Biotech & Breweries

In this episode of the Biotech and Breweries Podcast, Daniel Shroeder and Shannon Miller, Principal Investigator at Scripps Research, have a discussion at Bivouac Ciderworks in San Diego. Shannon shares her passion for bridging the gap between technology and diseases to make permanent cures possible. Having recently been recognized on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list, she discusses her journey from undergraduate research in synthetic organic chemistry to her graduate studies, where she applied directed evolution protein engineering techniques to gene editing tools, to her current research today with CRISPR technologies and developing cures for genetic diseases.Bivouac Ciderworks Quote:“I don't think there's a very specific skill set. Yes, they have to be a scientist. Right? But I don't think they need an introductory skill set. They need to know how to do CRISPR. But, I really look for people who are interested, who are motivated, and who are excited about the research.” - Shannon Miller [19:49]Topics discussed:The Intersection of Directed Evolution, CRISPR Technologies, and CRISPR TherapeuticsCRISPR and Women in Science LeadershipSan Diego's Growing Biotech and Pharma EcosystemResources:Connect with Shannon Miller:LinkedinSUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode.

In this episode of the Biotech and Breweries Podcast, James Mackey, CEO of Aristea Therapeutics, a clinical-stage drug development company focused on immunology-focused therapeutics to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. James shares the origin story of Aristea and his long professional history in life sciences. He also shares how fundraising allowed Aristea to extend its development, how Aristea is contributing to the life sciences industry in San Diego, and how the company is finding ways to positively impact the community. Quote:“What makes San Diego so special to me is the collaborative nature of everyone here. People are delighted you are here and they want you to succeed. They will do what they can to help you succeed even if you are a competitor because they see success as success for San Diego.” - James Mackey [22:22]Topics discussed:James' professional journey The origins of Aristea and RIST4721Fundraising and the life sciences financial market Life Science Cares San Diego and SD2Resources:Connect with James Mackey:LinkedinSUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode.

In this episode of the Biotech and Breweries Podcast, Nick Marron, Director of Brewery Operations at Harland Brewing Company, shares what is next for the brewery and many of the exciting projects they have on the horizon, happening throughout Southern California. Amir Ferry is the Co-Founder of Nucleate Bio San Diego, a collaborative entrepreneurship program that facilitates the formation of life sciences ventures by bringing together scientific trainees and business students. Amir shares his personal journey toward the field of Life Sciences and how Nucleate is creating diverse opportunities. He also talks about the importance of mentorships and partnerships with professionals in the industry. Quotes: “We are very open to inspiration. If we eat something cool or experience a new flavor in a cocktail, we think about how we can recreate it in a beer and what processes and ingredients we need to do that.” -Nick Marron [04:01] “We want to survey very diverse departments because we feel like that is exciting. We want to showcase all the great science that San Diego has. It is a challenge because it isn't a one size fits all curriculum, but we really try to tailor the program to what a team's needs are.” -Amir Ferry [22:45] Topics discussed: Harland Brewing New releases from Harland Brewing Amir's journey in Life Sciences Nucleate Connecting students with industry leaders Resources: Amir Ferry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amir-ferry-4454b698/ (LinkedIn) https://nucleate.xyz/ (Nucleate) Nick Marron: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-marron-bba005b2/ (LinkedIn) https://harlandbeer.com/ (Harland Brewing) Daniel Schroder: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-schroeder-35b00619/ (LinkedIn) SUBSCRIBE: https://www.biotechandbreweries.com/ (Subscribe) to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode.

In this episode of the Biotech and Breweries Podcast, Andy Kelly, Head Brewer at Embolden Beer shares three exciting beers from the San Diego based brewery. Lights & Music lager, Broken Record IPA, and Electric Feel, an 18-month Bourbon barrel aged imperial coffee stout. Andy shares how Embolden Brewing is defying the expectations of traditional brewing. Chorom Pak, CEO & Founder of Lynx Biosciences, shares her professional journey and how she formed Lynx Biosciences. Lynx Biosciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company combining physiologically relevant suspension cell co-culture assays and automated micro-fluidics and deep learning analytics. Chorome discusses the collaborative nature of the San Diego biosciences community and how Lynx Biosciences hopes to progress. Quotes: “At Embolden, we try and defy the expectations of what the brewing industry has been for a while now. We are trying to do something different and happy to be a part of a growing conversation on life, beer and community.” -Andy Kelly [15:00] “It is a bout a collaborative atmosphere. I found other areas to be cut throat. Competition is great but I found San Diego to be more collaborative. This is an environment that is so supportive and there are so many people willing to sit down with you and give feedback.” -Chorom Pak [36:35] Topics discussed: Embolden Beer Co. Brews: Lights & Music, Broken Record, and Electric Feel Chorom's personal background Lynx Biosciences The future of Lynx Biosciences Fundraising in the biosciences community Resources: Connect with Chorom Pak: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chorom-pak/ (Linkedin) Connect with Embolden Brewing Company: https://newmotion-embolden.com/embolden-beer-co/ (Website) https://www.instagram.com/drinknewmotion/ (Instagram) SUBSCRIBE: https://www.biotechandbreweries.com/ (Subscribe) to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode.

In this episode of the Biotech and Breweries Podcast, Simon Lacey, Founder of New English Brewing, talks about the evolution of the brewery since its founding in 2007, including the rollercoaster of the covid lockdowns and how the brewery is using enzymes to reduce the gluten content of their beers. He shares three beers coming out of New English Brewing: the Blueberry Blonde, an American pale ale with a natural blueberry flavor, the Pure and Simple  IPA, a 2016 gold medalist in the San Diego County Fair and the Zoombar Russian imperial stout, brewed with Zoombar coffee beans and Belgian dark chocolate. Leane Marchese, Executive Director of Life Science Cares San Diego, talks about the company and how it leverages the power of the life science industry to contribute in meaningful ways locally. She shares her personal experience creating meaningful and impactful experiences within her community.  Quotes: “Everything in our line is gluten-reduced all the time. May not be a celiac thing a lot of people are just doing it as a wellness thing, a dietary thing. Whatever we can do to keep people drinking beer, that is our goal.” -Simon Lacey [17:54] “It's not easy to vet a bunch of non-profit organizations and figure out where you want to lean in. But that is what Life Science Cares does and I think the future is wonderfully overwhelming in what we can all do together to make a difference in the community.” -Leane Marchese [38:35] Topics discussed: New English Brewery Brews: Blueberry Blonde, Pure and Simple, and Zoombar Using enzymes to reduce the gluten content Leanne's personal background Life Science Cares Connecting with the community The future of Life Science Cares Resources: Connect with Life Science Cares: https://lifesciencecares.org/ (Website) Connect with New English Brewing: https://www.newenglishbrewing.com/ (Website) https://www.instagram.com/newenglishbrewing/ (Instagram) SUBSCRIBE: https://www.biotechandbreweries.com/ (Subscribe) to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode.

In this episode of the Biotech and Breweries Podcast, Tom Kiely, General Manager at Thorn Brewing talks about the process of growing hops and being mindful of the needs of local hop farmers in San Diego. He shares three beers coming out of Thorn Brewing. The Craft Michelada, similar to a Bloody Mary, but lighter in alcohol and body, the And Beyond  IPA, the first west coast style IPA the brewery created, and the Orchid Hazy IPA, a bright pale ale with notes of pineapple and mango. Westbrook Weaver, Founder and CEO of Tempo Therapeutics, shares his journey in bioengineering, Tempo Therapeutics' growth, and his passion for helping others. Founded in 2016, Tempo Therapeutics uses MAP technology to build functional tissue and organs for patients with diseases.  Quotes: “We're trying to feed the soul of craft beer and bring it back to its roots. We want to work more closely with our local farmers, promote more sustainable agriculture, and come up with some fun, new styles of beer based on what is available to us locally.” -Tom Kiely [15:45] “You don't have to forsake the dream, the vision, the belief that you can do something transformative. The reality is that even if we are only successful in doing this biosurgery business that's gonna change people's lives.” -Westbrook Weaver [49:23] Topics discussed: Thorn Brewery Brews: Craft Michelada, And Beyond West Coast Style IPA, and Orchid Hazy IPA Hop growing in San Diego County Westbrook's personal background Tempo Therapeutics- J Labs Biotech funding Creating a strong team of scientists  Resources: Connect with Tempo Therapeutics https://www.tempothera.com/ (Website) Connect with Thorn Brewing: https://thorn.beer/ (Website) https://www.instagram.com/thornbeer/ (Instagram)

In this episode of the Biotech and Breweries Podcast, Dan Selis, Founder of Mission Brewery, shares his passion for beer making and two of the beers coming out of the San Diego based brewery, Passionfruit Gose a twist on a traditionally German-style sour wheat ale and Peanut Butter dark stout, a Russian imperial stout rich in toasted coffee and bold chocolate flavors. Eric Murphy, CEO and Co-founder of Alterome Therapeutics, shares how he and Dan Selis met shortly after Dan's cancer diagnosis and Alterome's focus on alteration-specific therapeutics to address oncogenic drivers. He discusses Dan's treatment journey, the value of immunotherapy and he talks about how today's entrepreneurs in bioscience possess social consciousness and are driven by a desire to create autonomy within their research teams.  Quotes: “If I help my competitor and they blow up, it doesn't matter. It is not going to impact my business whatsoever. It helps us all. It helps the whole segment to rise.” -Dan Selis [55:15] “You live for those moments as a researcher. As somebody who just cares in the biotech community. That is the thing I love about our community. Folks are driven for a purpose for patients.” -Eric Murphy [34:58] Topics discussed: Mission Brewery Brews: Passionfruit Gose and Peanut Butter Dark Seas Dan's cancer diagnosis Eric's motivation in biosciences Alterome Therapeutics Fundraising in pharma The bioscience and brewery: a collaborative community Resources: Connect with Alterome: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alterome/ (LinkedIn) Connect with Mission Brewing: https://missionbrewery.com/ (Website) https://www.instagram.com/missionbrewery/?hl=en (Instagram) SUBSCRIBE: https://www.biotechandbreweries.com/ (Subscribe) to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode.

In this episode of The Biotech and Breweries Podcast, Noah Scoville, Manager at Burgeon Brewing, shares four beers from the craft beer brewery: Invita Mexican Lager, Carlsbad Crush, Treevana IPA, and Juice Press.  Dan Chevallard, COO and Chief Financial Officer of Viracta shares his journey with Viracta and their pursuit of EBV-associated cancers with a combination drug product. He discusses the evolution of Viracta as a company, their targeted approach to merging oncology with virology, and how to fundraise with a bridge mentality and not a pyramid mentality.  Quotes: “Community is such a core thing for us and making great beer is a huge thing as well. Without good beer, especially in San Diego with 160 different breweries, you're kind of gonna get drowned out. There is a lot of noise. So you've got to have great beer to separate yourself from the others.” - Noah Scoville [03:38] “For an individual who is trying to start a company: have a mentor. You have to have someone you can talk to that's seen it, done and that you can bounce ideas off of. Operating in a silo is not ideal.” - Dan Chevallard [34:01] Topics discussed: Burgeon Beer Brews:  Invita Mexican Lager, Carlsbad Crush, Treevana IPA, and Juice Press Dan's journey in BioScience Viracta's progress The intersection of Oncology and Virology     Accessing the public market Dan's fundraising advice  Resources: Connect with Viracta: https://www.viracta.com/ (Website) https://www.linkedin.com/company/viracta-therapeutics-inc./ (LinkedIn) Connect with Burgeon Brewing: https://burgeonbeer.com/ (Website) https://www.instagram.com/burgeonbeer/ (Instagram) https://www.facebook.com/burgeonbeer (Facebook) SUBSCRIBE: https://www.biotechandbreweries.com/ (Subscribe) to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode.

In this episode of The Biotech and Breweries Podcast, Chris Leguizamon, Education Program Manager at Pure Project, and one of 143 Advanced Cicerones in the world, talks about two standout beers at Pure Project: Tropical Mist and Force of Nature.  Todd Harris, Chief Executive Officer of Tyra, and Dan Benson, Chief Operating Officer of Tyra, share the story of Tyra's founding and growth as a company. They discuss the future of the life sciences ecosystem, San Diego's biotech community, and how to create value as your company grows. Quotes: “We were just talking to the farmers. What's in season right now? What's tasting fantastic? What can we incorporate into our beers? So that relationship between farmer and producer became crucial to our existence.”  - Chris Leguizamon [4:24] “We have the opportunity to develop and even commercialize products and do those for the long haul, to continue to innovate and build. We want nothing more than for us to continue to grow as a company, move into commercialization and to create value as we grow.” -Todd Harris [30:10] “The theme for us is grabbing a hold of the adaptability that you must have in this environment and really running with it and optimize our processes and our technologies around it.” - Dan Benson [33:02] Topics discussed: Pure Project Brews: Tropical Mist and Force of Nature Tom's journey in BioScience Tyra's growth The impact of COVID The hybrid model and adaptability  The future of San Diego's life sciences ecosystem   Resources: Connect with Tyra: https://tyra.bio/ (Website) https://www.linkedin.com/company/tyra-biosciences/ (LinkedIn) Connect with Pure Project: https://www.purebrewing.org/ (Website) https://www.instagram.com/purebrewing/ (Instagram) https://www.facebook.com/purebrewing (Facebook) SUBSCRIBE: https://www.biotechandbreweries.com/ (Subscribe) to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode.

Tom Hallam is the CEO of Palisade Bio and holds a PhD in Neuroscience from UC Davis and an MBA from USC (Marshall).

Jan D'Alvise is the President & CEO at Acasti pharmaceuticals and holds a BS in Biochemistry from Michigan Technological University and an MBA from University of Michigan.

Eric Venn-Watson holds an MBA from UCSD, was a Navy Flight Surgeon and is a current US Navy reservist. Steph Venn -Watson is a veterinary epidemiologist and public health scientist who has past experience working at the National Marine Mammal Foundation, DARPA, the CDC and WHO. For this episode I spent some time talking with Eric & Steph Venn-Watson and we had a fantastic conversation while we tried a few beers from Modern Times. Our conversation led us through where Eric & Steph got their starts and how their unique paths and Steph's time studying Navy dolphins let them to an exciting discovery and the launch of their companies Epitracker & Seraphina Therapeutics.

Andrew Rudd holds a PhD from UCSD and is the founder and CEO of Palm Therapeutics. We shared some beer from Alesmith and talked about his company Palm and their work with Lipids. We also dug into the process of applying for grants and how that has been a valuable alternative to venture capital and what the next milestones are as they continue to grow.

I recently had the chance to catch up with Scott McLaughlin and share some beers from Protector Brewing. Scott is a former counterintelligence officer of the United States Marine Corps, UCSD Rady MBA, and current Vice President of Business Development at Gene Go Cell. Our conversation covered a wide variety of topics including what the transition from the military to the life science world was like, how Gene Go Cell is trying to help breweries manage their yeast, their effort to develop a common sense COVID navigation strategy and more.

Kim Kamdar is a Senior Partner at Domain Associates and holds a PhD in biochemistry and genetics from Emory University. We tried a few beers from Belching Beaver and talked about the world of Venture Capital, including how Domain got it's start, what it's like to be a San Diego based VC and how fortunate timing carried them through COVID.

Ana Moreno holds a PhD in Bioengineering from UCSD and is the founder and CEO of Navega Therapeutics. Ana and I had a few hard kombuchas from June Shine while we discussed the source of her entreprenurial spirit, Navega's goal of giing people an alternative pain management solution, the mythical place known as JLabs and more.

Mark Van Oene, COO at Pacific Biosciences (PACB) joined me for a couple beers from Harland Brewing - the Sunken Isles Hazy IPA (6.8%) and the Lilikoi Sour (6.0%). While we enjoyed our beer we dug into how he got his start in genomics, why San Diego has become a genomics hotbed, how COVID has impacted the fundraising landscape and much more. For more on Harland Brewing you can visit HarlandBeer.com

For my first episode I hosted Killu Sanborn from Oxford Finance and we shared the Drink This Or the Bees Die (Golden Honey Ale, 6.5%) and Liquid Jam (Hazy IPA, 7.5%) from Duckfoot Brewing. We covered a range of topics including how Killu got her start lending to biotech companies, her take on the current funding environment, the silver linings to COVID and more. To try the beers from Duckfoot go here: www.duckfootbeer.com