The Microscopists

#29 — On this week’s episode of The Microscopists, we chat to Jan Ellenberg, Head of Cell Biology & Biophysics Unit at EMBL, Heidelberg. Jan’s current pioneering work focuses on cell division and nuclear organization, and we learn more about this, as well as how Jan got to grips with the political aspects of his role.

We’ll discover more about the role of EMBL in kickstarting scientists’ careers, the inspiration that Jan drew from his PhD supervisor, Jennifer Lippincott — Schwartz, and how he likes to relax with Pilates and a bit of fusion cooking!

Watch or Listen to all episodes of The Microscopists here: https://themicroscopists.bitesizebio.com/

#28 — Markus Sauer of the University of Würzburg is a super-resolution microscopist and one of the pioneers behind dSTORM (direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy). In the latest episode of The Microscopists, Markus joins Peter O’Toole to discuss his career path, from imaging combustion to imaging single molecules. As we get to know Markus better, we discover more about combining seminars with a day’s skiing, Markus’s beloved Triumph motorbike, and the importance of scientific collaboration.

Watch or Listen to all episodes of The Microscopists here: https://themicroscopists.bitesizebio.com/

#27 — Judith Klumperman of the University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht is one of the leaders in the field of electron microscopy and her work has contributed hugely to our understanding of diseases of the endo-lysosomal system. In this episode of The Microscopists, Judith chats to Peter O’Toole about the importance of scientific collaboration, why a sustainable financing system is essential to ensure the future of microscopy, and how her husband’s passion for birdwatching has led her all over the world.

As well as learning more about some of the challenges Judith has faced in her career, we also discover what Judith’s favorite food is and how she relaxes after a hard day in the lab.

Watch or Listen to all episodes of The Microscopists here: https://themicroscopists.bitesizebio.com/

#26 — You may know Elizabeth M. C. Hillman (Columbia University) as the pioneer behind SCAPE microscopy, but in episode #26 of The Microscopists, we’ll learn more about her early inspirations, how she positions herself between the fields of physics, engineering, and medicine, and how it was while in hospital with a gymnastics injury that she decided what she wanted to do.

As we touch on diversity, machine learning, and how often to clean your oven, we’ll also discover more about Elizabeth’s experiences as an ex-pat, how working for a start-up removed her doubts about academia, and why seafood is never a good choice for dinner.

Watch or Listen to all episodes of The Microscopists here: https://themicroscopists.bitesizebio.com/

#25 — Harald Hess is a pioneer in the fields of high-throughput electron microscopy and super-resolution 3D microscopy, and today we’ll discover more about what inspired him, his move from academia to industry and back again, and who comes off best in his tennis matches with Eric Betzig.

We’ll hear how Harald and Eric built the first super-resolution microscope for PALM microscopy in Harald’s front room, what his mother thought of the first PALM images, and why science needs different approaches to progress.

Watch or Listen to all episodes of The Microscopists here: https://themicroscopists.bitesizebio.com/

#24 — In this episode of The Microscopists, we’re joined by astronomer Professor Chris Lintott of the University of Oxford, co-founder of The Zooniverse citizen science platform, and a presenter on the BBC’s The Sky at Night programme.

In this wide-ranging and enlightening chat, we discuss early inspirations, the importance of public engagement in science, the wacky rules and regulations of real tennis, and why the public like counting pictures of penguins. We'll also hear how Zooniverse projects such as Etch a Cell are helping life scientists with their research.

Chris also tells us more about the most difficult time in his career and why, when you don’t know what to do, it’s always better just to do something!

Watch or Listen to all episodes of The Microscopists here: https://themicroscopists.bitesizebio.com/

#23 — In this episode of The Microscopists, we have a double-header for you as we’re joined by Mark Bray of Novartis and Pearl Ryder of the Carpenter Lab at the Broad Institute. Mark and Pearl share their career histories, from high school to med school to the lab. We take in their career highlights—including Pearl’s founding of the Future PI Slack peer mentoring group—as well as their thoughts on the importance of a holistic approach when making career decisions, wedding planning in a pandemic, and why in Mark’s experience, the move from academia to industry isn’t as scary as it sounds.

Watch or Listen to all episodes of The Microscopists here: https://themicroscopists.bitesizebio.com/

#22 — In this episode of The Microscopists, we’re joined by molecular biologist, biophysicist and Nobel Laureate Richard Henderson from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. We’ll discuss some of his earlier career challenges in biophysics and what attracted him to biology, his pioneering work in the field of electron microscopy, his favorite comic books, and passion for electronics.

Watch or Listen to all episodes of The Microscopists here: https://themicroscopists.bitesizebio.com/

#21 — In this episode of The Microscopists, we’re joined by Stephani Otte, Imaging Program Officer for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. We’ll discuss her move from neuroscience to managing the funding of imaging projects worth millions of dollars, and why she’s always loved a challenge.

We’ll hear more about the aim of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to cure, prevent, or manage all diseases by the end of the century, and the role of imaging, and developing the right tools and techniques for that imaging, in achieving that aim.

We also learn more about Stephani’s hobbies, taking in backpacking, riding camels, hiking, and skydiving with her Mom!

Watch or Listen to all episodes of The Microscopists here: https://themicroscopists.bitesizebio.com/