In this new blog series, we meet inspiring Isos to learn more about their work and the world of AI-first drug discovery they’re building. Our inaugural post is a conversation with Colin Murdoch, who joins us from Google DeepMind as Isomorphic Labs’ first President. In this role Colin will work to execute IsoLabs’ strategy and vision, guided by our CEO Demis Hassabis. He will also continue in his role of CBO at Google DeepMind.
Welcome back to Iso, Colin. You’re joining us from Google DeepMind, but actually you’ve always been part of the Iso family.
That’s right. Before Iso was Iso, it was an idea at DeepMind.
AlphaFold was this amazing breakthrough in the ability to predict the structure of proteins - the building blocks of life - and we were considering which grand challenges and sectors to apply this incredible new technology to. Advancements in biotech and pharmaceuticals were the most compelling answers to that question.
What came next, as it so often does, is a pitch deck. We brought the idea to the leaders at Alphabet and, unsurprisingly, they saw the same opportunity and promise we did. There was much more work to be done, of course, but in that moment, Isomorphic Labs was born.
And then you had to build it.
The guiding principle has always been, and will always be, about maximising the promise of digital biology at Isomorphic Labs.
In those early weeks and months, that meant hiring a world-class team, giving them the support they needed and then stepping back to allow them to develop and flourish.
Now, as the business is shifting into this new mode - with the development of the technology going so well and announcing two exciting new partnerships - it felt like the right time to step back into the business and help take it to the next level. Iso has some great proof points. We can see how our technology will make a difference. It’s time to unleash that potential for the world.
Tell us more about the new role at Iso, and what your leadership approach will be.
Practically speaking, as President, I’ll be responsible for running the business day to day. Demis and I have worked together for almost ten years. As CEO of Isomorphic Labs, he will continue to guide the strategy and vision. And it’ll be my job to elaborate and execute on that strategy with the leadership team, each of them a world-leading expert in their own field.
I know what I can bring is the ability to really unify and galvanise this incredible group of people toward our shared goal to reimagine drug discovery.
My leadership plan is to continue in the same spirit that we started with: bringing together the brightest minds from around the world - the very best machine learning and AI expertise and tremendous scientific expertise in chemistry and biology - to build this powerful unit that is already beginning to transform the way drug discovery happens.
We’re fully invested - in the scientific research and technological development, and in the effective translation and application of that technology to deliver therapeutics to pharma and the world that will hopefully improve the lives of millions of people.
It’s a true privilege to be part of this team and I’m excited to get to work.
And what have you found stepping back in? What’s the culture of the place you’re returning to?
What I’ve found - and what I deeply appreciate - is how everyone is resolutely focused on the mission. Like me, the people at Iso believe in the power of AI to improve how drugs are discovered. You can just feel it - this strong mission orientation that drives us all.
In both our offices - in London and Lausanne - we’re operating in a really exciting enabling ecosystem. They’re centres of gravity for exceptional talent, and benefit from the intersection of each country’s technology and biotech industries.
I’ve also found this fusion of backgrounds and experiences that come together to create a diverse, interdisciplinary team all working in the same rooms toward the same goal.
Of course, we’re not talking about a finished product. There’s so much work to be done, and it really will take an enduring effort to keep up this culture of collaboration. But that’s part of the reason I’m here. To help ensure that happens.
You mentioned the new partnerships (with two of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies). Why are they so exciting? What are they going to enable Iso to do?
The strategic collaborations with Eli Lilly and Novartis are Isomorphic Labs’ first opportunity to fully apply the technology that we’ve been building for the last two years.
These partnerships are going to allow people to really understand the power of AI as applied to drug discovery; to watch as we translate the technology into application, to turn ‘promise’ into ‘proof’.
We see pharmaceutical companies as incredibly important partners in this work. We know what we do together is going to dramatically improve the productivity of drug discovery. We’re going to be able to work on real programs and come up with real drugs that will help real people really soon.
And finally, what about the role and relationship with Alphabet and Google DeepMind?
Alphabet continues to be an amazing backer of our work at Iso. I’m talking about the financial resources, sure, but also the other incredible resources made available to us as part of the Alphabet family. For example, Iso gets huge benefits from our access to the Google Cloud platform.
Isomorphic Labs grew out of the groundbreaking work on AlphaFold at DeepMind. There will always be a very special relationship between our two companies, and we will continue to work together where it makes sense.
After all, we share so much - our optimism about the potential of this technology, the way we’re making sure we have a representative and diverse group of people working on this, and our deep commitment to ensuring it’s done in a thoughtful and responsible way. We are on this journey together. And what a journey it’s going to be.
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