Revolutionising Sustainable Medicine Discovery with How HotHouse Therapeutics

Episode 174 of the Cambridge Tech Podcast reveals an extraordinary approach to drug discovery that sounds like science fiction but is very much reality.If you've ever wondered how we might make pharmaceutical manufacturing greener without sacrificing innovation, this week's episode delivers some genuinely exciting answers.HotHouse Therapeutics, a Norwich-based biotech spinout, is harnessing AI and plant biosynthesis to develop the next generation of therapeutic compounds - and they're doing it in greenhouses, not laboratories.Dr Dave Sheppard and D. Phil Spence joined the show to discuss their genuinely innovative approach to drug discovery. "We use AI and plants to make small molecule therapeutics. Plants have evolved these tools over millions of years to make small molecules - we essentially hijack this system and combine tools from different species to make new molecules with therapeutic purposes."We find out about:Compounds that would take synthetic chemists years to produce individuallyUsing greenhouses and vertical farming rather than chemical labsDiscovery projects (finding new compounds) and production projects (scaling hard-to-access natural compounds)HotHouse Therapeutics are not just building a company; they're pioneering an entirely new approach to drug discoveryOpening a funding round this month (January 2026), aimed expansion into additional therapeutic areas (neurodegeneration, oncology), and a continued focus on proving that sustainable drug discovery isn't just better for the planet, it's better for patients too.The team emphasises Norwich's emerging biotech ecosystem, particularly the John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, and Anglia Innovation Partnership. With eight team members currently and plans to scale to 20 post-funding, they're committed to keeping operations rooted in Norwich.This is genuinely exciting stuff. If you're interested in deep-tech innovation, sustainable biotech, or just want to hear how AI is enabling entirely new approaches to one of humanity's oldest challenges, this episode is essential listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.