Speaking of Mol Bio

We’re joined in this episode by Dr. Sarah Barry, Reader in Chemical Biology at King’s College London. Sarah started with an interest in biochemistry, went into organic chemistry because it was more concrete, and now applies her chemist’s approach to understanding and manipulating biosynthesis of natural products for important areas of research, including antibiotics.

This insightful conversation gives a peek into the mind of a chemical biologist’s way of thinking about and approaching challenges that span biology and chemistry. We learn about the historical challenges of discovering and synthesizing natural products, but we then hear about how innovations in molecular biology are allowing researchers to revisit this field with a new approach. Sarah and her team identify and manipulate genes, express and purify proteins in the lab, and then characterize those enzymes for their abilities to drive biocatalytic transformations that are beyond challenging using traditional organic or inorganic chemistry approaches. Our conversation spans from the details of the molecular biology methods used, to the high-level applications being explored in this research, all with an ease that only someone this interdisciplinary could do.

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Speaking of Mol Bio Podcast | Thermo Fisher Scientific - US

Visit the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology to access helpful molecular biology resources and educational content, and please share this resource with anyone you know working in molecular biology. 

The history of fermented foods like beer, bread, and other foods can be traced back thousands of years to ancient civilizations in China and Egypt. This ancient technology was originally used to preserve foods when refrigeration was not an option. While less common in modern industrialized civilizations, we’re now realizing that fermented foods play a major role in gut microbiome diversity, which is a biomarker for overall health.

Join our conversation with Dr. John Leech, Technologist at Teagasc in County Cork, Ireland to learn all about the history and how cutting-edge technologies are being applied to research in food fermentation. John shares his story of how he found this field of research and how he’s now headlong into striving to understand and harness the power of fermented foods. We learn about the complex microbial communities that define and deliver the health benefits of these foods, but we also hear about how this biological complexity makes them inherently irreproducible.

Foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, tepache, milk kefir, and water kefir are produced from fermentation, facilitated by complex communities of microbes. Consumption of fermented foods can alter our gut microbiome, which has been shown to affect obesity, inflammation, longevity, and efficacy of drug treatments. John and his team are using qPCR, NGS, and other methods to characterize the microbial consortia used to produce these foods. They’re now working to figure out how to simplify the consortium while still delivering health benefits, all while making the process reproducible and scalable

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Speaking of Mol Bio Podcast | Thermo Fisher Scientific - US

Visit the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology to access helpful molecular biology resources and educational content, and please share this resource with anyone you know working in molecular biology. 

While some of us knew a good bit about mRNA prior to 2020, we all got a crash course on mRNA technology and its prophylactic and therapeutic potential as a result of the COVID pandemic and subsequent SARS CoV-2 vaccine development. In fact, most of us have now received at least one mRNA vaccine at this point.

Our guest for this episode, Dr. Christian Cobaugh, Co-founder and CEO of Vernal Biosciences, was a passionate believer in mRNA medicines well before the pandemic. Join us to hear his story and his passion for this technology. He walks us through the molecular methods by which high-purity mRNAs are now made and purified, as well as going into the lipid nanoparticle technology by which they’re commonly delivered. As a contract development and manufacturing provider, we get to learn about the state of the market and what clients of their care about today. As a seasoned expert in this space, Christian talks about the future potential of mRNA technology for applications such as personalized cancer vaccines.

If you enjoy hearing smart people talk about interesting topics with a passion, you won’t want to miss this episode!

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Speaking of Mol Bio Podcast | Thermo Fisher Scientific - US

Visit the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology to access helpful molecular biology resources and educational content, and please share this resource with anyone you know working in molecular biology. 

There are all sorts of molecular tests to tell if you’re infected with something specific, but what do you use when you’re not sure what you might have? You might use a thermometer as a first step, but wouldn’t it be nice if that thermometer was a bit more high tech?

In this episode we meet Dr. Nick Meyerson, CEO and co-founder of Darwin Biosciences, who’s team is working to develop the “molecular thermometer of the future.” We hear about how this physicist transitioned into molecular biology and then latched onto saliva as a sample of choice to detect early molecular indicator of infection. Nick does a great job of explaining his path leading up to the founding of Darwin Bio, the challenges of founding a company in early 2020, why saliva is their sample of choice, the beautiful simplicity of isothermal amplification methods, and the lesser-known funding routes of working with government agencies like the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).

Join us as we dive into the molecular nature of non-specific detection of infections, how it’s done using no electricity, it’s potential applications, and what the future holds for this field. Nick also shares lessons learned and some insights on the value of mentors and a lifelong curiosity.

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Speaking of Mol Bio Podcast | Thermo Fisher Scientific - US

Visit the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology to access helpful molecular biology resources and educational content, and please share this resource with anyone you know working in molecular biology. 

Plastics are a modern miracle of science that have helped deliver both convenience and life-saving solutions. However, we must now grapple with the challenge of immense amounts of plastics in our waste streams and environment. How do we best deconstruct plastics to reusable or more bio-friendly molecules? This is the exact challenge being addressed by the work of Dr. Elizabeth (Izzy) Bell and her team at the National Renewable Energy Lab.

Our conversation with Izzy showcases her ability to summarize complex topics very concisely and understandably, which she says is a skill that is critically important in her field because it’s so interdisciplinary. Izzy summarizes the challenges they’re working to address and then walks us through the stepwise processes she and her team use to conduct directed evolution studies. These studies aim to create and characterize enzymes capable of deconstructing common plastics, first at a laboratory scale, but eventually at an industrial scale. If you’ve ever wondered about how directed evolution studies are done, and the role that molecular biology plays with them, this conversation will be sure to clarify.

In addition to the great science of this episode, Izzy also helps outline what it takes to get into and be successful in her field – a great resource for anyone aspiring to get into this area of research. We hear about how interdisciplinary the field is, but how that means it’s also ripe with opportunity for those passionate about learning and making a difference. Join us for what is sure to be an informative and inspiring episode!

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Speaking of Mol Bio Podcast | Thermo Fisher Scientific - US

Visit the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology to access helpful molecular biology resources and educational content, and please share this resource with anyone you know working in molecular biology. 

Most scientists start their education and careers with a vision of working in the lab to discover great things and drive innovation. However, we don’t all end up loving the actual lab work portion of science. What non-lab career options exist to utilize molecular biology knowledge and skills? Well, according to our guest, Jason Amsbaugh, Founder and CEO of Samba Scientific, the career options are far more plentiful than you may think.

Scientific marketing, according to Jason, is one such role that is all about understanding the science, first and foremost, but it’s also about effective communication. Essentially, he and his team have to balance technical knowledge with creativity to understand a wide variety of client products and services, uncover the core benefits of those products and services, and then develop marketing content that holds water when put in front of scientists who are, according to Jason, “skeptical” by nature.

Our conversation covers Jason’s own career path, current trending technologies, the use of AI in both science and marketing, ethics in scientific marketing, and more. If you’ve ever wondered about what roles exist outside of the lab and how to move your career in that direction, this episode is for you. If you’re happy in your lab-based career but want to have a bit more faith in those selling you the products you use, this episode is also for you!

Visit our virtual lab: www.thermofisher.com//molbiovirtuallab

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Speaking of Mol Bio Podcast | Thermo Fisher Scientific - US

Visit the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology to access helpful molecular biology resources and educational content, and please share this resource with anyone you know working in molecular biology. 

While the end product is quite different, brewing beer is not all that different than many other bioproduction processes used in the lab and industry. Both require skills, experience, and the right QC/QA methods to control and monitor the starting materials and the entire process, all the way to that bottle of suds you might be thirsty for.

Steve and Gabriel talk with Kelly Tretter, a microbiologist with more than 30 years of experience in the brewing industry, to discuss brewing at the molecular level. The passion of all three for beer is evident in the conversation, which spans from the basics of the brewing process all the way into the use of molecular methods (e.g., PCR, sequencing, HPLC, GC/MS, ICP, etc.) used to test and monitor starting materials and in-process samples.

You’ll leave with an elevated appreciation of what brewers do, and you’ll likely be ready for another pint too!

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Speaking of Mol Bio Podcast | Thermo Fisher Scientific - US

Visit the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology to access helpful molecular biology resources and educational content, and please share this resource with anyone you know working in molecular biology. 

When you buy chicken or turkey from the grocery store, you might not give it much thought, but there is an entire network of people working to ensure the health of the animals in our food supply chain and your health. In this episode, we talk with an unsung hero, Beverly Wood, supervisor of the molecular diagnostics lab at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, who works tirelessly to ensure the health and safety of poultry and livestock animals in our food supply chain.

Our conversation delves into the types of samples and volume of testing that Beverly and her team do on a routine basis uncovers how their work changes as they move between surveillance and outbreak modes of operation, and gets into the molecular testing workflows they use. Given that her lab analyzes more than 30,000 samples a year, the discussion also touches on advancements in sample preparation and PCR that help enable this level of throughput, while delivering the rigor and reliability their lab requires.

Join us to learn about the unsung heroes, both people and molecular methods, that deliver food health and safety.

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Speaking of Mol Bio Podcast | Thermo Fisher Scientific - US

Visit the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology to access helpful molecular biology resources and educational content, and please share this resource with anyone you know working in molecular biology. 

Contract Research Organizations (CROs) are a resource that most scientists know about but relatively few have first-hand, internal experience with. In this episode our hosts speak with Saboor Hekmaty, Director of Laboratory Operations at Avrok Biosciences, who pulls back the curtain to illuminate what CROs do, and the skills required for them to be successful in supporting diverse projects for their customers.

We hear about the work Saboor and their team do in biospecimen processing, biobanking, clinical studies, and lots of sample analysis, all tailored to meet the unique needs of the challenges they face each day.

Join us for a casual, insightful, and educational conversation that will leave you with a deeper understanding of CROs and what it’s like to work for one customer. Saboor highlights the importance and ubiquity of molecular biology in their projects and the personal traits required for him and his staff to be successful and enjoy the diverse work

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Speaking of Mol Bio Podcast | Thermo Fisher Scientific - US

Visit the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology to access helpful molecular biology resources and educational content, and please share this resource with anyone you know working in molecular biology. 

Doing something complex and meaningful in a new way requires thinking and acting a bit differently. This is the case with how Dr. Joey Azofeifa, from Arpeggio Bio, is using systems biology to discover new drug candidates.

Join us in this Season 2 kickoff episode where we dive headlong into transcriptomics, systems biology, machine learning, and learn how they’re being used to innovate drug discovery. We learn about 3’-end mRNA barcoding and in-cell reverse transcription methods that allow the pooling of up to 1,536 samples so that only a single library preparation is required while still allowing the deconvolution of RNAseq results. This reduces their RNAseq costs by up to 400-fold, which enables them to generate enormous transcriptomic data sets. We also learn about how they’re using generative adversarial AI networks to use this transcriptomics data to design potential drug candidates. We even hear how one of their drug candidates, which targets iron homeostasis pathways, has progress to successful testing in mice.

To access the transcript for download, please visit - https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/brands/invitrogen/molecular-biology-technologies/speaking-of-mol-bio-podcast.html

Subscribe to get future episodes as they drop and if you like what you’re hearing we hope you’ll share a review or recommend the series to a colleague. 

Download Transcripts: 

Speaking of Mol Bio Podcast | Thermo Fisher Scientific - US

Visit the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology to access helpful molecular biology resources and educational content, and please share this resource with anyone you know working in molecular biology.