Over the past year, Dr Irina Gostimskaya, a postdoc and now visiting researcher, has been exploring how scientific discoveries can translate into real-world applications. Irina’s growing focus on innovation has led to her founding Cambridge Molecular Computers Ltd, a start-up supported by an Innovate UK grant.

The company aims to explore how the programmability of DNA can be harnessed to address complex computational problems, an emerging area at the intersection of biology, chemistry, and information science.

She recently completed the Impulse Programme at the Maxwell Centre, an entrepreneurial training initiative supported by an EPSRC IAA Fellowship which equips researchers with the skills to turn ideas into innovation. 

Building on this experience, she has been selected to join the RisingWISE Programme, a collaborative Oxford–Cambridge initiative designed to support women researchers and entrepreneurs.