John Morris, a scientist at the forefront of cryopreservation technology, joins Dodi and Conor. They discuss the impact of cryopreservation on the development of CAR T therapies, why freezing cells is essential to these treatments, how tracking the samples ensures quality, and the potential for frozen cells to treat solid tumors in the future. Tune in to find out how cryopreservation has transformed the life sciences and how it could revolutionize how we treat disease in the future.

Show notes

Pioneers and Visionaries docu-series.

Transcript

Keywords: patient, cells, freezing, therapies, gene therapy, car t, t cells, john Morris, cytiva, podcast, stabilizing, cryogenics, cold chain

Conor and Dodi explore the new and exciting world of bacteriophage therapy. Join them as they speak to Anton Peleg, Professor of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology and the Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Alfred Hospital and Monash University, about this emerging field. Together they discuss how phages, viruses that specifically target bacteria, are being used to fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs and the challenges of producing them at scale and getting them approved by regulatory bodies.

Show notes

For more information on Professor Anton Peleg’s work with phages: Old cure revived in fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs (smh.com.au)

RNA in space: Oba, Y., Koga, T., Takano, Y. et al. Uracil in the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu. Nature Communications 14, 1292 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36904-3

Transcript

Keywords: phage, bacteria, infection, antibiotics, rna, therapies, bacterial infections, penicillin, patients, antibiotic resistant bacteria, cholera, phage therapy, superbugs.

In the latest episode of Discovery Matters, Dodi and Conor are joined by Dr. Bradley Moore from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to discuss his research into the medical and synthetic implications of using marine microbes to fight aggressive cancers such as glioblastoma. By leveraging salinosporamide A, Dr. Moore proposes that these deep-sea organisms could potentially be scaled up for human use and repurposed for medicinal and synthetic purposes. Dive into this episode to hear how the ocean has the power to bring forth new discoveries that could save lives!

Show notes

For more information on this 'anti-cancer weapon': Scientists Discover How Molecule Becomes Anticancer Weapon | Scripps Institution of Oceanography (ucsd.edu)

Transcript

Keywords:

We should not underestimate cells. Conor and Dodi talk with Dr Brett Kagan, who conducted research to understand the brain and test ‘sentient’ brain cells, using the 1970s game, known as ‘Pong’. In another conversation, Professor Petra Levin and Kunaal Joshi explain how they have demonstrated that there is no mythical ‘average’ cell which mimics the stochastic behaviors of any individual cell.

At the end of this episode, we hope to have proven that cells are not to be overlooked and still have so much to tell us about human health.

Show notes

Transcript

Keywords: cells, replication, pong, gamification, average, machine learning, brain cells, dna replication, intelligence, sleep, biology, biomass, bacteria, neurons.

What do CRISPR and longevity have in common? Not much, except it's all molecular.

We spoke to two different CEOs focused on improving human health. We begin with Dr Benjamin Oakes, Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Scribe Therapeutics, who takes us through the discovery, potential, and possible limitations of CRISPR.

Then we are joined by fellow visionary Kristen Fortney, the CEO and co-founder of BioAge, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapies that treat disease by targeting the biology of ageing.

You cannot miss these fascinating conversations.

Transcript

Keywords: ageing, CRISPR, molecules, age, technology, disease, muscle, engineering, treat, understand, genome editing, human, Jennifer Doudna.

Psychedelic treatment is a therapy which is on the rise according to the increasing number of studies on the use of psilocybin, ketamine and MDMA to treat mental health disorders such as PTSD. In this episode, Conor talks to Prof. Eric Vermetten, a psychiatrist who has been working with the military in the Netherlands for the last 25 years, helping Dutch armed forces and the uniformed people in the face of PTSD and psychotraumatology.

Show notes

For more info on Prof. Eric Vermetten’s work: Eric Vermetten - Leiden University (universiteitleiden.nl)

Transcript

Keywords: MDMA, psilocybin, psychedelics, PTSD, compounds, therapy, drugs, psychotraumatology, trauma, ketamine, revived therapies

Conor and Dodi try their hand at learning to operate an ÄKTA ready in virtual reality. Their virtual journey takes them to Singapore and Miami, without leaving Sweden, Amersham, and Edinburgh. Join us on a journey into the metaverse.

Show notes

For more info on using virtual reality for customers: cytiva.com/vr

You can view the video version of the episode here, where you can see virtual Dodi and Conor interact with virtual Arron Greig (our expert guide).

Transcript

Keywords: virtual reality, meetings, vr, learning, training, virtual, instructions, ÄKTA

Mushrooms on Mars, life-saving blood from worms, cell-cultured seafood. It's been a year filled with surprise, serendipity, and everything in between. Conor, Dodi and the podcast team look back on a fascinating year and highlight their favourite interviews and topics of the year. 

See you in the new year!

Show notes

More info on Conor’s favorite: What is Quorn mycoprotein? | Quorn

More info on Dodi’s favorite: How We Make Chocolate and Coffee From Plant Cell Culture Technology — The Future of Coffee and Chocolate | California Cultured (cacultured.com)

More info on Beth’s favorite: Discovery Makers: Mustapha Bittaye | Cytiva (cytivalifesciences.com)

More info on Tom’s favorite: Kevill JL, Pellett C, Farkas K, Brown MR, Bassano I, Denise H, McDonald JE, Malham SK, Porter J, Warren J, Evens NP, Paterson S, Singer AC, Jones DL. “A comparison of precipitation and filtration-based SARS-CoV-2 recovery methods and the influence of temperature, turbidity, and surfactant load in urban wastewater,” Sci Total Environ. 2022 Feb 20;808:151916. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151916

Transcript

This episode focuses on the microbiome and how it is increasingly linked to disease and illness. It seems this is true for understanding the illness of the body and the brain. Dr Amir Minerbi, the Deputy Director of the Institute for Pain Medicine at Rambam Medical Center, talks to us about how the microbiome may hold the secrets of fibromyalgia. This chronic disorder causes widespread pain, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and potentially dozens of other symptoms.

We are also joined by Prof Illana Gozes, Director of Elton Laboratory for Molecular Neuroendocrinology in the Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. She elaborates on her research surrounding the role of specific microbiota signatures as a biomarker for PTSD.

Show notes

Minerbi, Amir, Gonzalez, Emmanuel, Brereton, Nicholas, Fitzcharles, Mary-Anna, Chevalier, Stéphanieh, Shir, Yorama. (2022) ‘Altered serum bile acid profile in fibromyalgia is associated with specific gut microbiome changes and symptom severity’, PAIN Vol.10 (1097). doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002694.

Levert-Levitt E, Shapira G, Sragovich S, Shomron N, Lam JCK, Li VOK, Heimesaat MM, Bereswill S, Yehuda AB, Sagi-Schwartz A, Solomon Z, Gozes I. (2022) ‘Oral microbiota signatures in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) veterans,’ Mol Psychiatry. doi:10.1038/s41380-022-01704-6.

Transcript

Today, we sat down with Christos Michas, R&D scientist and engineer at Curi Bio, and Alice White, professor of mechanical engineering at Boston University. Christos and Alice have taken the organ on a chip to another level with the miniPUMP, a heart on a chip which is the first step in understanding the interaction of therapeutic drugs with the heart.

Show notes

Christos Michas and Alice White et al. (2022) ‘Engineering a living cardiac pump on a chip using high-precision fabrication’, Science Advances 8(16). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abm3791.

Transcript

Keywords: organ on a chip, chip, cells, organ, heart, technology, tissue, structural elements, challenge, structure, model, drugs, photon, system, resin, material, function, miniPUMP.