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发帖数: 2471 | 1 Career Ladder: Xiaoxi Wei
A fascination with organ transplantation inspired this ‘biohacker’ to
cofound her own company
By Taylor C. Hood
Growing up in China with a petrochemical engineer and businessperson father
and a physician mother, Xiaoxi Wei was encouraged to pursue scientific
activities. “My father would often let me take things apart and analyze how
things worked, and my mother would stay by my bed telling me stories from
the children’s encyclopedia when I was sick. I was fascinated by science.”
1993
Chasing after a scientific theory
Wei became interested in cellular survival and transplant technology in
elementary school after her grandfather died due to cirrhosis. She learned
how fish are able to survive at below-freezing temperatures and that some
organisms, such as frogs, can be completely frozen and awakened later. “My
father encouraged me to be the ‘biohacker’ who can figure out how to
freeze biological tissue for someone in need of a transplant, and I wanted
to try it.”
2003
Speed bump on the way to college
When starting her undergraduate studies, Wei was initially discouraged by
her college entry exams. “I was really worried for the test and then
performed below my standards. The entrance exam for Chinese students is
considered to be the only life-changing event, but my parents encouraged me
because it is just the starting point of life’s journey.” Wei went on to
finish her bachelor’s degree in biotechnology at Ningbo University in 2007
with highest honors.
After working as a business translator for two years, Wei decided to come to
the U.S. to continue her education but switched from biotechnology to
medicinal chemistry at the University at Buffalo under professor Bing Gong,
an expert in supramolecular chemistry. She realized the field of cryobiology
was lacking a fundamental chemical understanding, which she views as the
reason no one has made a major breakthrough. “I learned that the chemical
concentrations needed to preserve organs long-term cause significant damage
to an organ’s cells and lead to failure. I needed to study chemistry to
figure out how to change that.”
Today
Starting her own venture
Within months of finishing her doctorate in 2014, Wei founded X-Therma,
which functions at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Molecular
Foundry, giving it access to cutting-edge expertise and instrumentation. “I
wanted to try on my own to make this big change happen where my designed
molecules can truly be used for helping patients.” Wei hopes to benefit
millions by revolutionizing cryopreservation. Her company has raised $3.6
million in angel and Small Business Innovation Research funding thus far. At
age 31, she considers that a success.
http://cen.acs.org/articles/95/i23/Career-Ladder-Xiaoxi-Wei.html | m**p
发帖数: 2471 | 2 看图
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how
【在 m**p 的大作中提到】
: Career Ladder: Xiaoxi Wei
: A fascination with organ transplantation inspired this ‘biohacker’ to
: cofound her own company
: By Taylor C. Hood
: Growing up in China with a petrochemical engineer and businessperson father
: and a physician mother, Xiaoxi Wei was encouraged to pursue scientific
: activities. “My father would often let me take things apart and analyze how
: things worked, and my mother would stay by my bed telling me stories from
: the children’s encyclopedia when I was sick. I was fascinated by science.”
: 1993
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