How do scientific discoveries become companies that can make a difference for patients?
Sangeeta Bhatia joins David Berry on Averin Insights to discuss the science behind new approaches to cancer detection and the work of turning discoveries into companies. Their conversation moves from liquid biopsy and synthetic biomarkers to liver cell therapies, academic entrepreneurship and expanding opportunities for women founders.
Rethinking the signal
Early tumors can release very little DNA into the bloodstream, making detection difficult. Bhatia describes research into priming agents designed to temporarily increase the amount of circulating DNA available to measure. She also explains a different approach: engineering synthetic biomarkers that respond to activity in diseased tissue and produce a measurable signal. These research directions raise new possibilities for how, and where, diagnostic measurements might happen.
The promise of hepatocytes
The discussion then turns to Bhatia’s longstanding work on the liver and her experience co-founding Satellite Bio. Hepatocytes carry out many of the liver’s essential functions. Developing them into a therapeutic product requires more than a compelling biological idea: cell quality, preservation, delivery and the choice of an initial indication all matter. Bhatia reflects on the gap between what a platform might ultimately do and the practical path to clinical development.
Opening the door to more founders
Through the Faculty Founder Initiative, Bhatia and her collaborators help women faculty navigate the transition from academic research to company formation. She discusses the importance of mentors, access to networks, time to focus and support beyond the initial pitch. The aim extends beyond any one startup: building a community that can help future founders take their first steps.
The conversation closes with advice for students and emerging entrepreneurs entering an ecosystem shaped by rapid changes in biology, AI and company building.
Watch the full conversation on YouTube or listen on Spotify.
