Researcher blogs

David Kotol is a co-founder and R&D manager at ProteomEdge, a Stockholm-based company that develops new protein standard solutions for mass spectrometry. Still only a few years after completing his PhD, David is leading research and development at the company, merging his scientific know-how with his interest in business to find solutions for the mass spectrometry community.

A Lab with Entrepreneurial Thinking

David began considering a future career in industry during his studies in biotechnology in his homeland of Czechia. However, this direction only solidified after he moved to Sweden to start his PhD at KTH. During his doctoral studies, he took the opportunity to participate in courses at the Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship, where he felt inspired to view his research through an entrepreneurial lens. “I wanted to connect what I learned there with my research project – to not only see an interesting result, but to see an interesting product, something that others could actually use.” Bridging his interests in science and entrepreneurship promised possible wider adoption of his research results – a product can reach further than a publication. Additionally, he was excited about the biotech development opportunities in Sweden. “Sweden is like nowhere else in the world. Not only are there many private funds that want to invest in science, but even with private investment, everything you discover remains the lab’s intellectual property”.

Yet the largest inspiration to take the plunge into industry came directly from his lab. “My supervisor, Mathias Uhlén, is at the top of the leaderboard of successful scientists who manage to turn their ideas into companies.” With over 20 companies, Mathias and his team have repeatedly transformed their academic research into profitable products that benefit the scientific community. Most notably, the group launched the Human Protein Atlas, a widely recognized effort to map protein expression across all human tissues. This concentrated experience has created a lab environment where industry translation is both welcomed and aided. “It’s not only that Mathias has all this experience – now there is a whole team around him with the know-how on how to build a biotech company.”

The Project-to-Product Transformation

David’s PhD work eventually matured into a company idea. The groundwork for his project came directly from the technology that enabled the Human Protein Atlas development – a pipeline for the synthesis of specific protein fragments. Other lab members had then begun to produce heavy-isotope-labeled protein fragments with the vision of utilizing them as mass spectrometry standards. David’s projects further developed this method for clinical research applications, focusing on plasma protein measurements. Thus, his PhD experience directly prepared David with the range of skills he would need to become the future company’s R&D manager.

Shortly after his defense, the company was founded, with David as the first full-time employee. The CEO, most of the co-founders, and the board members had prior experience running fresh start-ups in the Uhlén lab, so together they formed a skilled team with a clear direction. “Because many of them have been through the experience of building a company before, they trust the process and create a pleasant atmosphere, despite how stressful things can get in a startup”. This also alleviates significant pressure on R&D – a critical pillar in developing the final product. “You have their trust and their support, and that really motivates you to give your best”.

Research, Development, and Many More Hats

Given the company’s small size, David has a broader set of responsibilities than a typical R&D role would call for. His primary role is taking potential applications from an idea to a standardized product. “Many of our products come from direct customer collaboration. They describe what type of product they would like to use, and we assess how we could develop it.” David’s task is to design the product, for example, by researching the best proteins to include in the given context. He then hands the design over to production. “Once the production is done, I take over again, analyze the product, develop the mass spectrometry analyses fitting for the product, and refine the design.” After several refinement iterations, an entire batch of the standardized product is produced and is then ready for sale.

David is also in close contact with sales and marketing. “We are essentially creating a new market, because our product is distinct from the peptide standards already on the market.” This novelty means that the best way to reach new customers is through conferences and presentations, as well as through the team members’ scientific networks. Because of David’s close familiarity with the science behind the product, he is often the one to present and answer questions. Although this may not be a standard component of R&D positions in larger companies, David enjoys these opportunities to build customer contacts and to understand the behind-the-scenes of marketing.

Looking Ahead

This breadth of responsibilities can be overwhelming, which has also taught David how to best manage his time. “We have frequent meetings with the team and the CEO to define priorities together, which has really helped a lot”. However, in the future, David sees himself taking on a tighter set of responsibilities. “It has been an amazing learning experience, but it makes sense to delegate some aspects of my current position as the company grows.” He would particularly like to spend more time on product design, as well as on building and maintaining customer contacts and learning about effective marketing.

David’s post-PhD path has allowed him to keep in close contact with the aspects of research he finds most rewarding. Simultaneously, he can directly apply the broad skill set he gained during his PhD and further develop his interest in business. These factors combine to create a fulfilling work role with exciting future career opportunities.