The Biorevolution Podcast

The Biorevolution Podcast

By Louise von StechowScienceLife SciencesNatural Sciences
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The Biorevolution Podcast episodes

  • AI, the Brain, and the Biology of Intelligence
    The Biorevolution Podcast

    The entry of artificial intelligence into mainstream life gives us a chance to think about the meaning of intelligence – human and machine – and how both will develop in the future.

    While AI models can solve problems far beyond human capabilities – from image recognition to the prediction of protein folding – they can fail at seemingly simple tasks. While humans have generalized intelligence, we fail at navigating complex option spaces and quickly reach the limits of our computational power.

    So what does it actually mean to be intelligent? And how does artificial intelligence compare to the biological intelligence of our own brains? The relationship between artificial and biological intelligence goes back to the beginnings of AI research, when scientists first attempted to recreate aspects of the human brain using artificial neural networks. Today, AI has evolved into something very different from its biological inspiration.

    In episode 53 of the BioRevolution podcast, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow explore the relationship between human and artificial intelligence, how AI and neuroscience can converge to provide a better understanding of intelligence and consciousness, and what role psychedelics might play in all this.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: Mike Kononov via Unsplash

    References:

    1. Grim P. Understanding Artificial Intelligence: Of Minds and Machines. The Great Courses (undated). https://shop.thegreatcourses.com/understanding-artificial-intelligence-of-minds-and-machines
    2. McCulloch WS, Pitts W. A logical calculus of the ideas immanent in nervous activity (1943). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02478259
    3. Turing AM. Computing Machinery and Intelligence (1950). https://doi.org/10.1093/mind/LIX.236.433
    4. McCarthy J et al. A Proposal for the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence (1955). https://people.csail.mit.edu/brooks/idocs/DartmouthProposal.pdf
    5. Buchanan BG. A (Very) Brief History of Artificial Intelligence (2005). https://doi.org/10.1609/aimag.v26i4.1848
    6. Krizhevsky A, Sutskever I, Hinton GE. ImageNet Classification with Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (2012). https://proceedings.neurips.cc/paper/2012/hash/c399862d3b9d6b76c8436e924a68c45b-Abstract.html
    7. Silver D et al. Mastering the game of Go with deep neural networks and tree search (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature16961
    8. Vaswani A et al. Attention Is All You Need (2017). https://arxiv.org/abs/1706.03762
    9. Suzuki K et al. A Deep-Dream Virtual Reality Platform for Studying Altered Perceptual Phenomenology (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-16316-2
    10. Zador AM. A critique of pure learning and what artificial neural networks can learn from animal brains (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-11786-6
    11. Jumper J et al. Highly accurate protein structure prediction with AlphaFold (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03819-2
    12. Cox DJ et al. Predicting changes in substance use following psychedelic experiences: natural language processing of psychedelic session narratives (2021). https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2021.1910830
    13. Willett FR et al. A high-performance speech neuroprosthesis (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06377-x
    14. Zhao Y et al. Artificial intelligence based multimodal language decoding from brain activity: A review (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.110713
    15. Nutt D, Spriggs M, Erritzoe D. Psychedelics therapeutics: What we know, what we think, and what we need to research (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109257
    16. Artificial intelligence is not a substitute for human intelligence (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-025-00517-y
    17. Mathis MW, Mathis A. Joint modelling of brain and behaviour dynamics with artificial intelligence (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-025-00996-1
    18. Riva G et al. AI-generated virtual psychedelics bridge digital and therapeutic frontiers in mental health research (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-025-00576-3
      19. 35 min
    19. 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
    20. 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
      26. 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
      27. 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
        11. 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

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          4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36599349/
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          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/
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          14. https://longevity.technology/news/senisca-raises-3-7-million-for-rapid-development-of-senotherapeutic-platform/
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          16. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-025-02932-1
          17. https://link.springer.com/rwe/10.1007/978-3-030-22009-9_400
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          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/
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          27. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/dec/26/scientists-explore-longevity-drugs-for-dogs-that-could-also-extend-human-life
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            34. 38 min
          34. 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

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              14. 34 min
            14. 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

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              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
              22. 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
              23. 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

                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?