A daredevil scientist who dives with sharks is to collect an award from the Queen for his firm’s pioneering work developing life-saving treatments.
Molecular biologist Yen Choo, 45, invented a technique to turn stem cells into replacement human cells to treat 70 different diseases, including many cancers and diabetes.
His experiments expose umbilical cord cells to more than ten thousand combinations of drugs at once to find ways of regenerating human tissues.
Biotech firm Plasticell, which he founded in 2002, was recognised by the Queen as one of Britain’s brightest businesses on her 90th birthday.
In July, Dr Choo, of Chelsea, will receive the 2016 Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation at Buckingham Palace. Now in their 50th year, the awards recognise businesses that excel in exporting, social or environmental good works, or innovation.
When not in the lab, Cambridge graduate Dr Choo enjoys diving with sharks. He said: “Having a cage between you and the shark is kind of cheating, so I have done it without cages in South Africa, the Caribbean, the Red Sea and Malaysia.
“There are no safety measures. You just get in the strong currents they like and the big ones have a good look at you but are quite relaxed and respectful. In some ways it is similar to science. What you are doing is just observing and I spend a lot of time at work looking at cells and molecules.
"And both swimming with sharks and starting a biotech company require an appetite for risk as there are so many ways that a firm can fail on the science and finance fronts.”
Dr Choo, who is half Greek and half Singaporean, said he was “delighted” that Plasticell, which employs 14 people, is being honoured.
In all, 249 business received awards, 92 of them for innovation.
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