How do cells decide what they are, and can we deliberately control that process?

In this episode of Galaxy Balance, Cory Smith is joined by Frank Li, co-founder of Stately Bio, to explore the emerging frontier of cell identity engineering. Frank’s work sits at the intersection of developmental biology, synthetic biology, and therapeutic design, with a focus on understanding, and reprogramming, the molecular rules that govern cell fate.

The conversation dives into how cell identity is established and maintained, why most cell therapies struggle with stability and reproducibility, and how a deeper understanding of developmental programs can enable more precise and durable engineered cell states. They discuss the vision behind Stately Bio, the challenge of translating complex biological control systems into scalable therapeutics, and what it means to move beyond “cell types” toward programmable cellular behaviors.

Zooming out, the episode explores broader questions about control versus emergence in biology, how engineering mindsets are reshaping developmental biology, and what the next decade may bring for regenerative medicine and cell-based therapies.

This is a conversation about building reliable biology, by learning how cells remember who they are.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro to Galaxy Balance and today's focus on cell engineering & AI innovation
00:36 - Frank Lee's background in computer science and transition into biotech
01:49 - The origins of Stately Bio and its mission to enable non-perturbative cell analysis
02:10 - How machine learning revealed surprising signals in cellular imaging
04:10 - Use cases for live-cell imaging in regenerative medicine and stem cell differentiation
06:00 - The philosophical questions around cell state and biological identity
07:05 - Fighting entropy and examining biological resilience through AI models
08:22 - Integrating AI into manufacturing and regulatory frameworks
09:40 - The future vision: AI empowering biological control and regenerative breakthroughs
11:00 - The role of multi-omics and spatial transcriptomics in cell modeling
12:45 - The expanding frontier of biological design and engineering
14:52 - The societal impact of extending healthspan and aging research
17:05 - Practicing longevity through diet and lifestyle choices
18:55 - How scientific inspiration from science fiction shapes innovation
20:13 - The origin story of Stately Bio's platform technology
22:10 - Moving from fixed protocols to adaptive, AI-driven process control
24:37 - The importance of non-destructive cell analysis for therapy development
27:52 - Commercializing platform technologies while developing therapeutics
31:29 - Regulatory considerations for AI and live-cell analysis in manufacturing
36:51 - How improving cell maturity enhances therapeutic potential
41:27 - Defining cell state through computational modeling and machine learning
45:50 - Integrating multi-omics data with imaging for holistic cell understanding
47:52 - Vision for the company's future and platform expansion
51:59 - The intersection of AI, large language models, and scientific reasoning
55:23 - The inspiring prospects of engineering life and the next technological frontier
57:35 - Frank’s science fiction recommendations and its influence on his mindset
58:42 - Advice for new scientists and engineers entering the field of biology
1:00:29 - Closing remarks and gratitude

Frank Li: From Images to Identity, Engineering Cell Fate with ML