By Alicia Gailliez, Business Development Manager, One Nucleus
On 10 September 2025, leaders from across the life sciences industry came together for a One Nucleus BioWednesday Breakfast Session, generously hosted by Mission Street at The Press in Foxton alongside Bidwells.
The session explored what it takes for science and technology companies, particularly spin-outs and early-stage ventures, to grow and scale effectively in the UK.
The panel was moderated by Sue Foxley (Bidwells) and comprised:
Dr Nataly Hastings, CEO, Cellestial Health
Dr Michael Murray, CEO, MetalloBio & Principal,…
by Tony Jones, CEO, One Nucleus
Dark Times with Pharma:
There is no escaping that the life science sector news over the past weeks has been somewhat dominated by the concerns and actions raised by major Pharma when announcing the withdrawal or on-hold status of further investments in UK R&D, citing the commercial environment in the UK as the primary reason. A review of the various commentaries would appear to suggest the wider reasons driving such announcements include:
Yes, the commercial environment in the UK when it comes to adoption and pricing of new medicines
A desire to respond…
By Alicia Gailliez, Business Development Manager, One Nucleus
The summer season offers a valuable moment to pause and break from routine. This rest creates space for reflection to contemplate what’s working, what’s not and how to move forward with clarity and renewed purpose.
Late summer and early autumn mark a transition back into an exciting and busy networking and dealmaking period. The initial interactions formed through networking can often act as a springboard to deeper engagement whether that leads to future collaboration, knowledge exchange or future business opportunities.…
One Nucleus is delighted to be rolling out its Going for Gold initiative with our members. A data-driven, personalised approach to increase the precision of the support offered to members in their drive to success.
Over recent times bioentrepreneurs and life science business leaders could be forgiven for starting to feel that chasing investment for their innovation or customers for their services is akin to chasing rainbows and their pots of gold. It has certainly been challenging, but some are succeeding, as set out below when looking at global deal volumes and investment. It is…
There is no doubt that the current financing landscape and resultant company restructures or closures are having a significant impact on those individuals involved. It is not just financing, or lack of, that causes such staff turnover, of course. Business growth can lead to new skills and capacities being prioritised; deal-making such as M&A can equally force change, as indeed can personal circumstances. The reasons a life science company employee can find themselves between jobs can be varied and for negative impacts as well as positive choices. Whatever the reason, staying involved in…
by Tony Jones, CEO, One Nucleus
Being Asked to Do More With Less
The cascading challenge before the sector currently with respect to both companies and individuals working in it could be summarised as:
A lack of investment capital making its way into life science R&D companies
Life science R&D companies having to reduce cash burn to prolong financial survival
A shift in focus to later-stage programmes, making earlier research programmes vulnerable
Staff redundancies and highly valuable skills sitting unused
Personal impacts of job losses being felt and the wellbeing deficiencies of…
By Monalisa Breazu, Learning & Development Administrator
Earlier this month, we hosted two lively roundtable discussions with One Nucleus members. The conversations spanned everything from the value of networking to how we can better support professionals at different career stages to rethinking what “training” really means in today’s life sciences sector. Below are some of the key takeaways …
The Power of Networking
Networking remains a cornerstone of professional growth, yet it is often undervalued or misunderstood. Participants highlighted the importance of reframing networking as a…
By Philippa Clark, Director of Business Development, One Nucleus
In life sciences, we naturally celebrate the power of collaboration. Innovation breakthroughs rarely happen in isolation; they are the result of expertise, ideas, and resources coming together in ways that no single organisation could achieve alone. However, when it comes to networking, the value is too often judged through the narrow lens of short-term outcomes.
Throughout my career, I’ve often been asked the same question after attending an event: “What was the return on investment?”, “How many leads did you get?”, “How…
R&D procurement might seem straightforward, but behind the scenes, small mistakes can cause big headaches for labs. Mismanaged orders, unexpected product delays, and budget overruns can derail even the best-laid research plans.
The good news? With a little insight and a few process tweaks, many common pitfalls are easy to avoid. Let’s take a look at the top lab procurement mistakes and how you can sidestep them to keep your research moving forward without disruption.
Common lab procurement mistakes (and how to fix them)
Mistake
Quick Fix
Pro Tip
🔒 Relying on a small supplier…
In an article in Pharmexec, May 2024, the author identified seven essential attributes that investors look for before investing in Life Sciences. Among the seven was a “proven management team”. And this was described as “paramount”.
I remembered seeing something similar in Excedr’s online piece on ‘Top VC Firms for Biotech in 2024: Supporting Innovation & Growth’, where they cited “fostering a strong management team” as “the biggest factor that smart investors consider”.
“But what does this actually mean?” and “What capabilities are investors wanting to see?”, I remember…