In this episode, Esme and Tyler interviews Dr. Ethan Bier. Dr. Bier is a Distinguished Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of California, San Diego, and a pioneering researcher in developmental patterning, disease mechanisms, and super-Mendelian inheritance. His laboratory’s work spans a wide range of biological systems, from uncovering how bacterial toxins disrupt human epithelial barriers to developing active genetics. This work has major implications for controlling vector-borne diseases and combating antibiotic resistance.

If you want to know more about the Genetics program at Texas A&M or the research discussed in this episode, please visit the following websites:

Genetics IDP: https://genetics.tamu.edu
Genetics Graduate Student Association: https://g2sa.tamu.edu

In this episode, Veronika and Sam talked to Dr. Tom Clemente. Dr. Clemente is a leading figure in plant biotechnology, well known for his contributions to agricultural genetic engineering. He received his B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, followed by an M.S. in Plant Pathology at Oklahoma State University and a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from North Carolina State University. After postdoctoral training at Monsanto, he joined the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he has spent the past 29 years directing the Plant Transformation Core Research Facility. His work has helped establish the facility as a nationally recognized center for crop genetic engineering, supporting advances in soybean, maize, sorghum, wheat, and other key agricultural species.

If you want to know more about the Genetics program at Texas A&M or the research discussed in this episode, please visit the following websites:

Genetics IDP: https://genetics.tamu.edu
Genetics Graduate Student Association: https://g2sa.tamu.edu

In this episode, Veronika and Sam talked to Dr. Masako Suzuki. Dr. Suzuki is an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at Texas A&M University. She received her DVM at Iwate University in 1998 and her PhD at Gifu University in 2002. Her lab’s research focuses on how the prenatal environment, such as vitamin A deficiency, affects the offspring’s cells later in life.

If you want to know more about the Genetics program at Texas A&M or the research discussed in this episode, please visit the following websites:

Dr. Suzuki lab page: https://suzukilab.org/ 

Genetics IDP: https://genetics.tamu.edu 

Genetics Graduate Student Association: https://g2sa.tamu.edu 

In this episode, Veronika talked to Dr. Matthew Moulton. Dr. Moulton is an associate professor in the Department of Biology at Texas A&M. He received his Bachelor's at Brigham Young University and his PhD at the University of Utah. His lab focuses on delineating the molecular mechanisms of genes associated with neurological disease, especially Alzheimer’s disease by utilizing the genetic model organism, Drosophila melanogaster

If you want to know more about the Genetics program at Texas A&M or the research discussed in this episode, please visit the following websites:

Dr. Moulton’s Website: Moulton Lab Website

Genetics IDP: https://genetics.tamu.edu 

Genetics Graduate Student Association: https://g2sa.tamu.edu 

In this episode, Veronika and Sam spoke with Dr. Dmitry Kurouski. Dr. Kurouski is an associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Texas A&M University. He received his Bachelor's and Master of Science at the Belarussian State University and his PhD at the State University of New York at Albany. His lab focuses on many different topics, from lipids in neurodegeneration, plant diseases, nanostructures, and forensic hair analyses. We hope you enjoy!

If you want to know more about the Genetics program at Texas A&M or the research discussed in this episode, please visit the following websites:

Dr. Kurouski bio: https://bcbp.tamu.edu/people/kurouski-dmitry/

Genetics IDP: https://genetics.tamu.edu

Genetics Graduate Student Association: https://g2sa.tamu.edu

Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots, everyone!

In this episode Anthony talked to Sarah Ingram, a 4th-year PhD candidate in the Interdisciplinary Genetics program at Texas A&M, a US Navy veteran, and a 2024 Tillman Scholar. She returned to academia after 9 years of military service and received her undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University- Texarkana. Currently, she studies under Dr. Shaunna Clark in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and her research focuses on the relationship between DNA methylation and anxiety.

If you want to know more about the Genetics program at Texas A&M, the research discussed in this episode, or the Pat Tillman Foundation please visit the following websites:

Dr. Shaunna Clark: https://medicine.tamu.edu/faculty-listings/shaunna-clark.html  

Sarah Ingram: https://vitalrecord.tamu.edu/graduate-genetics-researcher-named-among-60-tillman-scholars-for-2024/

https://pattillmanfoundation.org/meet-our-scholars/sarah-ingram-2/

The Pat Tillman Foundation: https://pattillmanfoundation.org/

Genetics IDP: https://genetics.tamu.edu 

Genetics Graduate Student Association: https://g2sa.tamu.edu 

Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots, everyone!

In this episode, Charles spoke with Dr. Matt Sachs. Dr. Sachs is a professor in the Department of Biology at Texas A&M University who received his Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry from Cornell University and PhD in Biology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research focuses on the mechanisms controlling protein synthesis, such as in Neurospora crassa. Dr. Sachs is also a practiced yogi (!) and we invite you to listen in as he discusses his research, career, and the parallels between yoga and science. We hope you enjoy!

If you want to know more about the Genetics program at Texas A&M or the research discussed in this episode, please visit the following websites:

Matt Sachs bio: https://www.bio.tamu.edu/faculty-msachs/ 

Genetics IDP: https://genetics.tamu.edu 

Genetics Graduate Student Association: https://g2sa.tamu.edu 

Howdy, and welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! 

In this episode Sam and Veronika spoke with third year GENE students, and newly minted PhD candidates, Emmarie Alexander and Tyler Chan. Emmarie came to our program from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and she currently studies under Dr. William Murphy. Tyler previously attended The University of Alabama - Huntsville, and he now studies under Dr. Zachary Adelman. 

Emmarie and Tyler sat down with us and talked about their experience with the dreaded preliminary exam process. We invite you to listen in on how they prepped, what it was like, and how they feel now that it's over. They've got great advice for every stage of the process, so take advantage and check out this episode now! Thanks for listening, and we hope you enjoy!

If you'd like to learn more about Emmarie and Tyler, please visit their respective lab websites: 

Emmarie: http://www.eutherialab.org/

Tyler: https://zachadelmanlab.entomology.tamu.edu/

If you'd like to learn more about the Genetics program at Texas A&M, please visit the following websites:

Genetics IDP: https://genetics.tamu.edu 

Genetics Graduate Student Association: https://g2sa.tamu.edu 

Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots, everyone!

In this episode, Veronika talks to Dr. R. Graham Reynolds. Dr. Reynolds is an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of North Carolina Asheville and an associate at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. He received his B.A. in Biology from Duke University and his PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Dr. Reynolds is an expert in vertebrate evolution and endangered species biology, especially reptiles in the Caribbean, and his work has been featured in the New York Times, Harvard Gazette, Discover Magazine, Newsweek, National Geographic, and Smithsonian Magazine, among others. 

If you want to know more about the research discussed in this episode or about the Genetics program at Texas A&M, please visit the following websites:

Dr. Reynolds’ lab: https://reynoldslab.wp.unca.edu/
Dr. Reynolds’ Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Onue3acAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate
Dr. Reynolds’ National Geographic Explorer Page: https://explorers.nationalgeographic.org/directory/r-graham-reynolds

Genetics IDP: https://genetics.tamu.edu 
Genetics Graduate Student Association: https://g2sa.tamu.edu 

Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots, everyone!

In this episode, Sarah talked to two speakers from the 2024 Genome Editing Symposium at Texas A&M: Dr. Paul Christou and Dr. Makoto Saito. Dr. Christou is an ICREA research professor at Universitat de Lleida (UdL) Life and Medical Sciences. Dr. Saito is a senior scientific fellow conducting post-doctoral research in Dr. Feng Zhang’s lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology McGovern Institute. We invite you to listen in on what they have to say about their path to their current positions, impactful moments and colleagues encountered during their career, and their advice for aspiring graduate students.

If you’d like to learn more about our guests, please visit the following websites:

Dr. Christou: https://www.icrea.cat/Web/ScientificStaff/paul-christou-319 

Dr. Saito:

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=caJcp0cAAAAJ&hl=en  

Feng Zhang lab: https://www.zlab.bio/ 

Genome Editing Symposium 2024: https://genomeeditingsymposiumtamu.wordpress.com/ 

If you want to know more about the research discussed in this episode or about the Genetics program at Texas A&M, please visit the following websites:

Genetics IDP: https://genetics.tamu.edu 

Genetics Graduate Student Association: https://g2sa.tamu.edu