
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
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