Discovery Matters

We know meat is problematic for the environment, and seafood has its own issues with overfishing, so do we have to wave goodbye to the foods we love?

Well, what if we told you that there are substitutes which you can enjoy without sacrificing taste and texture?

We start with mycoprotein, in the form of the well-known meat substitute products of Quorn Foods. Tim Finnigan, Chief Scientific Advisor for Quorn Foods, explains why mycoprotein is such a suitable source of protein, how it is manufactured, the environmental benefits, and how fusarium venenatum, the microfungus, was discovered. And... it's tasty!

In the same episode, we ask Dr Lauran Madden, Chief Technology Officer at BlueNalu, to share with you the engineering process, the health and environmental benefits, and the positive impact on the environment of their cell-cultured seafood. This is hugely critical as the populations of marine species have halved since 1970, battling with overfishing, illegal fishing, and the effects of trawling. This cell-cultured seafood comes first...plaice... *sorry*.

By the end of this episode, we will hopefully have demonstrated the environmental and health benefits of switching meat out of our diets for better alternatives.

Transcript

Keywords: cell-culture, microfungus, filamentous, mycoprotein, environment, meat substitute, protein, seafood, yeast, engineering, technologies, fish, fungi, Quorn, BlueNalu.

According to Jacob Moe-Lange from California Cultured, and Natasha Haveman from the UF Space Plant Lab, genetically modified food is the future. Both discuss the way that food is grown and how that is changing. Jacob takes us through cell-cultured chocolate and the environmental and humanitarian benefits. Natasha forces our gaze upwards to the plant experiments happening in spaceflight conditions, where scientists are learning how plants adapt to new environmental stresses.

In this episode, Dodi puts forward her argument that plants are better than Conor’s mycelium. Who will win out? Let’s see.

Transcript

Keywords: cell-culture, chocolate, mycelium, plants in space, climate change, cell, bioprocessing, environment, space, gardeners, stem cells, food, genetic modification, GMOs.

Fungi are amazing in so many ways, and after learning that they could be used to build habitat on Mars, we have this bonus episode to go into home these mushrooms can be used on Earth. Chris Maurer, principal architect at redhouse studios, explains that he has been using mushrooms to make building materials in low-resource environments in Namibia. These materials prove even better than concrete.

Join Dodi and Conor for this episode on a truly amazing use of biology to solve our problems.

Transcript

Keywords: mycelium, building materials, mushrooms, Namibia, carbon, oyster mushrooms, resources, encroach, bush, low-resource environment, Mars, redhouse studios.

March is the month of the Woman, and to celebrate International Women’s Day we speak with two agents of change who are passionate about opportunity and diversity within the sciences. Ruchi Sharma, CEO and Founder of Stemnovate Limited, and Sabrina Fleurimé, drug product development scientist and Corporate Partnership Director at BBSTEM, talk to us about what we can all do to become agents of change.

Ruchi Sharma is recognized as one of the ones to watch entrepreneurs in the health industry, she is passionate about ensuring equality and equal opportunity. Alongside supporting women in science, she is also a veterinarian and supports inventions for better animal health while reducing animal testing. 

Sabrina Fleurimé is a drug development scientist who has been working in the pharmaceutical industry for the past 6 years. During her time at AstraZeneca, she met Kayisha Payne, the founder of BBSTEM (Black British in STEM), and later decided to join the non-profit organisation. As BBSTEM’s corporate sponsorship director, she is actively interacting with actors in the STEM field, working towards bridging the gap between talents and opportunities.

Transcript

Keywords: women, STEM, science, cells, equality, diversity, international women’s day, drug discovery, opportunities, scientists, Stemnovate, BBSTEM.

Sustained life and colonization in space are closer than ever, and biology holds the key. Biomimetic processes have applications for water filtration and for building homes on Mars. Jörg Vogel, VP of Open Innovation at Aquaporin, discusses how their Aquaporin Inside® Membrane Technology will help filter condensate and urine to make drinking water for astronauts.

We are also joined by Chris Maurer, an architect and founder of redhouse studios in Cleveland, Ohio. Chris is working on a project with NASA to build homes on Mars using mycelium.

Join Dodi and Conor for this truly ‘out-of-this-world’ episode.

Transcript

Keywords: biomimicry, biomimetic, space, water, fungi, Mars, mycelium, NASA, oxygen, algae, biomass, radiation, condensate, building materials, Aquaporin, redhouse studios.

Meet Discovery Maker Mustapha Bittaye, now a senior scientist working on diagnostic assay development at Medicines Discovery Catapult, who previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Jenner Institute helping create the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. Born in The Gambia, a scholarship took Mustapha to the UK to study Microbial Proteomics, and from then onwards he has made truly amazing contributions to human health globally.

Conor and Dodi examine Mustapha’s story, truly brilliant mind, and how he is looking to the future. 

Transcript

Keywords: vaccine, pandemic, Oxford, Gambia, discovery, trial, AstraZeneca, scientists, COVID-19, scholarship, Jenner Institute, microbial proteomics.

What better way to start off 2022 than with a return to our Discovery Makers series. We celebrate discovery by talking to the scientists changing the world one day at a time. This time we are joined by Sebastian Falk.

What drives a scientist? Well, according to Sebastian Falk, it is curiosity that drives him. Sebastian is a structural biologist who is leading a research group at the Max Perutz Labs investigating the structure and function of proteins, and how they work in RNA metabolism. In line with his curiosity-driven mindset, Sebastian also teaches at the University of Vienna where he is educating the next generation of up-and-coming scientists.

As part of our Discovery Makers series, Conor and Dodi discuss why Sebastian went into his research field, what motivates him, why he enjoys teaching, and what future research Sebastian is looking into.

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Keywords: structural biology, proteins, science, discoveries, mentoring, serendipity, nucleic acid, discovery, experimenting, art, curiosity, hypothesis, research, RNAi, biogenesis.

As 2022 rolls around the corner, we look back on the amazing topics we covered in 2021. Conor and Dodi were set an assignment to choose their favorite episode of the year, but as this was such a jam-packed year it made it very hard for them to complete their assignment. But as in all things, they delivered.

From fungi forays to an eye-opening conversation with Dr Joan Reede, President of the BSCP, Dodi and Conor discuss the best moments of the year, with a little input from the production team. Our podcast planner intern, Bethany shares her favorite episode, as does Thomas Henley our podcast editor and sound designer.

Stay to the end for a little surprise from us to you for the holiday season…

Transcript

Keywords: insects, recombinant factor c, pupae, biotech, fats, discovery, favorite, industry, BSCP, fungi, horseshoe crab.

For this episode of Discovery Matters we are focusing on industry surveys and what they can tell us. This includes BioPlan and the Biopharma Resilience Index. Both huge reports providing insight into both the issues and opportunities facing the industry today.

Firman Ghouze, Cytiva’s Marketing Director in APAC, explains how the Biopharma Resilience Index came about, the industry issues it uncovers and potential solutions. We are also joined by Eric Langer, from BioPlan Associates, to discuss the BioPlan findings and how they echo many of the same themes. Finally, it was a delight to talk to Dr. Richard Wang, the founder and CEO of Neukio Biotherapeutics, who shares his insights as an industry leader.

This episode is an informative and accessible discussion on the state of the biopharma industry today. We discuss ways to tackle the most pressing challenges and how, if possible, we can best plan for the future.

Learn more about the Biopharma Resilience Index here.

Check out bioplanassociates.com.

Transcript

Keywords: industry, manufacturing, index, talent, biopharma, resilience, capacity, supply chain, talent pool, capital flows, pandemic, biopharma resilience index.

Single-cell sequencing is a technology that is giving us new genomic capabilities. Dr. Luciano Martelotto joins us to explain how single-cell sequencing allows scientists to understand cells as building blocks, much like LEGO™, which form part of a much bigger structure such as an organ, a tissue, a disease, and so forth. Dr. James McLaren utilizes this technology to look at septicemia; in his work he is using single-cell analysis to better understand sepsis and to develop a rapid diagnostic test. Single-cell sequencing could hold the key to understanding why the body reacts to infections, and overall to help us advance healthcare. Join Dodi, Conor and their guests, Dr. Luciano Martelotto, Scientific Director of Single Cell Lab at Harvard Medical School, and Dr. James McLaren, Systems Immunity lecturer at Cardiff University, in the latest episode of Discovery Matters.

Transcript

Keywords: single-cell, sepsis, sequencing, diagnostic, infection, lab-on-a-chip, detection, technology, cellular.