From a Biophysics Chalkboard to a Business Boardroom

From a Biophysics Chalkboard to a Business Boardroom: Converting Biophysics and Biochemistry into a Business is focused on the theme of biochemistry/biophysics and how to translate basic biophysics science into applied research leading to innovations, but also to failures. A key factor of the book is how these processes occur at the individual and institutional level. The book describes basic biochemistry, how this translates into applied research, and then, moving on, how it can evolve into a viable business and the associated challenges.

Ivo C. Martins has a Ph.D. in Bioengineering - Biophysics (awarded in 2009) funded by BIF (2004-2006) & FCT (2006-2009), which led to a patented amyloid fibrils disassembly method. He then studied dengue virus, being awarded in 2010 a prestigious and competitive Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Life Sciences Research Frontiers prize, due to a new drug lead, pep14-23 (patented in 2012). In 2014 Ivo Martins started an "Investigador FCT” position, working on protein-ligand interactions at iMM, a line of research leading to 3 new international collaborations, 4 top publications (3 as senior author) and, later, the Hans Neurath Outstanding Promise Award in 2015 (and a Protein Society Honorary Membership). His research focus is aligned with DART Diagnostics, the company that he leads since 2017. From 2019 onwards, he continued his work at iMM, as assistant researcher via a CEEC research contract and also became an invited assistant professor of medical biochemistry at FMUL. In February 2020 Ivo Martins patented the above-mentioned DART technology and, since December 2020, he leads a 488kEUR consortium joining four institutions (two academic and two companies), to use this technology for early disease detection). He clearly reveals an ability to combine science and entrepreneurial activities, to produce new technologies, aiming to commercialize results obtained via his scientific endeavors. Dr. Martins' work led to 3 distinct patent families; 24 peer-reviewed publications (25 after the Ph.D.), 13 of which as corresponding and/or last author, namely 5 papers with Impact Factor (IF)>10, namely as first (IF: 10.4) and last (IF: 33.4). Citations: >1500 (SCOPUS), >2000 (Google Scholar).