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I went to SLAS this spring to talk to old friends, meet some new ones and learn whatever I could. I met Maggie Vantangoli, the Director of Marketing at Araceli Biosciences in their booth where we chatted about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for high content analysis (HCA) in drug discovery and development.

She was kind enough to join me on this podcast and fill in the (large) holes in my knowledge of cell biology. HCA is basically automated microscopy and analysis of fluorescently-stained (or otherwise) cells to identify changes caused by various compounds. This rich phenotypic information can provide valuable insights into how a drug or compound might work or whether it could be toxic.

You can listen to the podcast to learn about how HCA is used to group compounds based on the morphological changes in cells exposed to them.

A few things stood out for me. In terms of AI, the most interesting application was that of unsupervised learning, where the AI can learn to detect patterns that a human might not look for or even see if they were looking. One can imagine that a lot of information about biology could be uncovered aside from evaluating potential therapies.

When I asked about where HCA might go in the future, Maggie talked about doing tests on organoids as a replacement for animal models. This is a topic that has come up in a few of my conversations lately on and off this podcast.

I also asked Maggie what she thought about the possibilities for combining HCA with DoE (Design of Experiments) that I featured a few episodes back. Thankfully, she listened to that episode. (You should too.)

I definitely think there are amazing applications here and you know, I think it's a massive amount of untapped potential, particularly in that high content space.

I know that different aspects of drug discovery are getting there, particularly like the structure-activity type relationships. But I think this is a completely untapped market for the DoE type of type of work and there's huge amounts of applications because high content's also, you know, per assay, like most assays in drug discovery, there's cost associated there and that's not... When you're scaling up, that is not in insignificant amounts of money. So running millions or even tens of thousands of compounds a day with staining and all the liquid handling and tips and all of that is, is quite expensive. The amount put into that one little plate is extremely expensive.

So you can kind of do your work ahead of time and, and utilize the Design of Experiments to stack the deck in your favor.

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I get a special joy out of when two episodes connect in that way. I’m going to see if we can get Maggie to come back with Markus to discuss the possibilities.

I’d love to hear what you think of this episode or the podcast overall. Feel free to drop a comment.

Also, if you want to talk about custom content for your life science brand, let’s chat.

All of us in the life sciences are in the business of making the world healthier. The instruments and reagents we sell and the technologies and therapies that result save lives.

A scientist (after a lot of research) will look at a disease or problem and say, “I think I can find a way to fix that.”

Can we, as an industry, look at trade shows like a scientist would, and ask, “How can we do this better and stick to our mission of making the world at least less sick if not healthier?”

If you’ve been with me for a while, you know I have a love-hate relationship with trade shows. When I was a MarCom director, events were by far the biggest part of my budget. I imagined all the other awesome campaigns I could execute with that money. And then there is the waste. The stuff that ends up in the hotel trash before you get back on the plane and the shipping of huge amounts of equipment all over the world.

On the other hand, if a lot of customers are going to be in one place at the same time... it makes sense to take your offering to them. And human connection is important.

I know it’s important because this episode came out of my trip to ADLM, the event formerly known as AACC.

Stuart Warrington is the CEO of Envoke. They create virtual demos to make your instruments accessible at more events and present a consistent story across the customer journey. More on that below.

Stuart is a filmmaker. He has been created videos for the likes of Thermo and Bio-Rad. Videos used to have a longer useful lifespan. Then his customers wanted new content at a faster pace that was more engaging. Stuart suggested video games.

“No. That’s not it.”

“How about a virtual demo?

“Yes!”

It turns out those are basically the same thing just packaged differently. (They are both virtual experiences that tell a story with the user as the hero.) Stories are the key here. (The crowd cheers.)

People need to tell their own story, right? And sales and training and all that is about that. It's like, how can I communicate the message of what this thing does in the most accurate possible way? And you need to give people freedom to craft that story. And that's why we do things the way we do them.

We make this story block library and it's loads of little clips. And in each clip tells its own individual message. And then your user, your sales rep, your engineer, your trainer can take from that library and craft this story. It might be about a really specific bit of qPCR on the qPCR devices in the platform. And you know your customer only really cares about that. So we give you the opportunity to just pull those bits in and tell a story that is about your product with your product rather than PowerPoint presentations and brochures and videos and things like that. It just takes that to a slightly higher level and it also then starts saving you loads of money on shipping. Right?

The result is that consistent experience for the user from the web to sales to training to maintenance and service. We talked about training people the same way pilots train. On a simulation. They can make mistakes without breaking an expensive piece of kit.

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In addition to the contribution to sustainability without shipping products, the ability to customize a story improves the sales process.

So one of our customers built a storyline for the event from the story block library. So they built something that was like, this is what we want to talk about. This is the story we're telling here. But then what it also did was they put on a QR code, so that you scan the QR code as your customer, and what you do is, you walk away with a different storyline that's specific for you, that's just about the thing that you were talking to him about.

It's all come from the same place, we've just pitched it slightly differently. So it's all come from that story block library, we've just created specific storylines for different environments. And one of those environments is, “I need something a little bit better to take away and show to my boss.” And they take, they scan the QR code, they get their demo, and it's just for them, it's tailored for them, and they walk away and they show their boss, and it's a path to sales, right?

This sounds better than walking away with a PDF or printed literature that the boss has no interest in reading.

What is the path to this magical virtual future? For now, Stuart thinks companies will continue to send at least some products to events. The change comes from the bottom up where they no longer send instruments to smaller shows or remote lo...

Dr. Antonio Tito is the Founder and CEO of rEthix in Houston, Texas. rEthix is the world’s first Liaison Research Organization (LRO) facilitating clinical trials in Mexico and Latin America.

A search of clinicaltrials.gov shows that several large pharma companies are currently running trials in Mexico. rEthix is leveraging the ICH (International Council for Harmonisation) guidelines to run these trials in Mexico and use that data to support IND-enabling studies in the US. The ICH sets the guidelines that the FDA and equivalent agencies in other countries follow. COFEPRIS, the Mexico Ministry of Health, assesses the laboratories. rEthix also prepares those laboratories to pass that assessment.

One advantage is cost. According to Dr. Tito, the cost of a trial in Mexico may be 15-25% of the cost for a similar trial in the US.

Another advantage is meeting your goals for testing diverse populations.

While it’s common to run trials in Mexico, it is not common to start them there.

...that is reflected only that only 3. 5 percent of new drugs are generated out of Mexico. And most of that has to do with communication. It's important that we have these type of channels, like the one that you are promoting, Chris, to teach people that it's okay to start your clinical trial in Mexico. You can approach the FDA about it. Be very transparent with the FDA always. But don't let the communication gap, not only the language, but also the culture... the paperwork is very extensive in Mexico.

Don't let that stop you from generating data that you can later use for submitting to your investors and, obtaining more funding.

Antonio also mentioned the opportunity to expand into Latin America with, for example, devices already approved in the US.

For a 510K device that you already have obtained approval for in the U. S., You can easily transfer that into Mexico very simply because you have all the data that you've used, you’ve generated it to demonstrate that it works and is similar to other predicate devices out there in the market.

And you've generated that information for your filing for the FDA. All that information can be then translated by our team and we can pass it on to COFEPRIS and the process is similar to the U. S. as well. But it's... You get the advantage of tapping into sometimes virgin markets where there is absolutely no other alternative to that device or to that diagnostic in Mexico or Latin America.

So you have a winning hand in leveraging tactics to negotiate with, like commercializing agencies in those countries. Whereas in the U. S., you have more competition. It takes longer to get your market traction. So it's a win-win situation.

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rEthix is developing an app...

Let's say you have a new discovery in your research institute, and you've received approval from your tech transfer office to take your technology out into the commercial markets and you have partnered with us to help you get your innovation out. We are, as part of the app, what it's going to be, it looks at all the data that you have, implements AI, And determines what is the best pathway in terms of the study design, the type of protocol that needs to be developed for better for commercialization for your device or your drug or your diagnostics.

Until the app is ready, they are building an incubator in Houston at the medical center to connect life science companies to share ideas and facilitate access to data that will generate traction for IRB studies in Houston.

Your deepest insights are your best branding. I’d love to help you share them. Chat with me about custom content for your life science brand.

Just as scientists are curious about the “how” of the world, Lee Jay Lowenstein was curious about the “why”. That led to his becoming an ordained Orthodox rabbi. He was also a high school teacher and principal before spending some time in a non-profit as a fundraiser. At that point, he must have had some sales skills, but wanted something more.

With no real background in life science other than studying as a pre-med for a short while, he joined a partner and decided to sell laboratory supplies.

I was curious about how that happened. Why life science? And how do you sell supplies to people when you have little idea of what they are doing?

To answer the why part, what stands out to me from our conversation is the respect and admiration he has for the scientists doing research, hoping to benefit humanity. As to how he does it, relationships and curiosity. He never stopped asking questions about how and why a researcher does their work the way they do and how he could help make it easier for them.

I’m more of a marketer than a salesperson (I find sales difficult) but that seems like a pretty good lesson either way. Ask questions. Make the customer’s life easier.

I had been working for another company and just feeling I can do better. I can do better than this. These people deserve better. They deserve to be treated like royalty, and the opportunity presented itself to join hands with a partner and jump in with both feet, and I did.

As I reflect on what it takes to be successful, it seems that there is an advantage to being somewhat ignorant, yet bold. (I have no doubt that discipline and hustle are important as well.) Some call it the curse of knowledge. When we think we know what someone needs (even if we’re right) we miss the opportunity to discover what else they might need that we could help them with.

Lee is never afraid to ask a question and ask again if he needs to. In my experience, when you ask a scientist a question about how or why they do something a particular way, they can’t not answer. Their purpose in life (and how they are paid) is to share what they’ve learned.

...people in the lab are extremely generous with their time and understanding. I learned so much about the business, just sitting and talking to people. Tell me what you do. You know, tell me, why do you do it this way? Why don't you do it that way? And people were more than happy.

I don't think their PIs were happy that they were wasting their time talking to me, but they, you know, they're very generous and they want to wanna share their science.

Today there's fewer and fewer things that people can say that I don't know something about. But honesty and being willing to say, “I don't know”... I've never had a lab manager say, “Well, you're an idiot. Get outta my lab.”

I’ve said it before. Curiosity is a superpower. Combine that with helpfulness and see where it takes you.

Lee Jay on LinkedIn

Stellar Scientific

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With the life science tools industry facing a 7% drop in revenues, innovation and fresh approaches are needed to hold on to your slice of the pie. I spoke with Marina Hop, Managing Director, and Gary Brooks, Creative Director at Viveo Consulting, to explore creativity in life science marketing. Our discussion focused on how creativity can be a powerful tool to not only optimize business operations but also generate new ideas to address these challenges.

In a downturn, companies often retreat into operational efficiency, cutting costs and tightening the reins. However, real growth and differentiation come from creativity—an approach that not only applies to marketing but spans across the entire business strategy, product development, and even internal team dynamics.

Creativity as a Key to Performance

Marina pointed out that while companies are focused on optimizing their operations, there's a limit to how much optimization can drive growth. “The optimization side addresses the bottom line,” she said, “but creativity really addresses the top line.”

I've seen the same pattern—companies cutting budgets and focusing on short-term savings. I once asked my VP of marketing why, instead of cutting back, we didn’t go full throttle to take market share when our competitors were pulling back. My guests agreed on the need to push forward with disciplined creativity, even when times are tough. As Marina pointed out, Bruker—a company that has excelled in this downturn—successfully combines operational excellence with what they call "disciplined entrepreneurialism."

Balancing Operations and Innovation

Gary elaborated on how companies often live in two worlds: the operational world of structure, metrics, and routines, and the innovation world, driven by curiosity and experimentation. He emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance between these two worlds, especially during challenging times. “When companies struggle, they revert back to the operational side because it’s manageable,” he said, but added that without creativity and innovation, growth stalls.

He pointed out, creativity is not just about artistic expression—it's about connecting insights to create something valuable, whether it’s a new marketing channel, product innovation, or strategy.

Creative Thinking in Marketing and Beyond

Around here of course, we’re focused on marketing creativity, and we discussed how companies could be creative not just in their messaging, but in the types of marketing they do. I suggested that creativity in marketing isn’t just about making clever ads, but about exploring new ways to engage with customers—new channels, content types, or interactions. Marina agreed, saying that creativity should permeate any generative business activity, from formulating a strategy to developing a new product.

One key takeaway from this part of the conversation was that creativity shouldn’t be confined to one department. As Gary put it, “It’s not just marketing, it’s communication.” Every interaction a company has, whether with investors, customers, or even internally, is a chance to think creatively about how you present your brand.

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The Power of Observation

Marina introduced a concept that I found particularly interesting—phenomenology, the practice of observing and describing human experiences without immediately analyzing them. This practice helps stimulate creativity by encouraging people to step back, observe, and understand what’s really happening before jumping to conclusions. Viveo might send teams to observe a simple activity, like how people interact in the cafeteria, and then come back and write a narrative about it.

Gary emphasized the importance of observation in creative thinking, noting that many people don't take the time to observe what’s happening around them. “People don’t really observe people doing stuff,” he said. By focusing on observation, companies can gather insights that lead to more informed, creative solutions.

One powerful example Marina shared was when Viveo worked with a client that had developed an automated sample prep system for next-generation sequencing (NGS). The company had expected this product to be a hit because it saved time and effort. But by observing how scientists actually worked in the lab, they realized the product wasn’t solving the problem scientists cared most about—reproducibility. Scientists didn’t mind spending extra time on manual prep because they wanted to ensure the highest quality samples for the expensive s...