In Conversation with Emanuel Ortiz, Founder of Pristinology

Emanuel Ortiz is the Founder of Pristinology, a scientific laboratory cleaning service based in Philadelphia. He uses this company to provide opportunities in the life science industry to people who otherwise would not have them.

By Kaden Hoffman | October 26, 2023

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Emanuel Ortiz founded Pristinology, the first Latino-Owned scientific laboratory cleaning service, in March of 2021. Pristinology cleans and sterilizes laboratory equipment and environments to ensure the safety and efficacy of labs. Ortiz is also one of BioBuzz’s Ambassadors of Buzz.

We sat down with Ortiz to discuss what led him to the life science community, how he is creating opportunities in the life science industry, his view on entrepreneurship, and how Philadelphia can continue to grow as a life science hub.

Early Introduction to Life Sciences

Ortiz was “born and raised in North Philadelphia, a vibrant neighborhood with its fair share of challenges.” His early exposure to the world of scientific research labs came courtesy of his mother, who served as a laboratory manager at the University of Pennsylvania. Recognizing the importance of keeping her son engaged and away from the streets during his early years, she secured summer jobs for him at the University. This not only instilled a strong work ethic in Ortiz but also introduced him to the life science industry. His initial roles involved sterilizing glassware and managing bio-waste for the labs at UPenn. It was during these early experiences that he began to wonder, ‘Why are some laboratories not up to the expected standards of hygiene?’ This observation laid the foundation for his deep-rooted connection to the field and his future endeavors.

Ortiz eventually moved up to a full-time position, sterilizing and maintaining laboratories for Dr. Carl June, one of the original pioneers in CAR T-cell therapies. At the time, this was just a job for Ortiz, and as a result, he started to get frustrated with how strict the decontamination rules were. “I just didn’t understand why I had to continue cleaning something that I already cleaned,” explained Ortiz. 

Ortiz’s perspective changed when Dr. Bruce Levine, Director of the Clinical Cell and Vaccine Production Facility at the University of Pennsylvania, took Ortiz aside and explained to him the importance of what he was doing. “He took me around to a wall full of pictures of kids and some adults,” explained Ortiz, “ he told me, ‘All these people, they’re now cancer-free and you helped.’ ” Dr. Levine explained to him that the process of saving their lives started with him since the lab couldn’t perform without his cleaning.

This experience ignited Ortiz’s passion for both the biotech industry as a whole and the importance of sterilization in laboratories. He began to notice the difference between the cleanliness in cleanroom facilities versus research labs, such as the ones his mother worked at. Ortiz then made it his mission to remedy these discrepancies and make every lab pristine in the effort to help scientists find the next breakthrough in medicine.

When his father was diagnosed with Leukemia, Ortiz decided it was time to make that dream a reality, which he did by founding Pristinology. “When that happened,” explained Ortiz, “I told my wife I’m all systems go. I’m going to make sure that I do this, and I’m going to make sure that I change [the industry].” 

Creating Opportunities in Life Sciences

Pristinology wasn’t founded solely to provide sterilization and decontamination services but also to give opportunities in the life science industry to the people of Philadelphia. “There’s people out there that want to jump in the life sciences industry that may be able to find cures,” says Ortiz, “but who’s going to give them the hand they need to get there?” 

Ortiz founded Pristinology to give the people of Philadelphia this hand by acting as a bridge into the life science industry. “I don’t want you to retire cleaning labs,” explains 

Ortiz, “I just want you to come, learn, improve, and build your resume, and then through my network I can most likely help you land a job.” 

Ortiz’s long-term vision for Pristinology is to create a “Mock Lab” to act as safe spaces for technicians and local startups to train their lab skills without the pressure of a true lab environment. Ortiz hopes this facility will help to create a better-trained life science workforce in Philadelphia, furthering the region as a significant life science hub. 

Entrepreneurship

Being an entrepreneur can be a difficult and unpredictable profession that often requires a particular type of person to be successful. However, Ortiz says what it really takes to be a successful entrepreneur is passion. “Without passion for what you’re doing, why are you even doing it?” says Ortiz. Ortiz attributes his passion for his work to watching his mother as a child and her passion for her work as both a lab manager and a hair salon owner.

Many become entrepreneurs because they hear about all the money previous entrepreneurs have made. Ortiz believes that this is the wrong approach, saying that one should “never open a business” solely for the money as they may begin to resent it due to a lack of passion for the industry. He contrasts this to starting a company that you truly have passion for, saying that “if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life,” which more often than not will lead to better results.

The Power of People

Philadelphia is a strong and growing life science hub, but it hasn’t quite hit its full potential yet. When asked what would allow Philadelphia to take this next step as a life science hub, Ortiz answered that “more good people” is what the region needs. He elaborated on this, saying they need “more genuinely good people that care, and that want to work together to continue making this life sciences industry the best it can be.” 

Building a skilled and, equally importantly, passionate workforce is essential to the industry’s progression, as without the people there is no industry. Ortiz and Pristinology are working to do exactly that in Philadelphia by giving passionate people a chance to make a difference and help push the industry forward.