Nuclera announces key leadership appointments to drive protein expression innovation
In a move that signals a shift towards commercial growth and technological advancement, Cambridge-based biotechnology company Nuclera has announced significant changes to its leadership structure. The firm, known for its eProtein Discovery system – a benchtop platform designed to accelerate protein expression and purification workflows – has promoted three key executives to senior roles.
Dr Gordon McInroy, a co-founder of Nuclera and former Chief Technical Officer, has been appointed as the company’s first Chief Operating Officer. This promotion comes at a crucial time for Nuclera, following the commercial launch of the eProtein Discovery system earlier this year. McInroy’s background includes postdoctoral research and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Cambridge, where he also earned a Masters in Natural Science.
In his new role, McInroy will focus on streamlining business operations and fostering a culture of quality and delivery. He commented on his appointment, sayingL “Now, as we transition into our commercial growth phase, I am excited to continue to support Michael and the executive leadership team with business operations by streamlining processes and continuing to build our culture of quality and delivery.”
Product development and innovation
Dr Tobias Ost, previously Vice President of Research and Development, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Product Development. With over two decades of experience in life science tools development, Ost has held senior positions at companies such as Solexa, Cambridge Epigenetix, and DNAe. He also has experience in field applications roles at Illumina and Pacific Biosciences.
Ost’s new position will involve providing strategic direction for product success and driving innovation for the eProtein Discovery system. He said: “I am looking forward to this new role where I will be able to improve work processes and provide strategic direction to support product success. I am especially keen to support new innovation for eProtein Discovery, to ensure we continue to deliver products which solve customers’ problems by enabling them to produce the proteins they need.”
Focus on talent management and organisational growth Charu Maini has been promoted from Vice President of People to Senior Vice President of People. Maini has played a crucial role in Nuclera’s recent growth, overseeing a doubling of the company’s headcount and implementing various HR programmes. Her experience includes leading global HR activities at major corporations such as Microsoft, American Express, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
In her expanded role, Maini will continue to shape Nuclera’s culture and support its growth. She expressed her enthusiasm, saying: “It’s been exciting to be part of Nuclera’s journey over the past few years. I continue to look forward to the tremendous opportunity to shape the culture, support growth, and create a positive impact across the organization.”
Addressing the protein accessibility challenge
The eProtein Discovery system, which forms the cornerstone of Nuclera’s commercial offerings, aims to address a significant bottleneck in protein research. By enabling researchers to produce proteins more efficiently within their own laboratories, the system has the potential to accelerate various areas of biomedical research and drug discovery.
Dr Michael Chen, CEO and co-founder of Nuclera, emphasised the strategic importance of these appointments: “These three appointments underline our focus on the efficient execution of the Company’s long-term goals. Appointing Gordon as our first Chief Operating Officer is an essential step in Nuclera’s commercial journey and will be key to meeting our goal of enhancing protein access.”
