Speaking of Mol Bio

Latest Episodes:

Unsung heroes of food health and safety Apr 15, 2024

Show notes

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.

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. 

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.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Molecular Biology for hire – the CRO experience Mar 15, 2024

Show notes

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

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. 

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

High-throughput transcriptomics and AI for drug discovery Feb 15, 2024

Show notes

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. 

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Season 2 Teaser Feb 12, 2024

Show notes

We start the second season of this series with an update on what you can expect from new episodes, which start to drop soon.

Your host, Steve Lewis, shares details on changes you can expect as the series evolves. One change will be a broadening of application topics to be covered, as this season will include episodes discussing transcriptomics in biopharma, the use of molecular biology by CROs, brewing, food testing, food production, biosecurity, and non-bench careers that use molecular biology. Steve reassures that all episodes, however, are squarely focused on the role that molecular biology plays in driving the innovative work of each guest forward.

Get ready for some great conversations coming your way soon, and don’t forget to catch up on any missed episodes from last season!

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. 

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

A look into the fruit bowl of biology Sep 15, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of Speaking of Mol Bio, we speak with Dr. Mandovi Chatterjee about single cell analysis. Dr. Chatterjee is the Director of Single Cell Core at Harvard University Medical School. She has spent her career at the exploring and mastering a wide variety of single cell methods . In conversation with Dr. Chatterjee, our hosts dive into the more technical aspects of this ever-evolving field. We also learn an interesting analogy to better understand the difference between bulk and single cell RNA sequencing. 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.  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. For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

The intersection of biology and technology Aug 15, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, the hosts have an intriguing discussion with Dr. Ben Sun, Head of Biomarker Genetics at Biogen. Dr. Sun holds an MD/PhD from the University of Cambridge, providing a view and perspective on data from both research and clinical perspectives. The advantage of his unique background is that it provides a balanced perspective on large-scale population data and genomic data sets used to train computational models for predicting and informing clinical treatment. The conversation touches on the fundamental science as well as the integration of in silico, in vitro, and in vivo methods. Ben also shares insights on decision-making is different in research vs. clinical spaces and on the types of variations that can make it challenging to train and confidently use AI in healthcare.

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For full access to the video and transcripts, please visit our Thermofisher page directly at https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/global/forms/life-science/subscribe-speaking-mol-bio-podcast.html

In the meantime, we hope you’ll share our podcast with a friend or colleague that might enjoy it. And as you progress in your own work, we hope you’ll visit the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology (https://thermofisher.com/ISMB) where you can access molecular biology resources to help you achieve your goals.

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. 

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Multi-omics | The molecular biology of plants in space Jul 15, 2023

Show notes

Dr. Stan Roux, Professor of Molecular Biosciences at the University of Texas – Austin, has had a long and successful career based on his fascination with plants and his desire to understand plant biology. He’s spent his career exploring the effect of apyrase on root systems, crop yields, and plant nutrient uptake. We get into Stan’s unlikely career path and how a chance conversation with a colleague at a conference led to his 25 years of collaboration with NASA and experiments on space missions to help understand the effect of gravity on plant development that could inform how plants are cultivated on the moon or Mars. Join us for this fascinating discussion on the impact of transcriptomics and proteomics in research and the mysteries of plants that are yet to be solved.

Tune in today. Subscribe to get future episodes. Share with a friend or colleague that might enjoy too!

Visit https://thermofisher.com/ISMB to access molecular biology resources and educational content.

Experience the Speaking of Mol Bio podcast in its extended video format for a more immersive journey, while also ensuring accessibility with downloadable transcripts for each episode.

Watch now at thermofisher.com/podcast-video

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. 

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

CRISPR | An insider’s perspective on CRISPR Jun 15, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Gabriel and Steve welcome a colleague of theirs, Dr. Doris Beylkin, to share her depth of knowledge and perspective on the CRISPR cell engineering topic. While Doris is a

Global Market Development Manager today, she has over 10 years of experience supporting customers in planning, troubleshooting, and analyzing gene modulation and gene editing experiments. In this regard, she’s seen and it all, and has pearls of wisdom and insight to share on the topic. The discussion covers CRISPR basics all the way through to the evolution of modern gene editing and bioethics considerations. Doris and the hosts revel in just how amazing it is that in the last 70 years we’ve collectively moved form barely understanding what DNA is to being able to manipulate it and edit in within living cells to effect desirable outcomes. Join us to hear the discussion and get inspired! 

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

Whether you’re new to molecular biology or a seasoned veteran of the art, we encourage you to visit https://thermofisher.com/molbioschool to access the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology. The site is packed with helpful molecular biology resources and educational content, that is sure to be of interest.

Experience the Speaking of Mol Bio podcast in its extended video format for a more immersive journey, while also ensuring accessibility with downloadable transcripts for each episode.

Watch now at thermofisher.com/podcast-video

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. 

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Exosomes | The early realization of the exosome’s potential May 15, 2023

Show notes

This discussion with Dr. Johan Skog covers a lot of ground while staying super approachable.

The Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Exosome Diagnostics, starts by sharing basics about exosomes and tells us about how he’s translated his curiosity for the vesicles from tumor stem cells into his current role where he’s helped develop the world’s first exosome-based cancer diagnostic test. The conversation delves into the variations in exosomes populations, the value of using multiple biomarkers in diagnostics, the role that isolation and purification play in using exosomes for diagnostics, and why some cancers are better left untreated.

Join us for this fascinating conversation with an innovator, that just happens to have one of the most soothing voices around.

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.

Visit https://thermofisher.com/molbioschool to access the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology, which is packed with really helpful molecular biology resources and educational content.

Experience the Speaking of Mol Bio podcast in its extended video format for a more immersive journey, while also ensuring accessibility with downloadable transcripts for each episode.
Watch now at thermofisher.com/podcast-video

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. 

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Exosomes | Exploring the body’s extracellular delivery system Apr 15, 2023

Show notes

It’s been 40 years since extracellular vesicles, or exosomes, were first connected to the way cells communicate and transfer information. Since then, researchers have studied what part they play in the normal physiology of a cell. There has also been an expanding amount of work in the role that exosomes can play in therapeutics and diagnostics of a wide range of diseases. Jim West, CEO of Clara Biotech, joins us to share his perspective on research and innovation using exosomes as well as life in a biotech startup. He provides great insights into where this technology is today, the challenges being experienced in the field, and the potential and opportunity that the field of applied exosome research represents in the future.

Tune in today. Subscribe to get future episodes. Share with a friend or colleague that might enjoy too!

Visit https://thermofisher.com/molbioschool to access molecular biology resources and educational content.

Experience the Speaking of Mol Bio podcast in its extended video format for a more immersive journey, while also ensuring accessibility with downloadable transcripts for each episode.

Watch now at thermofisher.com/podcast-video

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. 

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

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