Talking Biotech Podcast

Tweet The COVID19 vaccines were produced in record time, an amazing feat. However, additional challenges have been revealed in their distribution.  Perhaps the most formidable barrier is the very last one– executing the vaccination.  For years anti-vaccination groups have soiled the internet and public discourse with false or exaggerated claims of vaccine dangers. They have appealed to the emotional weak spots of concerned parents and the conspiratorial leanings of fringe science and politics to forward their crooked cause. Dr. Rahul Gupta is the Chief Medical and Health Officer of March of Dimes, and organization with a commitment to child and mother health that started when the scourge of polio ravaged so many. We discuss the problem of vaccine hesitancy and philosophies to change hearts and minds over emotional influence. March of Dimes website: www.marchofdimes.org/ Dr. Rahul Gupta: DrGuptaMD March of Dimes:  MODTwitter  

Tweet This week’s podcast is a dissection of another popular podcast that features self-proclaimed experts in genetic engineering (familiarly GMO), and the falsehoods they propagate. Podcasts are great conduits to spread scientific information, but non-scientific views thrive also.  It is amazing to listen to the bad information, and the participants’ willing acceptance and amplification that goes unchallenged. The episode is not mentioned by name, nor are the participants. This is not a personal criticism.  I present a point-by-point refutation of their claims to show how misinformation is propagated inside echo chambers, and the lack of critical analysis that is undertaken.  It is unfortunate, because the folks in this podcast likely have the best intentions at heart, they just don’t know anything about the topic they criticize. They then use a healthy pipeline to provide false information that confirms the biases of their audience. This is why we can’t have nice things.

Tweet At its core, gene editing works to break gene function by creating errors in a DNA sequence at a specific location. The process works by creating a precise cut that is repaired by the cell’s repair mechanisms, and those processes can be error prone.  Those errors are the basis of the gene’s disruption.  But in a population of cells, how do you account for and catalog all of the changes?  Kevin Bloh is a research associate and a Ph.D. student with Christiana Care / University of Delaware.  He describes computational tool that help define the variation around gene edited sites. The new tools help refine cells possibly destined for research or therapeutic applications. DECODR software link.  www.decordr.org  

Tweet One of the major failures of addressing the COVID19 pandemic is the breakdown of testing.  The NFL and White House were able to  maintain business as usual because of daily, accurate testing. When the disease is detected, its spread can be controlled.  Jo Bhakdi of Quantgene talks about testing and how his company has scaled up testing solutions to at least apply them commercially to businesses wishing to maintain operations and protect their employees.  We talk about testing and how it may be scaled to a national level.  In the second  half we talk about early cancer detection in a blood draw, an exciting possibility that would save lives and money through the earliest possible detection of several major cancers. Website:  https://chooseserenity.com/covid Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SameDayCOVIDTestinghttps://www.instagram.com/choose_serenity/https://twitter.com/quantgene Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/choose_serenity/ Twitter:  https://www.instagram.com/choose_serenity/https://twitter.com/quantgene

Tweet Dr. Patrick Moore was a founding member of Greenpeace. In the years past its inception he worked tirelessly on ecological issues. Over time, he saw the group’s positions as less than scientific, leading to his defection.  Soon after he became a leading advocate for the deployment of Golden Rice, the pro-Vitamin A rice that was invented to alleviate blindness and illness caused by a missing micronutrient in the Developing World.  We discuss his roots, his efforts for Golden Rice, and conclude with his new book which addresses his controversial stance on climate change. Follow Dr. Moore on Twitter:  @EcoSenseNow Golden Rice Project:  www.goldenrice.org The link to his new book

Tweet   Bananas and other tropical crops have tremendous value, not just to farmers in the Developing World, but also as products that are enjoyed widely in highly industrialized nations.  However, crops like bananas and coffee are threatened by pathogens that could severely curtail cultivation and availability. Tropic Biosciences is taking on these problems using a unique approach– using gene editing to adjust genetics in a way that attacks the pathogen without consequence in the original plant itself. Dr. Eyal Maori is the Chief Science Officer and co-founder of Tropic Biosciences, and discusses the problem and their innovative approach.

Tweet Radiation is a natural energy that constantly bombards us.  At the same time we have harnessed its power for medical imaging, therapeutics, energy and warfare.  Collateral damage from radiation exposure, even in critical therapeutic contexts, can have profound effects on cellular health and ultimately survival.  Dr. Fyodor Urnov of the University of Berkeley and the Innovative Genomics Institute is part of a team seeking to use gene editing as molecular medicine to speed recovery from radiation damage. The concept is to identify the genes that play a role in recovery, and then use gene editing strategies to temporarily excite them. The goal is to produce ways to recover from acute radiation sickness and exposure, which can have profound effects from radiotherapy to space travel. Follow Dr. Urnov on Twitter:  @UrnovFyodor

Tweet The story of biotechnology’s response to the pandemic is an amazing one, and we continue coverage of these events as they arise. Today guest host Dr. Asha Brunings speaks with virus and immunology expert Dr. Brianne Baker.  They discuss various topics of immunology with respect to the virus, discussing the new variants, the new vaccines, and a deep dive in to the mechanisms of immunity to the COVID19 symptom spectrum. Follow Dr. Barker ; @BioProfBarker Follow Dr. Brunings: @AshaBrunings And Dr. Barker is a co-host of the podcast This Week in Virology  

Tweet Algae efficiently convert carbon dioxide into oils, and they are now being bred to generate a suite of compounds that may be synthesized into fuel and polymers that are the basis of biodegradable plastics.  Dr. Steve Mayfield is a Professor at the University of California San Diego, and the Director of the California Center for Algal Biotechnology.  His work with algae shows how this rapidly growing photosynthetic organism can generate everything from fuels to plastics, from gasoline to surfboards to veggie burgers.  Future plastics from algae promise to be biodegradable, curtailing the tremendous problem of plastic pollution. Dr. Mayfield’s Website  Here 

Tweet Certain aggressive cancers have profound effects on lifespan and quality of life. Patient prognosis can be grim, and therapies are harsh. Dr. Dan Peer of the University of Tel Aviv leads a group that has targeted gliomas and ovarian cancer with gene editing. Specifically, lipid nanoparticles are produced that target cancer cells, and introduce gene editing hardware that specifically inactivates genes required for cell division.  The breakdown in proliferation impedes the cells’ growth.  In animal models this single-treatment approach has shown benefit in increasing lifespan and presumably quality of life.  We discuss the details of the technology and its potential translation to humans. Peer Lab Website Follow on Twitter:  Peer_Lab

Tweet Consumers have many opinions about food, and are continually bombarded by information from manufacturers to self-proclaimed experts. To gauge what they really think economists formulate approaches to learn what they are thinking and how they might behave in a purchasing scenario.  Dr. Stuart Smyth has studied the interface between consumers and agricultural biotechnology.  In this episode he presents the work from his group’s recent publication that discusses how consumers ultimately feel about purchasing products with ingredients from GE crops. Dr. Smyth’s website for SAIFood Follow him on Twitter  @stuartsmyth66

Tweet The COVID-19 pandemic overshadowed an incredible year of innovation in biotechnology.  Today’s podcast is a simulcast between the Science Facts and Fallacies with Cameron English and Talking Biotech.  We discuss six science stories that were true highlights of an incredible year in science, along with stories that help us understand the state of the science/society interface.    

Tweet The COVID19 vaccines have the potential to squelch a dangerous pandemic. However, the public has many questions about their safety and efficacy that could limit their broad administration. Some of the questions concern the immune system, how it is affected by the vaccine, why two doses are necessary, and if the response is durable. Today’s podcast interviews Dr. Asha Brunings about the immunology of the COVID vaccine and the disease itself.

Tweet Two mRNA vaccines have been approved to lead the fight against COVID19. Both have been rapidly approved with Emergency Use Authorization, which does not build public trust. Ultimately compelling the vaccine hesitant to receive the vaccination may be the most significant hurdle in the process. The science is complete, now the challenge is public acceptance.  Today’s podcast is more detail on the vaccine, how it works, and the reasons for hesitancy.  The New England Journal of Medicine published clinical trials are described as well, along with strategies for effective communication. With Allison Kennedy and Dr. Asha Brunings

Tweet Apples seem rather ubiqutous, but what we see in the stores are just a sample of the genetic diversity that is out there.  Today’s podcast discusses apple domestication and diversification with Dr. Norm Weeden.  its early history and radiation are discussed. as well as an understanding of its genomics and genetics.