Generative AI is reshaping the landscape of biotech R&D, and in this episode of Beyond Biotech, host speaks with Elise de Reus, co-founder of Dutch-Swiss startup Cradle. They explore how Cradle's AI-powered software platform is speeding up protein engineering, reducing the number of lab experiments needed, and helping scientists create more effective therapeutics and sustainable materials.

Key Points:

Cradle’s generative AI platform helps scientists engineer proteins faster and with fewer lab experiments. From drug discovery to sustainable materials, it’s changing how biotech innovations come to life.

• Cradle’s “Photoshop for Proteins”: Cradle has developed a user-friendly software platform that enables scientists to design and optimize proteins using generative AI—no coding skills required. Like ChatGPT for text, Cradle's model edits protein sequences to improve properties like stability and binding strength.
• Accelerating Drug Discovery: By integrating AI with wet-lab experiments, Cradle helps partners like Novo Nordisk and Johnson & Johnson cut down protein engineering timelines, with some projects progressing twice as fast as traditional methods.
• Proven Performance in Biomedicine: Cradle outperformed 130+ teams in an antibody design competition, showing its AI can generate novel proteins with superior binding—even without prior data on specific molecules, a technique known as “zero-shot learning.”
• Wider Applications Beyond Pharma: Cradle’s platform is also being used in sustainable materials and food tech, from improving enzymes for dairy alternatives to engineering proteins used in low-impact bio-nylon production.
• Trust, Usability, and Responsible AI: The company ensures transparency and safety by giving users full control of their data and IP, while maintaining strict standards to prevent misuse. Cradle is actively engaging in shaping ethical frameworks for biotech AI.