Functional Precision Oncology, a new compass for cancer care | Apricot Bio

Functional Precision Oncology, a new compass for cancer care | Apricot Bio

From Nucleate Podcast by Nucleate

December 20, 2025 · 1h 23m · Episode 39

About this episode

The episode discusses functional precision oncology and its implications for cancer treatment with the founders of Apricot Bio.

In this special panel episode recorded in Zurich, the founders of Apricot Bio, Michael Zering (CEO), Lucas Pelkmans (Scientific Founder), and Independent Professor Andreas Wicki from the University of Zurich explore the new field of functional precision oncology—an approach that goes beyond genomics to test how living cancer cells actually respond to treatment. The conversation covers the limits of genetic diagnostics, the promise of ex vivo drug testing, AI-driven decision-making, and how smarter trial design could transform cancer care. The panel also dives into Switzerland’s biotech ecosystem, venture capital realities, and what it takes to bring high-risk, high-impact science from the lab to the clinic.

People in this episode

Guests: Michael Zering, Lucas Pelkmans, Andreas Wicki

Topics covered

  • functional precision oncology
  • cancer care
  • genomics
  • ex vivo drug testing
  • AI-driven decision-making
  • biotech ecosystem
  • venture capital

Keywords

  • cancer
  • oncology
  • biotech
  • drug testing
  • AI
  • venture capital
  • Switzerland

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Apricot Bio, University of Zurich

Places: Zurich, Switzerland

More episodes of Nucleate Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Nucleate Podcast podcast page.