Victor H Bustos

About Victor H Bustos

I’m a VP-level biotech executive and protein engineering leader advancing protein therapeutics, with 20+ years of experience designing and optimizing biologics, from antibodies and bispecifics to miniprotein binders and VHHs. I’ve led discovery programs end-to-end and built high-throughput expression and biophysics pipelines (cell-free, SPR/BLI/MST/DSF/ITC) that drive structure–activity and developability decisions.My focus is using protein engineering and AI/ML to shorten discovery timelines and reduce technical risk, designing better antibody and miniprotein therapeutics faster, and turning therapeutic hypotheses into clean, decision-ready data.Over the last several years, I’ve:* Built high-throughput cell-free expression and biophysics platforms from scratch, enabling rapid design–make–test–learn cycles.* Partnered closely with ML and computational groups (e.g, RFdiffusion, AlphaFold-style methods, BindCraft/Rosetta/Schrödinger) to iteratively refine binders for potency, time-action, stability, and reduced immunogenicity.* Led cross-functional teams and CROs to progress advanced antibody formats (bispecifics, bivalent bispecifics, single chain antibodies)* Founded an Alzheimer’s diagnostics startup, completing NSF I-Corps and accelerator programs to validate market strategy.* Earlier in my career, I served as a Group Leader in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate Paul Greengard at Rockefeller University, leading drug discovery and diagnostic efforts in neurodegenerative diseases. In that role, I obtained $3.5M+ in grant funding from the Department of Defense and private foundations.My core strengths include:• Antibody & Miniprotein Discovery (phage/yeast/bacterial/mRNA display)• Protein Engineering & Library Design for affinity, specificity, and developability• Biophysics & Mechanism (SPR/BLI, MST, DSF, ITC, HTRF, AlphaScreen)• High-Throughput Lab Platforms & Cell-Free Expression• Cross-Functional Leadership, CRO Management & Portfolio Advancement• ML-Driven R&D: integrating experimental data generation with computational designHappy to connect with biotech leaders, recruiters, and investors who are interested in next-generation antibody/miniprotein discovery platforms and high-throughput experimental engines for AI-guided drug discovery. Core strengths: Preclinical R&D Strategy • AI-Driven Protein Design • Cell-Free Expression Platforms • Biotherapeutics Development • Cross-Functional Leadership • Translational Neuroscience

Experience

1. VP of Preclinical R & d

   Ordaos Bio

   Mar 2025 — Present · US

   Drive the end-to-end preclinical strategy for first-in-class, machine-learning–designed miniprotein therapeutics. Built a cross functional organization spanning cell-free expression, protein analytics and functional assays; scaled the lab from concept to a seven-scientist team that delivers sequence-to-function data in fewer than five days. Lead hit discovery and target validation efforts, partnering with top pharma and academic centers. Integrate high-throughput SPR/BLI kinetics, in vivo translational assays, and bioinformatics into ML pipelines—closing design-build-test loops and informing portfolio decisions and Series A investor narratives.

Education

• Universidad de Chile

  Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, BioMedicine

• Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

  Bachelor's degree, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology