Just like the DNA of Life from which the phrase, the DNA of Technology originated, the helical construct is a rollercoaster of endless learning, experimentation, and discovery. The Helical Brew Crew is here to take you along for the ride in a fun, relaxed and informative podcast that explores the twists and turns of technology.
We are an enthusiastic group of engineering, scientific, and business professionals that share a passion for the development, mastery, and deployment of technology.
#68 - Building the Software Behind the Automated Lab | Armon Naddaf, Persist AI
Everyone sees the robot. But some of the hardest problems in laboratory automation live in the software underneath it.
Armon Naddaf joins Sura Hadi and Mike Ouren to explore what it actually takes to build software around physical science — from hardware drivers, instrument APIs and version control to orchestration, user interfaces and legacy systems.
They dig into why testing changes when software controls a physical process, what scientists need from automation interfaces, how standards like OPC UA help bring order to heterogeneous instruments, where AI adds value, and what foundations are still missing before labs can become genuinely more autonomous.
The through-line: reliable automation is not just about the robot. It is about the software architecture that makes the entire laboratory work together.
20 Sept 2026
#67 - Foundations of the AI-Ready Lab | Aniket Deshpande, NVIDIA
AI can predict what experiment should happen next. But can the laboratory actually execute it?
Aniket Deshpande joins Sura Hadi and Mike Ouren to explore the convergence of biological research, scientific computing and laboratory automation - from genomics, GPUs and protein language models to AI agents, digital twins and the lab-in-the-loop.
They dig into what AI is genuinely changing in drug discovery, why experimental validation still matters, what happens when agents need to interact with instruments and scientific systems, and why Aniket prefers thinking about AI as “AI-assisted” rather than simply “AI-ready.”
Ultimately, the question isn’t how impressive the model is. It’s whether it moves the science forward.
The views expressed by Aniket are his own and do not necessarily represent those of his employer.
30 Aug 2026
#66 - Why Great Laboratory Automation Companies Win | Brian O'Sullivan, Opentrons
Great technology is only the beginning. Some of the best technology in laboratory automation still fails commercially - while other companies build products customers adopt, trust, and buy again.
Brian O'Sullivan has spent more than 20 years seeing what separates the two. Across Velocity11, Agilent, HighRes Biosolutions, Ginkgo Bioworks and now Opentrons, he's watched automation companies scale, disrupt markets, build exceptional teams - and sometimes get in their own way.
In this episode, Brian joins Sura Hadi and Mike Ouren to unpack what actually separates automation companies that win from those that don't.
In this episode:
→ Why great technology can still fail commercially
→ What Velocity11 got right about culture, leadership and execution
→ Why the best salesperson sometimes says no
→ Why support may be the most undervalued function in laboratory automation
→ Why life sciences is still operating on a 20–30-year-old support model
→ AI hype, autonomous labs and the CFO reality check
→ Why hardware, software and people have to move together
→ How open architectures are changing laboratory automation
→ Why robots are becoming data factories
→ Why willingness to learn may matter more than the perfect résumé
Guest: Brian O'Sullivan - Opentrons
Hosts: Sura Hadi & Mike Ouren
Series: Science Means Business
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Mike Ouren and Sura Hadi and Elizabeth Rodziewicz host the show. Published by Sura Hadi | Mike Ouren.
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