The Biorevolution Podcast

The Biorevolution Podcast

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The Biorevolution Podcast episodes

  • Living and Learning in the Metaverse: Stepping Inside Scientific Data
    The BioRevolution Podcast - Episode 52

    For centuries, scientists have relied on visual representations to make sense of the world, from anatomical drawings and microscopy images to increasingly complex computational visualizations. Yet most scientific data still ends up on a flat screen. Extended reality (XR), including virtual and augmented reality (VR, AR), offers new ways of interacting with information. Researchers can step inside a dataset, such as the Human Reference Atlas (HRA) and move around structures, manipulate them with their hands, change scale, and explore the same virtual space together.

    With Dr. Andreas Bueckle, Research Lead at the Cyberinfrastructure for Network Science Center at Indiana University Bloomington, we discuss what a metaverse for scientists could look like and what scientists can learn from gamers about virtual spaces.

    Find Andreas’s website here: https://andreas-bueckle.com/

    Find Andreas’s LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreas-bueckle/
    Watch Andreas’ TEDx talk “Living and Learning in the Metaverse”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpnLKoAK1YE
    Explore the HRA Organ Gallery: https://humanatlas.io/hra-organ-gallery

    Image: Lucrezia Carnelos via Unsplash

    References

    Milgram P, Kishino F. (1994). A Taxonomy of Mixed Reality Visual Displays. IEICE Transactions on Information and Systems E77-D(12):1321–1329.
    Chandler T, Cordeil M, Czauderna T, et al. (2015). Immersive Analytics. IEEE Big Data Visual Analytics. DOI: 10.1109/BDVA.2015.7314296
    Skarbez R, Smith M, Whitton MC. (2021). Revisiting Milgram and Kishino's Reality-Virtuality Continuum. Frontiers in Virtual Reality. https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2021.647997
    Ens B, Bach B, Cordeil M, et al. (2021). Grand Challenges in Immersive Analytics. Proceedings of CHI 2021. DOI: 10.1145/3411764.3446866.
    Bueckle A. (2022). Living and Learning in the Metaverse. TEDxIndianaUniversity.
    Bueckle A, Buehling K, Shih PC, Börner K. (2022). Optimizing Performance and Satisfaction in Matching and Movement Tasks in Virtual Reality with Interventions Using the Data Visualization Literacy Framework. Frontiers in Virtual Reality 2:727344. DOI: 10.3389/frvir.2021.727344.
    Korkut EH, Surer E. (2023). Visualization in virtual reality: a systematic review. Virtual Reality 27:1447–1480. DOI: 10.1007/s10055-023-00753-8.
    Bueckle A, Qing C, Luley S, Kumar Y, Pandey N, Börner K. (2023). The HRA Organ Gallery affords immersive superpowers for building and exploring the Human Reference Atlas with virtual reality. Frontiers in Bioinformatics 3:1162723. DOI: 10.3389/fbinf.2023.1162723.
    Saffo D, Di Bartolomeo S, Crnovrsanin T, et al. (2024). Unraveling the Design Space of Immersive Analytics: A Systematic Review. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics 30(1). DOI: 10.1109/TVCG.2023.3327368
    Kumarapeli D, Jung S, Lindeman RW. (2024). Privacy threats of behaviour identity detection in VR. Frontiers in Virtual Reality 5:1197547. DOI: 10.3389/frvir.2024.1197547.
    Börner K, Blood PD, Herr BW II, et al. (2025). Human BioMolecular Atlas Program (HuBMAP): 3D Human Reference Atlas construction and usage. Nature Methods. DOI: 10.1038/s41592-024-02563-5.
    Ning X, Zhuo Y, Wang X, Sio C-ID, Lee L-H. (2025). When Generative Artificial Intelligence Meets Extended Reality: A Systematic Review. arXiv. DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2511.03282.
    Bueckle A, Zhu C, Wong AYH, et al. (2026). Multiscale harmonization and semantic integration of biomedical data enable biological insights through immersive exploration. bioRxiv. DOI: 10.64898/2026.07.07.737090.
    Bueckle A, Hütter CVR, Raidou RG, et al. (2026). Challenges and Opportunities for Theory-Grounded Data Visualization in Extended Reality. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications 46(4):111–118. DOI: 10.1109/MCG.2026.3685140.
    Mora P, et al. (2026). Refugio: a voice-driven generative virtual reality “safe place” for personalized emotion regulation. Frontiers in Virtual Reality. DOI: 10.3389/frvir.2026.1760765.

    44 min
  • Lab-in-the-Loop: AI bridges to the wet lab
    The BioRevolution Podcast - Episode 51

    Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of the scientific process itself. Beyond analyzing data or predicting molecular structures, emerging AI co-scientists can generate hypotheses, critique ideas, search the literature, propose experiments, and interpret results. In lab-in-the-loop approaches, these computational systems are connected with wet-lab experimentation and automation, creating iterative cycles in which models learn from experimental data and suggest what to test next.

    Recent systems from Google DeepMind, FutureHouse/Edison Scientific, and Stanford s illustrate how quickly this field is developing. Yet questions remain around scientific novelty, data quality, hallucinations, bias, and whether faster science necessarily means better science.
    With Dr. Thibault Geoui, life-science and AI expert at Zühlke and host of the Tech and Drugs podcast, we discuss the rise of AI co-scientists and self-driving labs, where the real bottlenecks in AI-driven drug discovery lie, and how the role of human scientists may change as AI moves from software tool to scientific collaborator.
    Find Thibault here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thibaultgeoui/
    Listen to the Tech and Drugs podcast here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLALYPui2n_zY5D4atXf3KbIcPUSQcWN7-A&si=V5-C6KIIOMpGonI7
    Read Thibault’s Newsletter here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7036361021543866369/?displayConfirmation=true

    Disclaimer:

    Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.

    Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:

    scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
    Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
    Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow

    1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10644-y
    2. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10658-6
    3. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10652-y
    4. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/openai-launches-biotech-specific-ai-model-gpt-rosalind
    5. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.07.25331008v
    6. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02028-5
    7. https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.09403
    8. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02218-z
    9. https://valutric.com/googles-ai-co-scientist-vs-openais-deep-research-vs-perplexitys-deep-research/
    10. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00343-5
    11. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-02842-3
    12. https://sakana.ai/ai-scientist-first-publication/
    13. https://www.wired.com/story/ai-scientist-ubc-lab/
    14. https://research.google/blog/accelerating-scientific-breakthroughs-with-an-ai-co-scientist/
    15. https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.18864
    16. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01485-2
    17. https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/evaluation-deep-research-performance
    18. https://modernsciences.org/openai-deep-research-agent-ai-tool-limitations-february-2025/
    19. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00377-9
    20. https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.13740
    21. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01684-3
    22. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44286-023-00002-4
    23. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10700133/
    24. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09922-y
    25. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01551-3
    26. 52 min
    27. The good, the bad and the overhyped - 4 years of biomedical AI on the BioRevolution podcast
      The BioRevolution Podcast - Episode 50

      The BioRevolution podcast has now reached 50 episodes.

      One topic, however, has come up again and again: artificial intelligence.

      AI is enabling new biotechnologies, driving new business models across biotech, pharma, and MedTech, and even opening new possibilities for enhancing humanity itself. Sixteen of our episodes have focused specifically on AI, and it has also featured prominently in many others.
      Does AI make us smarter or less capable? Does it make us more productive, or simply more dependent and lazy? Do we still need humans to write and read texts, formulate research hypotheses, and carry out experiments? And how long will it be before we connect our brains directly to the cloud?
      On the BioRevolution podcast, we have explored these questions from many different angles, together with a wide range of guests.
      In Episode 50, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow revisit past episodes and discuss how AI will shape the future of biomedicine and biotech.

      Disclaimer:

      Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.

      Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:

      scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
      Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
      Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow

      42 min
    28. Nature’s origami– DNA nanotechnology
      The BioRevolution Podcast - Episode 49

      DNA nanotechnology treats DNA not primarily as a carrier of genetic information, but as a programmable material. Based on the predictability of Watson–Crick base pairing, DNA nanotechnology allows researchers to encode specific structural information. DNA origami, in particular, is an interesting approach for reproducibly folding complex two- and three-dimensional DNA nano-objects.

      The potential of DNA origami structures shows their versatility, from biosensing and diagnostics to drug delivery, biomaterials, DNA data storage, and computing — even though the field is still at a comparatively early stage, with a number of interesting biotechs emerging.
      With DNA nanotechnology expert and science writer Marco Lolaico, we discuss the fascinating field of DNA nanotechnology, with structures from DNA smileys to DNA bunnies, to movable DNA machines. We ask Marco how big “huge” is through a nanotech lens, and whether we can expect a Nobel Prize for the technology.
      Find Marco here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-lolaico/
      Find his “Plenty of room” newsletter here: https://plentyofroom.beehiiv.com/
      Disclaimer:
      Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.
      References:

      1. Nature Research Intelligence DNA Nanotechnology and Biomedical Applications. https://www.nature.com/research-intelligence/nri-topic-summaries/dna-nanotechnology-and-biomedical-applications-micro-2491
      2. Seeman NC. Nucleic acid junctions and lattices. 1982. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/link_gateway/1982JThBi..99..237S/doi:10.1016/0022-5193(82)90002-9
      3. Rothemund PWK. Folding DNA to create nanoscale shapes and patterns. 2006. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/link_gateway/2006Natur.440..297R/doi:10.1038/nature04586
      4. Seeman NC, Sleiman HF. DNA nanotechnology. 2017. https://www.nature.com/articles/natrevmats201768
      5. Zhan P et al. Recent Advances in DNA Origami-Engineered Nanomaterials. 2023. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00028
      6. Dunn KE. The Business of DNA Nanotechnology: Commercialization of Origami and Other Technologies. 2020. https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/2/377
      7. https://plentyofroom.beehiiv.com/p/molecular-hard-drives-dna-origami-rewrites-data-storage
      8. Zhang C. Linked data storage using DNA origami nanostructures. 2025. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-66274-x
      9. https://plentyofroom.beehiiv.com/p/dna-origami-boosts-anti-hiv-antibodies-vaccine-breakthrough
      10. Romanov A. DNA origami vaccines program antigen-focused germinal centers. 2026. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adx6291
      11. 36 min
      12. From biohacking to healthcare- the growing pains of the longevity industry
        The BioRevolution Podcast - Episode 48

        From Biohacking to Healthcare- the growing pain of the Longevity Industry

        Shownotes the BioRevolution podcast episode 48
        For most of human history, “living longer” mainly meant not dying early but this has changed drastically with significantly increased life expectancy in the 20th century.
        This raises a new question: how can we live longer, individually and as a society, without simply shifting the burden into more years lived with chronic disease?
        Researchers are increasingly reframing the problem away from purely disease-by-disease fixes and toward the underlying biology of ageing that contributes to multiple conditions, such as cancer, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, and metabolic disease.
        While the field is only beginning to untangle the complex, and likely multifactorial process of aging, a fledgling longevity industry has emerged around various hypotheses of aging mechanisms. The longevity industry spans therapeutics that target ageing-linked mechanisms, biomarkers and “clocks” that aim to measure biological ageing, and delivery models (clinics, digital platforms, consulting) that package measurement and interventions into services.

        In episode 48 of the BioRevolution podcast, we talk to Niko Hems, Growth Lead of Berlin-based longevity company YEARS and longevity writer and podcaster.

        Find Niko here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niko-hems/
        Find Niko’s “Beyond the Hype” course here: https://beyondthehype.kit.com/niko
        Find Niko’s podcast “Return on Health” with Miguel Medina here: https://open.spotify.com/show/3UmkL9XmmCGIs3jrxSV9CY?si=a74386952a2940f8
        Find YEARS here: https://www.years.co/de

        Disclaimer:

        Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.

        Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:

        scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
        Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
        Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow

        Sources

        1. https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights/global-average-life-expectancy-has-more-than-doubled-since-1900
        2. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-024-00702-3
        3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39418098/
        4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36599349/
        5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37118377/
        6. https://pharmaphorum.com/news/billionaire-backed-rejuvenation-start-up-altos-labs-launches-operations
        7. https://blog.newlimit.com/p/newlimit-raises-130-million-series
        8. https://pulse24.ai/news/2025/8/22/20/ai-boosts-cell-rejuvenation
        9. https://www.biopharmatrend.com/news/fda-greenlights-first-human-trial-of-epigenetic-rejuvenation-therapy-for-vision-loss-1483/
        10. https://shiftbioscience.com/shift-bioscience-raises-16m-to-advance-ai-virtual-cell-platform-for-cell-rejuvenation/
        11. https://clock.bio/
        12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40563501/
        13. https://www.pharmiweb.com/press-release/2025-09-17/rubedo-life-sciences-announces-us-fda-clearance-of-ind-for-selective-gpx4-modulating-lead-drug-can
        14. https://longevity.technology/news/senisca-raises-3-7-million-for-rapid-development-of-senotherapeutic-platform/
        15. https://dogagingproject.org/
        16. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-025-02932-1
        17. https://link.springer.com/rwe/10.1007/978-3-030-22009-9_400
        18. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251216261885/en/Aeovian-Pharmaceuticals-Raises-%2455-Million-to-Advance-First-in-Class-Selective-mTORC1-Inhibitor-for-Tuberous-Sclerosis-Complex-Related-Epilepsy
        19. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34425083/
        20. https://www.biospace.com/press-releases/novo-nordisk-a-s-evoke-phase-3-trials-did-not-demonstrate-a-statistically-significant-reduction-in-alzheimers-disease-progression
        21. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37179335/
        22. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250111808660/en/Immunis-Closes-%2425-Million-Series-A-1-Financing-Round
        23. hervolutiontx.com/news/dark-genome-biotech-hervolution-therapeutics-announces-11.7m-series-a-to-advance-treatments-for-cancer-and-diseases-of-aging/
        24. https://www.pretzeltx.com/pretzel-therapeutics-initiates-phase-1-clinical-study-evaluating-px578-lead-therapeutic-in-its-bioenergetics-restoration-franchise/
        25. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35498045/
        26. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24138928/
        27. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/dec/26/scientists-explore-longevity-drugs-for-dogs-that-could-also-extend-human-life
        28. https://www.geneticsandsociety.org/article/embryo-models-challenge-legal-ethical-and-biological-concepts
        29. https://www.repairbiotechnologies.com/repair-biotechnologies-receives-orphan-drug-designation-from-the-fda-for-the-treatment-of-homozygous-familial-hypercholesterolemia/
        30. https://a16z.com/announcement/function-health-series-b/
        31. https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/13/tony-robbins-and-peter-diamandis-longevity-company-fountain-life-raises-18m/
        32. https://years.co/
        33. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12606959/
        34. 38 min
        35. AI driven protein design- beyond nature's blueprint
          The BioRevolution Podcast - Episode 47

          Nature has “gifted” us proteins that carry out a vast array of functions in cells, shaping the lives of all organisms, ecosystems, and ultimately the planet. In the age of synthetic biology, researchers are pushing beyond the catalogue of naturally evolved proteins by redesigning or even de novo designing proteins to make them more suitable for human goals—improving function, stability, specificity, manufacturability, or even creating entirely new capabilities. Artificial intelligence is becoming an important ally in transforming protein engineering from a trial-and-error process into a more predictive discipline, where deep learning models help predict the structure and function of a novel protein directly from its sequence. This enables faster generation and optimization of sequences for desired functions and reduces expensive and time-consuming wet-lab cycles.

          In this episode of the BioRevolution Podcast, Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler speak with Ingmar Schuster, AI expert and CEO of the protein design company Provolut, about the hopes, myths, and real potential of AI in protein design.
          Find Imgmar here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingmar-schuster/
          Find Provolut here: https://provolut.bio/
          Learn more about how they approach protein design for their clients here:https://provolut.bio/case-study-max-planck-insitute/

          Disclaimer:

          Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.

          Sources

          1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590093525000177
          2. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44222-025-00349-8
          3. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11427-024-2906-3
          4. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acscentsci.3c01275
          5. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03819-2
          6. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-024-02211-5
          7. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.add2187
          8. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-024-02123-4
          9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36702895/
          10. https://www.profluent.bio/platform
          11. https://provolut.bio/case-study-max-planck-insitute/
          12. https://provolut.bio/provolut-partners-with-ginkgo-bioworks/
          13. https://biopharma.ginkgo.bio/resources/blog/ginkgo-technology-network-launches-providing-an-integrated-rd-experience-with-capabilities-from-over-25-inaugural-partners
          14. 34 min
          15. From Animals to Algorithms: How AI Brings Drug Testing Closer to Human Biology
            The BioRevolution Podcast - Episode 46

            Animal models have been the mainstay for testing hypotheses about human diseases and their treatment in academic research and drug development.

            However, these models raise ethical concerns and are costly and time-consuming. Most importantly, animal models often have low predictive power for the behavior of novel treatments in humans. Ethically, animal testing is arguably justifiable only if it can meaningfully predict outcomes in humans. Financially, committing millions of dollars and years of development to models with limited informative value is equally hard to defend. As governments and regulators, such as the US FDA, push to reduce animal testing, researchers from academia, pharma, and biotech are increasingly turning to new approach methodologies (NAMs) for preclinical and nonclinical testing.
            In this episode of the BioRevolution podcast, Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler discuss what is needed to shift from animal testing to NAM models which could be more meaningful for human biology. In particular, AI-based approaches offer a scalable alternative to animal testing that can make predictions based on a variety of data sources to provide a better understanding of human disease biology.
            Disclaimer:
            Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.

            Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:

            scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
            Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
            Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow

            References

            1. https://www.biopharmatrend.com/business-intelligence/from-animals-to-algorithms-how-ai-brings-drug-testing-closer-to-human-biology/
            2. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(26)00298-9/fulltext
            3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39805539/
            4. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-025-02690-0
            5. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03344-6
            6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35865092/
            7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32868897/
            8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32324077/
            9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18357347/
            10. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9100373/
            11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31291566/
            12. https://aacrjournals.org/cancerdiscovery/article/8/9/1069/10253/Fundamental-Mechanisms-of-Immune-Checkpoint
            13. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-025-02068-1
            14. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33356151/
            15. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39836754/
            16. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37676606/
            17. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence/articles/10.3389/frai.2023.1269932/full
            18. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-31169-8
            19. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/vioxx-rofecoxib-questions-and-answers
            20. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pds.1207
            21. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-42933-9
            22. 31 min
            23. From Bench to Mic – Demystifying Science
              The BioRevolution Podcast - Episode 45

              From Bench to Mic – Demystifying Science

              In our complex world, science can be an important guiding thread for decision-making—both for policymakers and for individuals—on how to shape the health and wellbeing of society and individuals. But science often gets lost in translation, making it hard to distinguish facts from myths and to find truth within the complex picture of modern science. Good science communication is key to demystifying science and enabling science-based decision-making for everyone.
              In this episode of the BioRevolution podcast, we speak with Dr. Chandni Natalia Kumar, host of the Daily Dose of Honest Science podcast, a postdoc at the Biomedical Center Munich (LMU), and a proteomics enthusiast. Through her channel, Chandni shows what it means to communicate science honestly and accessibly in a world full of hype, myths, and self-optimization trends.
              Find Chandni here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-chandni-natalia-kumar-628b7316a/
              Find the Daily Dose of Honest Science podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DDHS_Podcast
              And Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0CiSf91dGsvx6LX4NGGWmH?si=9439e1dcd01f4af4

              Disclaimer:

              Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.

              Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:

              scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
              Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
              Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow

              47 min
            24. Into the dark – finding meaning within the depth of our proteome
              The BioRevolution Podcast - Episode 44

              For decades, biology treated the human genome as a tidy instruction manual—genes neatly encoding proteins, surrounded by vast stretches of supposedly irrelevant DNA. As sequencing and molecular tools advanced, that picture fractured: scientists uncovered transposable elements, viral remnants, regulatory RNAs—and even unexpected, tiny non-canonical proteins, often called the “dark proteome.”

              Today, we know that much of this presumed “junk” DNA is biochemically active under specific conditions, forming an interconnected network of regulatory elements, mobile sequences, non-coding RNAs, and largely uncharacterized proteins. Some scientists believe this dark genomic layer acts as an adaptive reserve, helping genomes respond to stress, disease, and environmental change.
              In this episode Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow have a fascinating discussion with Dr. Sudhakaran Prabakaran, Associate Teaching Professor at Northeastern University, CEO of biotech NonExomics, and author of the upcoming book Eclipsed Horizons, which explores the dark genome, the proteome, evolution, and speculative futures for both humanity and the planet.

              Find Dr. Sudhakaran Prabakaran https://www.linkedin.com/in/sudhakaranprabakaran/

              Find the Eclipsed Horizons https://sites.google.com/view/sudhakaranprabakaran/book

              Disclaimer:

              Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.

              Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:

              scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
              Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
              Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow
              Image Unsplash via NASA

              Further Reading on the dark genome, proteome and beyond

              https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5065367/

              1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2998295/
              2. https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/educational-resources/fact-sheets/human-genome-project
              3. https://www.nature.com/articles/538275a
              4. https://www.nature.com/articles/512009e
              5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7366731/
              6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15496913/
              7. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982212011542
              8. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/genomics/encode-project.html
              9. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269899103JunkorfunctionalDNAENCODEandthefunction_controversy
              10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19213877/
              11. https://www.nature.com/articles/520615a
              12. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11311765/
              13. https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pmic.202100211
              14. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12701996/
              15. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9757701/
              16. https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms6429
              17. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32139545/
              18. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38176414/
              19. https://panspermia.org/mcclintocknrg2023.pdf
              20. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1912725116
              21. 38 min
              22. Everything Everywhere All at Once: Mapping the Bigger Picture with Macroscopes
                The BioRevolution Podcast - Episode 43

                We’re living in the big data age, surrounded by personal, scientific, and societal data that could help us understand the world, make decisions, and even forecast what comes next. But complex systems don’t fit neatly into human intuition, and we can’t “see” meaning in massive datasets without help.

                That’s where macroscopes come in: software tools designed to make complexity interpretable, explorable and allow users to “make sense” out of big, complex data.
                In this episode of the BioRevolution podcast, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow have Katy Börner as a guest. Katy is Professor of Engineering and Information Science at Indiana University, leads the international Human Reference Atlas, and is one of the founders and curators behind the long-running Places & Spaces: Mapping Science exhibit.
                Together they discuss why visualization + interpretation + communication of data matter just as much as data collection—and how macroscopes can help us make sense of our complex world.

                Find Katy here:

                https://cns-iu.github.io/katy

                https://www.bihealth.org/en/notices/prof-dr-katy-boerner-connects-anatomy-and-disease-with-the-multiscale-human-reference-atlas
                https://www.linkedin.com/in/katy-b%C3%B6rner-a03837/

                Read more about data visualization and macroscopes here:

                https://scimaps.org/macroscopes
                https://bigthink.com/hard-science/macroscopes/
                https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1807180116
                https://dl.acm.org/doi/epdf/10.1145/1897852.1897871
                https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3093338.3106387
                https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262014458/atlas-of-science/
                https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262028813/atlas-of-knowledge/
                https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262045957/atlas-of-forecasts/
                https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262049924/atlas-of-macroscopes/
                https://mcn.edu/resources/meet-the-macroscopes/
                https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0894439316643050
                https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27032088/
                https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24626916/
                https://archive.org/details/macroscopenewwor0000rosn
                dagstuhl.de/21152/places-spaces/

                Envisioning Intelligences exhibit call is at https://scimaps.org/call-for-submissions

                Disclaimer:

                Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.

                Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:

                scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
                Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
                Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow

                40 min

              About The Biorevolution Podcast

              From the publisher's feed

              The Biorevolution Podcast with Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow – father and daughter, journalist and biologist, talking about the technologies of the biorevolution. Can genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence save humanity from disease, climate change, and overpopulation, or are these technologies the first step towards its downfall?