Cellco has developed high-quality DNA polymerases, which are essential enzymes used in applications such as medical diagnostics. Until 2016, Brazil relied on importing these critical inputs, resulting in high costs and long delivery times—a scenario that created opportunities for new ventures.

With support from the Innovative Research in Small Businesses (PIPE) program coordinated by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), the company began producing enzymes with performance comparable to imported products, offering competitive advantages to the domestic market.

Since 2018, Cellco has supplied the Brazilian market and exported internationally through a partnership with the German company Jena Bioscience, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of reagents for scientific research laboratories.

According to Bernardes, the global market for DNA polymerases generates approximately R$1.5 billion annually, while the modified enzymes segment has already reached US$16 billion.

In an interview with Science Arena, the scientist-entrepreneur reflects on her transition from academia to the business world.

Science Arena – Was working in a company always your goal?

Amanda Bernardes – No, quite the opposite. During my postdoctoral fellowship at USP’s Institute of Physics in São Carlos, I was certain that I wanted to pursue an academic career at a university. But life is full of surprises.

A colleague from my doctoral years had just founded a biotechnology company and invited me to develop an innovation project supported by FAPESP. That was the beginning of Cellco.

So entrepreneurship was not part of your original plans?

Not even being a researcher, actually. I began my undergraduate studies in physics with the goal of becoming a high school teacher, which is why I pursued a degree in the exact sciences. However, by the end of my first year of college, I decided to dedicate myself to a scientific initiation internship.

Through that project, I became involved in research and development (R&D) focused on molecular biology techniques and protein biophysics. Those nearly four years sparked my fascination with research, led me into academic life, and ultimately motivated me to pursue a direct PhD in biomolecular physics.

How did your academic path develop from there?

My doctoral research involved applying a range of modern techniques and methods in molecular, cellular, and structural biology, with a particular emphasis on proteins.

The drive for continuous scientific and professional development, combined with excellent infrastructure, a collaborative work environment, and challenging, stimulating projects, ultimately led me to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship.

During this period, I worked on the production and characterization of protein targets with biotechnological applications, including those related to second-generation ethanol, produced from sugarcane bagasse, straw, and other agricultural residues.

Did you find a supportive environment for innovation and entrepreneurship at the university?

In academia, I was fortunate to be part of an outstanding research group, both in terms of infrastructure and professional and financial support. I consistently received research grants and participated in large-scale projects funded by Brazil’s leading research agencies.

Being surrounded by highly dedicated and skilled professionals, and supported by strong institutional funding, created a positive environment for innovation and entrepreneurship. It was here that Cellco was founded, anchored by former students who emerged from this research environment.

It is also worth noting that I recently completed a specialization in hospital management. This decision was motivated by the company’s growing focus on diagnostic testing and healthcare-oriented solutions.

I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of how hospital systems operate, their clinical routines, regulatory requirements, and management challenges, so that the development of biotechnological products can be increasingly aligned with the real needs of this ecosystem.

What were the biggest differences you noticed between academia and entrepreneurship?

From the outset, I observed differences in approach. In academia, my work centered on advancing basic scientific knowledge within a specific field, with outcomes typically measured through publications.

In the corporate environment, objectives are driven by practical demands, focusing on developing processes and products that deliver value to clients and, consequently, to the company.

How does one experience inform the other?

Despite these differing goals, the knowledge I gained in academia has been invaluable in ensuring rigorous scientific standards in product development, even while pursuing results that are faster and more immediately applicable to the company.

Because of its innovative nature, the company retains much of academia’s research-driven mindset, even within a more competitive business environment. For that reason, my transition from academia to industry was smooth and deeply rewarding.

Do you miss the days of basic research?

The company maintains a strong commitment to researching and developing new products, which keeps my scientific curiosity alive, much as it was during my academic career. Of course, differences in priorities bring distinct motivations and skills.

For example?

One of the main differences is working on product development without the support of extensive scientific literature. These are often proprietary products, with confidential processes designed to ensure a company’s competitive advantage.

Even so, the scientific rigor and knowledge I acquired in academia, along with the creativity and resilience it fosters, have enabled me to navigate the absence of established references and develop new processes and products.

Conversely, companies can help academia adopt more practical and adaptable approaches, contributing more directly to solutions for societal challenges.

Both perspectives are essential. When they collaborate, they can significantly advance scientific and technological progress.

Any advice for those considering a transition from academia to the corporate world?

This transition can be challenging, as the underlying interests and objectives are often quite different. However, it is also an excellent opportunity to develop new skills.

These experiences help reveal potential gaps between academic training and market demands, while also providing insight into how the business environment operates and whether that path truly aligns with your goals.

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The group used a graphene foam to stimulate regeneration of the nerve tissue, as described in an article published in the journal Bioactive Materials.

“The results are evident after ten days, and even more promising after four months,” reports biologist Maria Concepción Serrano, one of the study’s authors, in an interview for the ICMM website.

She says that the treatment stimulated the growth of larger and more abundant blood vessels within the foam, crucial for nourishing the tissue and repairing the spinal cord nerves.

Promising advance for paralysis treatment

In addition to vascularization, the team observed the growth of neurites—extensions that connect neurons together—which are longer, more numerous, and well distributed within the foam.

In electroencephalogram (EEG) tests, the researchers stimulated the spinal cord region below the injury and detected a neural response in areas of the brainstem linked to motor function, indicating a successful reconnection between the spinal cord and the brain.

It is estimated that 6,000 to 8,000 such injuries occur in Brazil annually, according to an article published in 2019 in the journal ESTIMA – Brazilian Journal of Enterostomal Therapy.

Evolving technology

The team in Madrid had already tested the treatment on rats with partial spinal injuries, and wanted to confirm whether the foam, which promotes neuron regeneration even without any biological component, stimulates the cicatrization of total injuries.

This process eliminates the excess oxygen and reinforces the structure, increasing the mechanical stability and capacity for conducting electrical impulses.

The treatment did not fully cure the animals; they remained weak in the back legs, but managed to keep their spines straight (without the scoliosis—spine curvature—observed prior to treatment), and demonstrated greater trunk stability and column mobility.

In upcoming studies, the team intends to develop nanomedicines to further stimulate recovery of the spinal cord.

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After his epiphany, Chiavegatto Filho made the decision to redirect all the research he was carrying out at the time. “I showed the findings to my master’s and PhD students and gave them some texts on artificial intelligence to read. About a month later we met again. They were impressed and told me, ‘Professor, this really changes everything.’ And so we all went headlong into this new area,” he recalls.

Now director of the Laboratory for Big Data and Predictive Analysis in Health, established at USP’s School of Public Health in 2017, Chiavegatto Filho is part of a growing group of professionals who have seen the promise in digital health and shifted their careers into the new field, which has the potential to greatly transform medical practice.

“Artificial intelligence (AI) is going to be the biggest revolution in the history of medicine. All health system processes, from management to clinical practice, will be profoundly transformed by the use of AI algorithms,” Chiavegatto Filho says.

According to the professor, despite the great strides that have already been made, the movement is only just getting started. When it comes to clinical care itself, especially patient diagnosis and prognosis, AI is still an experimental field.

The situation is completely different in hospital management, where AI is almost routinely used to improve bed management efficiency in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and operating rooms, to optimize patient queues, and in other internal hospital processes.

“Artificial intelligence is fundamental to Einstein’s operations. Without it, many of the things we do today would be impossible,” says Edson Amaro Jr., a neuroradiologist and head of Data Science and Big Data Analytics at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein. Founded in 2016, the data science department now has 153 members and roughly 80 ongoing projects being carried out in partnership with federal, state, and municipal governments, in addition to other institutions.

Big data and AI are two sides of the same coin. “On the one hand, big data would not exist without AI, while on the other, AI requires a large, organized volume of data, which is provided by big data,” says Amaro Jr.

The center set up at Einstein aims to systematize information from a diverse range of sources for specific health purposes. “It’s a way of organizing medical knowledge and making it accessible to AI algorithms in a practical way. There’s no point having a lot of data if you can’t analyze it,” says the neuroradiologist.

Skills and requirements

Conducting research in fields at the interface between healthcare and technology, such as AI and big data, requires a number of specific skills. “I often say that to work with data science you need to know three things: programming, statistics, and specific knowledge of the area in which you want to apply the technology. Anyone trained in health and medicine already has the third element covered,” says Chiavegatto Filho.

The good news for those who want to learn about the other two is that the information is available online. There are many courses on statistics and programming available on the internet, some paid and others free, such as a series of classes on AI in health produced by Chiavegatto Filho during the pandemic and available on YouTube.

Another option highlighted by Amaro Jr. is to study a graduate course in information technology applied to medicine, since to date there are no medical residencies on the subject in Brazil. One of the requirements, therefore, is that professionals looking to work and do research in this new field need to go beyond their original training.

The two researchers exemplify this fact. Chiavegatto Filho studied economics before moving into data science applied to health. “I’ve always really enjoyed quantifying and ranking things,” he says. “I started with economics, which in a way seeks to quantify the social and economic functioning of the world. Gradually, however, it became clear to me that the area with the greatest potential for using data to transform decisions was healthcare, since it not only collects the most data, but also deals with highly complex issues.”

Before becoming a physician, Amaro Jr. thought about studying computer science. “I passed the entrance exam for both computer science and medicine, but because the college where I had applied for the former was on strike, I decided to study medicine at USP. And I enjoyed it.” After graduating, Amaro Jr. started working with images of the human brain, a field in which he completed his master’s and PhD. “I’ve always taken the middle road, with medicine and biology as my areas of application, and computing, mathematics, and statistics as the methods.”

Another important requirement for working on a topic that combines knowledge from different fields is the ability to work as part of a team, stresses Osvaldo Novais de Oliveira Júnior, director of USP’s Physics Institute in São Carlos.

“It isn’t possible to learn everything, so professionals need to know how to coordinate with technology and AI experts in an interdisciplinary environment,” says Oliveira Júnior, who collaborates on research involving health and AI.

In-depth knowledge of all of these different topics is not always necessary. Oliveira Júnior uses himself as an example. “I’m not a programmer. I know very little about computing. But I understand how these things work, I know what the limitations and possibilities are, so I’m able to talk to the experts.”

Human-centered training

With the advances in AI and its increasing incorporation into clinical practice, together with other technologies, the decisions made by different physicians are becoming more and more similar. The USP physics professor points out that given this situation, it is becoming increasingly important to train health professionals in a human-centered approach.

“In time, AI systems will inevitably be able to make more accurate diagnoses than doctors,” says Oliveira Júnior. “The professionals who stand out in medicine will thus be those who have the ability to treat the patient sensitively as a human, with more personal interactions, understanding the psychology of the patient and their family members and offering them guidance.”

“It is actually very ironic,” says Chiavegatto Filho. “People seem to believe that the robots are coming, that medicine is going to become automated, but the opposite is going to happen. What we’re going to see is the humanization of medicine.”

The possibilities for research and professional activity at the cutting edge of medicine are not limited to universities and large hospitals. Startups focused on innovation in healthcare have been emerging nationwide. One of the most successful examples is Imunotera, founded in São Paulo in 2016. The company has developed a therapeutic vaccine platform capable of combating several types of cancer. Its first product was designed to help treat patients with pre-cancerous lesions and cancer related to the human papilloma virus (HPV).

Thus, the technology is not only able to treat a disease but also to prevent its recurrence, which is a major advantage in cancer treatment.

Raposo had the idea for the company when she was studying her PhD at USP’s Institute of Biomedical Sciences. “We discovered a new way of teaching the immune system, which in principle generates better results than those achieved by other researchers around the world.” She developed a taste for applied research that combined perfectly with her entrepreneurial spirit.

The vaccine developed by Imunotera showed highly promising results in animal trials. “We achieved 100% regression in mice, and with advanced-stage tumors we were able to associate our therapeutic vaccine with chemotherapy, increasing the effectiveness of the treatment.” The next step was proof of concept in humans, which was achieved in 2021. Now, the startup is looking for investment so that it can begin clinical trials, the final phase of a research process that has spanned more than a decade.

The company’s employees are from a diverse range of backgrounds. “In the early stages of product development, we have biotechnologists, bioinformatics experts, and immunologists. The employees involved in the final stages of production are primarily epidemiologists, who have to determine the relevance of each disease, as well as people with strong market knowledge who can identify where each disease is occurring and who the target audience is,” says the Imunotera CEO.

Raposo, who started in the former group, is now more engaged in the latter. In 2020, she completed an MBA in Health Innovation Management. “I joke that I had to take off my lab coat and put on a suit.” According to the researcher, entrepreneurs in science need to be capable of moving between these two worlds.

“If a potential entrepreneur is carrying out a research project, it is fundamental that they understand the market well and know the potential customers of their product,” she says. She therefore recommends that researchers in this situation try to participate in entrepreneurship courses and similar subjects available wherever they study. If a startup has already been created, Raposo suggests making use of accelerator and incubator programs.

Imunotera is currently part of the eretz.bio incubator, an Einstein initiative for biotechnology startups.

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