After 8.5 years of weekly podcasts I'm going to take a 5 week break and plan new episodes for 2024.  I'm going through a medical glitch that has me unable to do my normal work. On top of this we're going to switch to an audio plus video format to find a wider audience. So check back in 2024 for the next episode. Have a great rest of 2023, thank you for listening, and looking forward to better times. 

Temporary Hiatus, Changes Coming!

Even under the best conditions, crops need our assistance to survive the numerous threats that limit production. Classically, synthetic and natural compounds have been used to control insects, fungi and weeds, sometimes with negative collateral effects or fostering resistance of genetically tolerant genotypes. Todd Hauser from Trillium Ag describes his company's novel RNAi approach.  RNAi can be used to target specific insect species, and his company's design and particle-based technology appears to offer safety, effectiveness, and specificity. We discuss the use of RNAi and how it may be a key point of crop protection strategies, along with its inherent challenges.  

A Novel RNAi Approach to Crop Protection - Todd Hauser

There is tremendous variation in the plant kingdom, as plants have adapted to many ecological niches with discrete challenges. Part of adaptation is production of novel secondary metabolites, compounds not required for central metabolism that serve a role in the plant, such as defense or attraction of pollinators. The rainforest is replete with unusual plants and their resident metabolites. Indigenous peoples have identified therapeutic qualities of specific plants. How can this knowledge be transferred to aid those suffering beyond the rainforest? Lisa Conte is the CEO, President and Founder of Jaguar Health, a subsidiary of Napo Pharmaceuticals.  We discuss process of working with indigenous peoples to learn from their findings, then test and validate them in ways to identify novel mechanisms of action for use in modern medicine. 

Drugs from the Rainforest - Lisa Conte

Gene editing is a powerful and specific technique that allows customized changes to DNA. Because there are no additional sequences transferred, and alternations match what could happen naturally over time, the technology is considered less invasive and less prone to regulatory oversight. That's true in the USA, Canada, China and other nations. However, the European Court of Justice determined that these techniques should be regulated in a manner identical to transgenics, where the EU has not approved such innovations in over two decades. EU scientists see how the EU is falling behind and after long may never catch up. The rejection of technology leads to a tremendous economic loss. Dr. Emma Kovak of the Breakthrough Institute discusses the current regulations, the proposed changes, and the dynamics of opposition to a good technology that could have profoundly positive impacts for people and the planet. 

Proposed Gene Editing Changes in the EU -Dr. Emma Kovak

Information has been weaponized, and the ability to create false information to achieve an ideological goal has never been more easy. Political polarization, science denial, and a shining, effective conduit of dissemination (the internet) allows anyone with an agenda to recruit the like minded, and produce compelling media to reinforce bankrupt ideas. Where did information warfare originate, what are its effects, and how do we fix it?  This week's podcast discusses the book, On Disinformation: How to Fight for Truth and Protect Democracy with author Dr. Lee McIntyre. The book presents a chilling description of who creates disinformation, how subscribes to it, and its long term effect on free society. Fortunately, solutions are proposed that can help curb the penetration of disinformation, particularly as it becomes more effective through artificial intelligence. 

"On Disinformation" Critical Conversations in the Post-Truth Era- Dr. Lee McIntyre

While DNA captures most of the fanfare, proteins are the catalytic and structural superstars of the cell. However, they can also become problematic. Cells have intricate mechanisms to remove damaged or mis-expressed proteins that could be deleterious to cellular function. This process is mediated by a process called ubiquitination, mediated by a special class of proteins called E3 ligases. Ubiquitin is the tag that's added that signals that a protein should be moved to the biochemical garbage can.  Dr. Juliet WIlliams of Kymera describes how their company has used modeling and A.I. to design molecular linkers that connect a protein that needs to be degraded with the machinery to tag it for destruction. The goal of this line of therapeutics is to target a suite of proteins that need to be degraded for normal health and development. Their pipeline contains multiple clinical and pre-clinical trials, and the approach is an exciting complement to other drug discovery methods. 

Therapeutics Controlling Protein Turnover - Dr. Juliet Williams

Recombinant DNA technologies once confined to the laboratory are now available to just about anyone. Is this a good thing or an extreme risk? David Ishee is self-described biohacker, dog breeder and mad scientist, and merges these passions in cutting edge DIY projects and educational tools. We discuss the opportunities and risks in DIY molecular biology, biohacking and democratization of modern genetic plant, animal and microbial genetic tools.  

Biohacking, DIY Biotech- Opportunities and Ethics with David Ishee

We're surrounded by microbes, many that are the basis of disease. Others have evolved resistance to our best antibiotics. Others may be weaponized for bioterrorism. Because microbial threats can evolve rapidly and grow quickly, early detection of a microbial threat is essential. Dr. Brad Perkins of Karius describes the threats of microbes, his company's novel approach to fast and easy test that can detect evidence of thousands of putative pathogens in a small blood sample, essentially overnight. We discuss the technology and its applications. The technology stands to be an important tool to ensure a lower-risk pathogen environment in medical facilities, as well as detect putative pathogens before they become major problems for a patient or broader population. 

Rapid Detection of Dangerous Pathogens - Dr. Brad Perkins

The Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is the largest native North American fruit, and grows wild throughout most temperate forests of the eastern United States and Canada, from southern Ontario to the Florida border. Several breeding efforts have sought to improve this tree crop, seeking mostly to improve fruit quality, especially post-harvest. The fruits feature a tropical flavor, a flesh that has been described as everything from marshmallow to banana, in a custard-like texture. Despite its flavorful appeal, few have experienced this fruit, mainly because of its perishable nature, and the fact that wildlife appreciate the fruit before humans ever get to it. However, a new initiative called Project Pawpaw seeks to improve the species for fruit production. Director Adam D'Angelo speaks about fundraising efforts to grow breeding populations, and utilize modern approaches to hasten development of improved pawpaws. Project Pawpaw websiteFollow on Instagram

The Pawpaw: History and Genetic Improvement - Adam D'Angelo

In today's episode I cover two topics with Cameron English, science journalist and podcast host.  We discuss the current status of citrus greening disease in the USA, a disease that has ravaged the Florida juice industry. We also discuss the copious disinformation around seed oils, which many internet sources claim to be dangerous. 

In The News: Citrus Greening Disease Update; Dangerous Seed Oils?  Cameron English

The connection between tobacco smoke, cancer and heart disease has been well established since the 1800's, with irrefutable medical evidence presented since the 1950s. There is no question that smoking has significant public health impacts. The effects of second hand smoke were examined in various studies and  also claimed negative effects. But these reports has some significant limitations, and larger studies later showed no significant risk.  One of the authors, cancer epidemiologist Dr. Geoffrey Kabat, recounts the publication, the fallout, the lack of defense from the scientific community, and later independent reports that would reinforce their findings of no association with lung cancer and heart disease. While predating social media, the findings that did not fit a public health narrative where harshly criticized, using arguments that failed to address the evidence. This example is a precursor to understanding the modern-day discussions about issues like vaccination, COVID19, glyphosate, and other topics where the evidence is strong, but public opinion often fails to accept it. Dr. Kabat's accompanying article on Quillette. 

Dogmatism Meets Unpopular Evidence: the Case of Second-Hand Smoke - Dr. Geoffrey Kabat

This episode has two parts. The first part discusses how Odylia Therapeutics is addressing rare disease, using a novel non-profit model. The second half address two rare genetic eye diseases and the approaches being designed to address them. Dr. Ashley Winslow, CEO/CSO of Odylia, describes how a non-profit is well suited to address these rare diseases, using strategies that leverage capacities in rare disease patient communities coupled to their expertise in drug discovery.  

A Non-Profit Biotech Model; Therapies for Rare Diseases - Dr. Ashley Winslow

The more information you know about your genetics the better, right?  This is the idea behind companies like 23andMe, which offer platforms to understand your potential genetic predisposition toward a specific disease. The concept thrives on massive collection of public genetic data, coupled to extensive questionnaires that en masse, generate statistical associations between different genetic variants and various disorders, diseases, behaviors or drug sensitivities. These powerful tools are shaping our understanding of genes and genetic variants that contribute to our physiology, metabolism and psychology, and even aiding in drug discovery. Dr. Joyce Tung, Vice President of Research at 23andMe describes the technology, the evolution of the business, racial disparities, and what the future looks like for public genetic services. 

Understanding Your Genetics with 23andMe - Dr. Joyce Tung

DNA has been an invaluable tool to make certain matches between a suspect and a crime. Since its early use in the 1980s, we have seen an explosion in DNA sequence availability, allowing forensic scientists to identify hypervariable regions of the genome that can assist in confirming a person's identity. However, there are many ethical issues surrounding its implementation, such as use of public and private databases (like 23 and Me) to identify a suspect. The discussion covers a breadth of forensic applications with Brian Hoey, Director of the Missouri State Police Crime Lab. 

Biotechnology in the Crime Lab - Brian Hoey

If you've ever publicly communicated enthusiasm for a new product or technology, you inevitably have been accused to being a shill for the company that produced it. It is a normal part of human psychology to assume there is an undisclosed motivation for someone's excitement, and it is based on legitimate concerns about how conflicts of interest can shape one's perceptions of associated science. We discuss the topic with Dr. Chris MacDonald from Toronto Metropolitan University.  

The Shill Accusation and How to Respond - Dr. Chris MacDonald

Many consumer products contain chemistries that originate from an unsustainable source. Dr. Chance Elliott VP of R&D at Amyris describes how his company is using synthetic biology to engineer yeast to produce these same compounds from sustainable substrates. We also discuss the current business climate, how companies change with new technology, as well as how to prepare for a future for jobs in this rapidly evolving space. 

Sustainable Chemistry through Synthetic Biology - Dr. Chance Elliott, Amyris

The company Color has taken innovative approaches to varied aspects of public health.  From at-home kits that can assess cancer risk, to efforts to curb COVID19, to finding attractive ways to make health care more accessible, Color has launched an array of programs that seek to improve public health.  Dr. Alicia Zhou is the Chief Science Officer of Color.  We discuss Color's efforts in cancer and disease detection, it's inroads into personalized, precision medicine, and a look at how technology may enable improved access to quality health care. Color is also a leader in constructing modern biobanks, repositories of data that can help shape healthcare outcomes in diverse communities. We also discuss careers in this evolving space, and how the business is adapting to a changing health care  delivery landscape in positive ways that benefit the patient and the system as a whole. 

A Look at the Color of Future Medical Care - Dr. Alicia Zhou

This is one hot tech discussion!  Protein therapeutics have great potential, but significant limitations to their utility. Dr. Dan Mandell of GRO Biosciences explains how they are using a non-standard library of amino acids to increase protein presentation. Along with glycosylation and other modifications, the proteins are more therapeutically active, as such changes can improve issues like stability and visibility to the immune system. The technologies are being used to design therapeutic solutions for autoimmune diseases, such as myasthenia gravis. This is a technology dense episode that stretches the bounds of molecular biology. 

Breaking Barriers in Protein Therapeutics - Dr. Dan Mandell

While many global genomics analyzes gene variants or RNA expression products, the levels of proteins are usually the most informative.  At the same time, quantifying proteins is relatively difficult, especially when trying to obtain a snapshot of the proteome from a single cell or tissue. Dr. Parag Mallick of Stanford University and Nautilus Biotechnology describes the utility of high-throughput proteomics, and how the technology incorporates a novel detection method and machine learning to quantify large suites of proteins. The applications are almost endless and present great opportunities to understand how accumulation of specific proteins relates to biological function or disease states. 

Innovations in High Throughput Proteomics - Dr. Parag Mallick

Many diseases or disorders originate with a loss of cellular function.  Cell death or damage is at the root of many problems associated with aging or injury. But what if the cells lost could simply be replaced to restore function?  Brian Culley, CEO of Lineage Cell Therapeutics, discusses how his company has identified ways to generate specific cell types that can functionally replace lost cells in various contexts, restoring function. We discus applications in macular degeneration, hearing loss, and spinal cord injury, with potential applications in Type 1 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and many future applications. 

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