From Scientist to Startup Founder: Building the Virtual Cell for Drug Discovery

In this episode of Startup & Nation, Natalie Ma, co-founder and head of business development at Deep Origin, shares her journey from studying environmental science to co-founding a biotech startup at the forefront of computational biology.

She discusses how her PhD in synthetic biology and frustrations with slow academic progress led her to entrepreneurship, where she now works to build a “virtual cell” to reduce costly failures in drug discovery. Natalie offers insights on market validation in biotech, bridging the gap between academia and industry, and how AI could streamline both research and regulatory processes.

The conversation explores the balance between social impact and profitability, the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, and how curiosity and openness to uncertainty can drive meaningful innovation in life sciences.