James Chen

1 week ago | jameschenjc.medium.com | James Chen

Last month in a Kyoto temple garden, a monk smiled at my restlessness. “In the West,” he said, “you fill space. In Japan, we cultivate it.”That conversation changed everything about how I run Utorify. Six months before Japan, I was the quintessential always-on founder. Calendar packed with back-to-back meetings. Notifications constantly pinging. I measured productivity by busyness. Then came an afternoon of forced disconnection. Wi-Fi down. Laptop dying. Phone charger forgotten. My first reaction?

Nov 2, 2024 | jameschenjc.medium.com | James Chen

James Chen·Follow5 min read·--Photo by Kelly Sikkema on UnsplashThe most common piece of advice given to aspiring creators is “just start creating.” This advice, while well-intentioned, misses something fundamental: the underlying system that powers creation itself. Here’s the truth that nobody talks about: Most creators aren’t failing because of a lack of talent or motivation. They’re failing because they’re running the wrong engine.

Oct 26, 2024 | medium.com | James Chen

James Chen·Follow4 min read·--Photo by Akshar Dave🌻 on UnsplashIt’s 3:47 AM. I’m sitting in my apartment, surrounded by startup pitch decks, three half-empty coffee cups, and a copy of Karl Popper’s “The Logic of Scientific Discovery.”Welcome to the mind of a 26-year-old founder who can’t stop thinking. Last week, during an investor meeting, someone asked me that dreaded question: “What’s your specialty?”I almost laughed.

Aug 21, 2024 | nature.com | Mingkai Zhang |Matthew Chapman |Bhagyesh R. Sarode |James Chen |Eranthie Weerapana |Bingcong Xiong

AbstractAlthough aromatic rings are common elements in pharmaceutically active compounds, the presence of these motifs brings several liabilities with respect to the developability of a drug1. Nonoptimal potency, metabolic stability, solubility and lipophilicity in pharmaceutical compounds can be improved by replacing aromatic rings with non-aromatic isosteric motifs2.

Jul 1, 2024 | nature.com | Andreas Mueller |James Chen |Nina Molina |Edward T. Eng |Ruth M. Saecker

AbstractDuring formation of the transcription-competent open complex (RPo) by bacterial RNA polymerases (RNAPs), transient intermediates pile up before overcoming a rate-limiting step. Structural descriptions of these interconversions in real time are unavailable. To address this gap, here we use time-resolved cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to capture four intermediates populated 120 ms or 500 ms after mixing Escherichia coli σ70–RNAP and the λPR promoter.