From idea to success
In 2010, a chance meeting at a Stockholm train station sparked an idea that would revolutionize drug discovery. Professor Pär Nordlund of the Karolinska Institute shared a visionary question with his former PhD student, Daniel Martinez Molina: “What if we could assess target engagement directly in cells without modifying them?” This challenge inspired Daniel to develop what would become CETSA® (Cellular Thermal Shift Assay) technology.
Recognizing CETSA’s potential to change how drug-target interactions are studied, Daniel reached out to industry expert Michael Dabrowski. Michael’s immediate reaction after seeing the groundbreaking data was clear: “This has to be made available to the entire drug discovery community.” With their shared vision of improving the reliability and success of early drug development, the three co-founded Pelago Bioscience.
Hear the story straight from the founders themselves—watch as Daniel and Michael share how a simple question led to a breakthrough in drug discovery.
From its earliest days, Pelago Bioscience has been dedicated to helping scientists and researchers make confident decisions in drug discovery. CETSA became the cornerstone of their mission, offering biologically relevant, actionable data that bridges the gap between laboratory studies and patient outcomes.
Daniel and Michael continue leading Pelago Bioscience alongside a passionate and skilled team today. Together, they work tirelessly to ensure that every drug candidate is understood in its natural cellular environment before reaching clinical trials. Their journey exemplifies the power of collaboration, innovation, and the shared goal of making life-changing therapies a reality.
Learn more about how CETSA is shaping drug discovery.
About CETSA
CETSA is our well recognized, best-in-class core technology used to assess cellular protein-ligand binding.