Episode Description:

Welcome to another intriguing episode from our AMA series, where we're diving deep into the realms of cell biology, cognitive aging, and neurodegenerative disease, all through the lens of zebrafish!

We're delighted to have Dr. Liz Haynes, a cell biologist and post-doctoral fellow, as our special guest. A proud advocate for open-source tools and publishing, Dr. Haynes wields a microscope and an unyielding curiosity for the brain's smallest defenders, the microglia.

She embarked on her scientific journey at UNC-Chapel Hill, studying the fascinating actin dynamics and then plunging into the intricate world of kinesin-1’s cargo-binding subunits. But it was the world of zebrafish that stole her heart and honed her research focus.

Dr. Haynes utilizes her expertise in multiscale microscopy, specifically 2-photon and light sheet microscopy, to elucidate the role of microglia in cognitive aging and neurodegenerative diseases in zebrafish. The aim? To unravel the complex behaviors of cells in a 3D environment.

Currently, as a Morgridge Post-Doctoral Fellow working with the Eliceiri and Ulland labs, Dr. Haynes continues to innovate strategies for longitudinal light sheet and multiphoton microscopy. Her work promises new insights into microglia's part in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.

Join us as we discuss zebrafish, microglia, and the incredible world of cell biology with Dr. Haynes. Prepare to be amazed at what we can learn from the unassuming zebrafish and how they can teach us about cognitive aging and neurodegenerative disease.Today’s AMA is featuring Dr. Liz Haynes. You can follow her Sci Find Profile here (https://scifind.io/profiles/liz-haynes-j07bjmkz6uukura) to see some of her posts and her Twitter handle is @actin_crazy (https://twitter.com/actin_crazy). Check out her posts: https://scifind.io/posts/tissue-clearing-part-2-mounting-where-theres-a-will-theres-a-way-30puv6hnt5qratg and https://scifind.io/posts/tissue-clearing-part-1-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-r-p3p45h5yjb45iko

Let's dive headfirst into a fascinating episode of our AMA series featuring a disruptor who's rewriting the playbook of cell biology and challenging the status quo in the scientific world.

Meet Dr. Zara Weinberg, a cell-signaling sorceress and postdoc at UCSF. She's got a big love specifically for cyclic AMP and G protein-coupled receptors. If you're scratching your head wondering what those are, don't worry, you're not alone. But buckle up, because you're in for a crash course in synthetic biology that you never knew you needed (Sentinel cells and synthetic immune systems am I right?!)

Dr. Weinberg is a self-proclaimed publication anarchist. She's a vocal critic of the scientific publishing world's archaic norms, advocating for unrestricted access to knowledge in a bid to democratize scientific discovery.

She's also got a strong commitment to fostering the next generation of scientists, she actively works towards creating a more inclusive and collaborative scientific community. Her passion extends beyond the lab too, be it advocating for a greener world, hitting the hiking trails, or kicking back with her feline friends.

Get ready for an insightful journey as we delve into the world of Dr. Zara Weinberg, answering all your burning questions along the way.

To keep up with Dr. Weinberg's work, you can follow her on Twitter @weinberz 🐦 and check out her Scifind profile (https://scifind.io/profiles/zara-weinberg-599gtkgp9sdu2nb)

Prepare for an episode of the Fancy Labcoat Guild with an AMA in our Discord where we're going to jump into the world of pancreatic cancer research with Dr. Mike Feigin, an Associate Professor and Director of Experimental Therapeutics at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Known for his investigative pursuit of understanding the gene regulation mechanisms that drive tumor growth, Dr. Feigin shares his insights on how commonly prescribed medications can impact cancer progression.

But it's not just about the hard science. Dr. Feigin opens up his scientific journey, including a hilarious tale of his first cloning attempt, serving as a reminder that all of us make rookie mistakes.

When the lab coat is put away, Dr. Feigin is a family man who enjoys hiking the trails of western NY and indulging in a love for bagels 🥯. In an alternate world where cancer is cured, he'd be opening his own bakery. This conversation takes us on a journey from the intricacies of cancer genetics to the simple pleasure of a well-made bagel.

Join us as we decode the mysteries of pancreatic cancer, discuss and talk with this dedicated man of science!

To keep up with Dr. Feigin's work, you can follow him on Twitter @mike_feigin 🐦 and check out his Scifind profile (https://scifind.io/profiles/mike-feigin-y4vsdj4jj9hocql) 🔍.

Prepare for an episode of the Fancy Labcoat Guild that's less 'blinding flash of light' 🔦 and more 'steady, comforting glow' 💡. We've got an AMA on our Discord with the humble luminary - Dr. Phillip Kyriakakis. He's the kind of guy who tinkers with molecular light switches in optogenetics, a field most of us can't even spell correctly on the first try. 🧠🔬

His career trajectory has taken him from UMass Boston 🏫 to UC San Diego, and now to Stanford as a Senior Research Scientist. He's spent all this time flipping the switch on the field of optogenetics, and not in a way that requires protective eyewear. 🕶️

Dr. Kyriakakis isn't just about the science, though. He's a genuine, curious soul with a range of expertise that includes dabbling in electrical engineering in his garage! Plus, he's got this knack for making people smile, probably a side effect of spending so much time with biological lights. 😊

In this episode, we delve into the nitty-gritty of optogenetics, the highs and lows 🎢 of Dr. Kyriakakis's journey, and the joy of scientific discovery.

To keep up with Dr. Kyriakakis's work, you can follow him on Twitter @breakliquid 🐦 and check out his SciFind profile (https://scifind.io/profiles/phillip-kyriakakis-i73l2rqgm6dfxlu) 🔍. Let's just say, with him, the world of optogenetics is looking quite...illuminating. 💡

In this captivating episode of our AMA series, we dive into the fascinating world of floral ground plants 🌺 with our special guest, Dr. Min Ya. As both a talented researcher and artist, Dr. Min Ya shares her unique insights into the molecular basis of these plants, which make up over 90% of known land plants. Her passion for her work is contagious, and listeners will undoubtedly leave with a newfound appreciation for the complexity and beauty of flowering plants.

Dr. Min Ya discusses her journey from discovering her love for plant science to incorporating her artistic talents through stunning photography 📸 .She reveals how her work with the microscope and camera has allowed her to capture the intricate details of plants at a microscopic level 🔬, creating breathtaking images that showcase the structure and growth of plants.

Listeners will be treated to amusing anecdotes and eye-opening facts about the secret life of plant research, as well as some behind-the-scenes stories of Dr. Min Ya's research and photography adventures. She also addresses different aspects about plant biology and offers tips and advice for anyone interested in exploring a similar path that combines science and art.

Don't miss this delightful and enlightening conversation with the extraordinary Dr. Min Ya!

Do note that it is recorded on Discord and involves a live audience and active chat.

You can reach out to or follow Dr. Min Ya in the following places:

1. Scifind.io profile: https://scifind.io/profiles/min-ya-3ma1fgrqfkl22dd

2. Personal website/blog: https://www.minyaaa.com/

3. Twitter: https://twitter.com/0_minyaaa

In our first special AMA hosted by Scifind on our Discord, we brought in Sebastian Cocioba–the 21st century's very own modern Mendel. 🧬 Sebastian is an amateur biologist and one of the founders of Binomica Labs, who works from the comfort of his home lab, surrounded by his beloved plants and instruments. From cultivating his passion to surviving the joyful grind of tinkering away in his bespoke workshop, he's seen it all.

Sebastian is a plant whisperer and microbe wrangler who has a burning passion for science, further exemplified that he built out his lab in his private abode. This love of science is exemplified throughout not only his daily life but also on his popular Twitter account, @ATinyGreenCell, where he's tweeting sometimes humorous, and oftentimes insightful recountings of his adventures and activities, trials and tribulations he goes through every day.

In this AMA you'll hear everything from his origins to tips and tricks in the lab (especially ways to get cheap hardware and reagents) as well as some of his current projects that keep him up at night!

Do note that it is recorded on Discord and involves a live audience and active chat.

Esther Kim is a scientist working in synthetic biology. But she isn’t just a scientist, she’s a premiere community builder in these burgeoning scientific spaces. She has worked at small start-ups in the Bay Area at The ODIN, Synbiobeta, Braid Theory, and spent her early years working as a genetic engineer in biomanufacturing. She is most known for her work championing independent scientific researchers in the biohacking community to disrupt and transform scientific research and communication. She believes that science should be accessible and affordable to all.

Join us as we talk about everything from community building in science, to perhaps creating our own “Pikachu” in the future (looks like we’re going to have to fuse an electric eel with a mouse to make one of those…).

Episode Breakdown:

00:00-25:08: Tree Frogs, Evolving work (impact, goes where the people go), DIY CRISPR, The tale of being a “Creek” Girl , microbial engineering, the current speed of science, Breaking down the biohacker (Defining Biohacking), Practical science and the community,

25:08 - 45:00: Independent projects and research, Open-source Science, Scientific tools from eBay and community, DIY Science, homebrew reagents and materials sharing, What's a “flongle”?!, pain points of researchers, The struggles of grassroots science, the open scientist and social media, Open Insulin and the healthcare system, historical patterns between tech and biology, LIMS (spoiler alert, it’s an excel sheet). “Am I gonna go into the -80 and risk frostbite to check if the tube is there…?”

45:00 - 1:10:40: Software in science, “Can I make a Pikachu?!”, Community Oriented Biosecurity…check each other before we wreck each other, More Scientists in Politics, The rise of Community Biolabs, Building community in the scientific world, “IKEA Style Protocols”, “Esther Kim and the Chamber of Science”, Alternative Protein marketing–”it’s all the same in your tummy”,

1:10:40-End: Reaching out as a Young Researcher, Finding the right mentor, Red and Green Flags in the industry, Building something that lives on, Organizations to watch out for–robots, bio-mining, bio-engineered algae, “Green” Ketchup and Biological Fashion, Esther’s Closed-Loop Utopian Lab in the Desert.

Links to mentions from the episode:

The Odin - https://www.the-odin.com/

Sebastian Cocioba - https://twitter.com/ATinyGreenCell

Open Insulin - https://openinsulin.org/

Counter Culture Labs - https://www.counterculturelabs.org/

Michael Eisen - https://twitter.com/mbeisen

Reaxys - https://www.reaxys.com/#/login

The Primacy Effect - https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/primacy-effect

Trilobio - https://trilo.bio/#/

Maverick Bioworks - https://www.maverickbioworks.com/

Spira Inc - https://www.spirainc.com/

Takara Sake Brewery - https://www.takarasake.com/visit-us/sake-tasting-room

Our guest, Erin McConahey, is a Principal in Mechanical Engineering with Arup, an employee-owned global engineering, advisory and planning consulting firm that focuses on all aspects of the built environment. Erin’s passion for finding integrated design solutions through a collaborative design process began with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s degree in Structural Engineering from UC Berkeley. As she rose in leadership, she has served on Arup’s global Trustee Board, was named to be one of 40 Arup Fellows responsible for uplifting technical excellence within the firm, spearheaded the startup of its Americas Region Diversity and Inclusion Initiative, and served on the leadership teams for a number of capacity-building training programs. In addition to project work, she now leads Arup’s global initiative around adopting Whole Life Carbon approaches to both new construction and existing building decarbonization.

Erin is a Professional Engineer in California and Colorado and during her 26 years with Arup, Erin has been responsible for the design leadership of many significant projects, including projects here in LA such as the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, the LA Memorial Coliseum Renovation, the Broad Museum and the Broad Contemporary Art Museum at the LACMA as well as many others.

Episode Breakdown

00:00 - 28:32: What’s engineering, sustainability and why do they matter? The history of sustainability and how we got to this point. Being an ethical engineer and the need for imagination in engineering.

28:32 - 41:24: From Summer Camp to Graduate Engineer, Structural vs Mechanical Engineering, Design and the Built Environment. Soft Skills are a must for engineers. Professionalism and the application of knowledge.

41:24 - 56:46 The workings of corporate engineering, Becoming a corporate agent of change, The necessity of teamwork and collaborative design, Sustainability through community building. Leadership vs Followership.

56:46:- 1:12:54: what does it mean to be in sustainability and where do we start? , corporate social responsibility vs personal responsibility, The power of environmental commitments, and the synergy of policy, science, and engineering. The Cost of climate change. Why do we need gender equality to save the earth?

1:12:54- 1:30:54: The tactics of corporate knowledge building, Mushroom Bricks!, The “art” of building art museums, Role models growing up, playing the organ, Albert Schweitzer, Building your utopian institution for sustainable community building, the importance of grassroots causes.

Dr. Anthony Casarez is a California native, a sought-after and talented “Molecular Architect”. An expert in organocatalysis by research during his Ph.D. in the laboratory of David MacMillan, the 2021 Nobel prize laureate in Chemistry. He completed his undergrad at SFSU, did his Master's in Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, and then joined Gilead Sciences, working for 2 years on HCV therapy (before pursuing his Ph.D.). He then came back to the Bay to work on antibiotics at Novartis in Emeryville, where he was also involved in search and evaluation and due diligence for the Novartis Venture Fund. In 2019 Anthony joined Gossamer Bio to lead an immuno-oncology program, where he holds the current title of Associate Director. He is also an industry advisor for CLSI and works with a non-profit called Health Technology Forum.

Episode Breakdown

0:00-20:18 Defining failure, making an amazing scientist, and how to date using the scientific method.

20:18-40:37 “Where’s Princeton?!”, What’s organocatalysis? The trials and tribulations of research and entering the “real world”.

40:37- 1:01:55 Research in Industry vs Academia, “Don't Look Up” and the global perspectives on science, the importance of scientific communication

1:01:55-1:12:35 Drug Design vs Development, Start-ups vs Larger Corporations, and how to be a scientific leader.

1:12:35-1:24:20: Childhood and being a budding chemist, The importance of role models, “Engineering” in the household, Utopian thoughts on research.

1:24:20-1:34:58: Closing Thoughts; “Science is true whether we believe it or not.”, Fear of silence, What’s your minor superpower?

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This episode is sponsored by Sci Find–the scientific collaboration network (www.scifind.net)

Dr. Victoria Piunova is a world-class polymer chemist with a boatload of accomplishments. As CTO at her current company Loliware, she’s disrupting the plastic industry with her seaweed-derived plastic analogues. Loliware has engineered a new category of high-performance products designed to disappear and be carbon negative at scale. By using seaweed to replace plastic at scale, Loliware is tapping into the power of seaweed to regenerate our ocean and contribute to the decarbonization of our planet. The status quo that single-use products should be ‘built to last’ is destroying our planet and Victoria is taking matters into her own hands in weaning us off of this toxic material dependence. She’s got her Ph.D. from USC, and completed her postdoc at CalTech, and has had an illustrious career at IBM Research where holds the prestigious title of “master inventor”. She’s also the recipient of the American Chemical Society’s Young Investigator and Young Industrial Polymer Scientist awards for her outstanding contributions to industrial innovation.