The researchers took a small sample of tissue from Paul (his real name is not known because his identity was obscured in the trial). They divided the sample, which included both normal cells and cancer cells, into more than a hundred pieces and exposed them to various cocktails of drugs. Then, using robotic automation and computer vision (machine-learning models trained to identify small changes in cells), they watched to see what would happen. In effect, the researchers were doing what the doctors had done: trying different drugs to see what worked. But instead of putting a patient through multiple months-long courses of chemotherapy, they were testing dozens of treatments all at the same time.

Entrepreneur First (EF), the company builder and "talent first" investor, held its ninth London Demo Day this afternoon. Once again, the pitches took place in front of a packed crowd at King's Place in London's King Cross area, seeing 19 startups pitch their wares to investors, press and other actors in the European tech scene. EF stands out from the plethora of demo days that the U.K. capital city hosts because of the way the investor backs individuals "pre-team, pre-idea" -- meaning that the companies pitching only came into existence over the last 6 months and perhaps may never have done so without the founders entering the programme. As is now a tradition, prior to the pitches, EF co-founder Matt Clifford took the chance to announce some EF news of its own. Already operating in London, Singapore and Berlin, the company builder -- which last year picked up backing in a $12.4 million round led by Silicon Valley's Greylock Partners -- is expanding to Hong Kong to double down on its Asia ambitions, kicking off with a local programme in July.