#36 - Scaling Lab Innovation: Turning Automation into Business Success

🎙️ Guest: Constantin Radu, Commercial Leader at Molecular Devices (Danaher)

🎧 Hosts: Mike Ouren, Sura Hadi & Elizabeth Rodziewicz

📺 Series: Science Means Business

Automation is only as successful as the problems it solves.

In this episode of Helical Brew, Constantine Radu joins us to explore how true lab innovation scales - across markets, cultures, and customer needs. From a five-meter robot track at Sloan-Kettering to AI-driven decision platforms at Molecular Devices, this one covers the journey from the bench to the boardroom.

You’ll hear about midnight lab saves, rooftop LRIG parties, and the untold risks of overbuilding “cool” tech that nobody can use.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:

• Why mobile robots are “ready” but labs aren’t - and who’s holding it back
• How CellXpress.ai was designed for biologists, not engineers
• Why commercial success means saying no to overengineering
• The global scaling lessons from Korea, Japan, and Europe
• How AI is supporting, not replacing, scientists in the lab
• What it really takes to lead across science and business

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⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Cold Open

06:36 – Meet Constantin Radu (Molecular Devices)

10:21 – Lab Automation: Real-World Gaps

14:18 – Turning Ideas Into Products

21:31 – Science vs Business: Finding Balance

25:16 – Training the Non-Automation Scientist

31:02 – Tech That Sounds Great… Until Reality

36:09 – Global Support & Regional Challenges

43:29 – Collaboration Across Danaher

47:24 – AI’s Role in Lab Automation

53:16 – Leadership Lessons & Soft Skills

1:00:05 – Picks of the Week & Lab Stories

🎯 Picks of the Week:

🔬 Constantin’s Pick

SLAS Discovery & Technology Journals

“I stay sharp by reading the latest screening and lab automation research—just scanning abstracts gives me a sense of where the industry is heading.”

☕ Mike’s Pick

Hario Japanese Pour-Over Set

“Elegant glass, zero plastic, easy to clean. A minimalist’s dream for the perfect brew.

”Voice of SLAS Badge – Hamburg 2025

“Proof that podcasting and automation go hand-in-hand. A shoutout to everyone who showed love in Germany!”

🔗 Guest Links

🔬 Molecular Devices → https://www.moleculardevices.com/

💼 Constantin Radu on LinkedIn →   / consradu  

📌 SHORTS (Catch up on viral clips from this episode!)

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