What is your role at Primordial Genetics, and how long have you been on the team?
I am a Senior Scientist and I joined PG about six months ago.
What led you to join Primordial Genetics?
I got a good feeling about the PG people/culture, and it is an exciting time to work on DNA/RNA polymerases. San Diego is also a beautiful city with fantastic weather.
What impact do you see Primordial Genetics having on the world in one year? 5 years? 10 years?
We have a great potential to disrupt the mRNA/DNA manufacturing market. PG also has developed unique technologies for enzyme/sequence improvements that will soon impact the world and continue for many years.
What industries are you most excited about that will benefit from this technology?
mRNA therapeutics.
What does a day in the life of a Primordial Genetics researcher consist of?
My ordinary day starts at ~9:30 and ends at ~6 pm. Some days are full of stimulating discussions about PG projects, and others are more focused on being productive in the lab. We also meet outside on the grass lawn for lunch twice a week, which has been very nice.
What is your favorite aspect of your research?
I work on a collaborative research project with another company. I enjoy the complexity around that and the rewarding feeling when projects move forward.
When you aren’t in the lab, what do you like to do?
Hang with my dog, wife, and friends, go for a run/hike, cross-country skiing, watch ice hockey, travel, and drink beverages.
What makes you get up in the morning? What does your morning routine consist of?
I enjoy the people and the projects at PG, so when I wake up, I look forward to chatting with PG employees about their projects or life in general. I usually start the day by walking my dog, then some coffee in our beemer on the way to work.
What is one place in the world you would like to visit and why?
So many places. If I need to choose, it must be a base camp in the Himalayas (like the Mount Everest base camp).
What made you want to become a scientist?
I was interested in infectious diseases when I was growing up. During my undergraduate studies, I also became very fond of biology in general. That, together with my passion for solving problems and making discoveries, encouraged me to continue as a scientist.
To read Patrik’s full bio, visit https://primordialgenetics.com/about/#team
