Paramita Mishra is working on a new way to study living cells in real time. Through her company Precigenetics, she has created a platform called Cell Cinema, which allows scientists to watch living cells like a movie instead of looking at still images. This technology could improve drug discovery, disease research, and precision medicine in the future.
In this interview, she talks about how the company started, how the technology works, and her long-term vision.
How the Idea for Precigenetics Started
Paramita Mishra said the idea began during her college days at the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied computational biology and computer science.
While preparing a presentation on marine biology, she became very interested in microscopes and started thinking about biology as something that is always changing and moving. She wondered why scientists mostly study dead cells instead of watching living cells in action.
Her personal health experiences also made her realize how important better medical research tools are. Over time, this idea became the foundation of her company.
What Does the Cell Cinema Platform Do?
In simple terms, the Cell Cinema platform allows scientists to observe living cells directly without damaging them.
Most traditional methods require cells to be stained or destroyed before studying them. But this new technology does the opposite. It watches living cells and tracks chemical changes in real time.
Instead of a single picture, scientists can see a continuous video of how a cell behaves. This helps researchers understand diseases and treatments more clearly.
Why This Technology Is Important for Drug Discovery
Drug discovery is a long and expensive process. Often, problems are discovered very late, after a lot of time and money has already been spent.
According to Paramita Mishra, real-time cell observation can help researchers:
- Detect problems earlier
- Understand how drugs work
- Save time and research costs
- Improve the success rate of new medicines
Better measurement and observation can make drug development faster and more reliable.
What Makes Precigenetics Different
Precigenetics combines different fields such as:
- Photonics
- Machine learning
- Biotechnology
The company focuses on building new technology from scratch instead of making small improvements to existing tools.
She also shared that running a startup requires learning new skills beyond science, but her main goal has always remained the same:
to create strong science that makes a real difference in healthcare.
How Cellular Intelligence and Epigenetics Help Patients
Cells constantly change and respond to their environment. These changes are very important, especially in diseases like:
- Cancer
- Genetic disorders
- Chronic illnesses
By watching cells over time, doctors and researchers can:
- Detect diseases earlier
- Understand how diseases develop
- Choose better treatments for patients
This approach can make healthcare more accurate and personalized.
Advice for Young Founders in Biotechnology
Paramita Mishra gave simple advice to young entrepreneurs:
- Ask questions and keep learning
- Do not wait until you feel fully ready
- Combine science with creativity
- Always remember the human purpose behind your work
She believes passion and curiosity are key to building successful innovations.
Long-Term Vision for Precigenetics
The long-term goal of Precigenetics is to create a strong foundation for precision medicine.
The company wants to help scientists observe living biology in real time and use that knowledge to improve:
- Medical research
- Disease diagnosis
- Drug development
- Patient treatment
The company is based at MBC BioLabs, located in San Carlos.
