 09:50 Knowing When to Step Down 13:10 Why join JAX 14:01 Scaling JAX Globally 18:15 Leadership Traits for Scientists 21:10 Rethinking the PhD in today’s era 26:10 Singapore and Asia's Biotech Future

    Building World-Class Biomedical Research Institutions with Dr. Edison Liu (Part 2)

  8. Mar 15

    Building World-Class Biomedical Research Institutions with Dr. Edison Liu (Part 1)

    Dr. Edison Liu is a medical doctor turned cancer geneticist, whose work focuses on cancer genomics, breast cancer biology, and translational medicine. He has held senior leadership roles in biomedical research institutions in the United States and Asia, as the founding executive director of the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), and later the president and CEO of the Jackson Laboratory, one of the world's leading genetics research institutions. Along the way, he helped shape Singapore's biomedical landscape, led genomics research through crises like SARS, and expanded global position medicine efforts across Asia and North America. In this episode, Dr. Edison Liu shares his journey from being motivated from childhood by medicine, then pivoting into basic science late in training after frustration with empiric cancer care and inspiration from oncogene discoveries, leading to work at UCSF with Nobel laureate J. Michael Bishop. He explains how clinical experience shaped his research questions, how he balanced lab discovery with focused clinical work and molecular trials, and how leading a 1,200-person NCI division taught institutional-scale leadership. Recruited to Singapore by Philip Yeo and others, Liu chose functional and transcriptional genomics over sequencing alone, built GIS’s collaborative culture, recruited fearless, high-performing, non-“jerk” talent, and empowered young leaders during events like SARS, helping establish preeminence within a decade. Host: John Joson Ng Editors: Dillon Chew, Hana Maldivita Tambrin, Shamieraah Jamal, Vasilina Gedzun Chapters:  02:18 Childhood Doctor Dream 06:00 Deep Dive into Molecular Biology 09:40 The value of being a Clinician Scientist  15:00 Juggling Clinic Lab And Trials 19:50 Recruited to Singapore 23:00 Leading GIS and Recruiting the right talent 29:40 Culture of GIS

    Building World-Class Biomedical Research Institutions with Dr. Edison Liu (Part 1)
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About

Singapore's premier podcast on the biotech ecosystem. The show notes and transcripts can be found on nucleatesingapore.substack.com. Subscribe and follow us to keep your finger on the pulse of Singapore’s biotech ecosystem. For feedback and suggestions, feel free to reach out to the team at singapore@nucleate.org

Information

  • Creator
    Nucleate Singapore
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Nucleate Singapore
  • Show Website
    Nucleate Singapore Pulse