Best Protein Engineering Podcasts (2024)

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Episode: 62 - AI/ML in Antibody Discovery and Engineering: Reality, Hope, Future, and Hype 1:03:57

17d ago1:03:57

1:03:57

his special episode of The Chain features a panel of industry experts who discussed AI and ML in antibody discovery and engineering at this year’s PEGS Boston event. Peter Tessier, professor at the University of Michigan; Andrew Bradbury, CSO at Specifica; Andrew Waight, Senior Director of Machine Learning, Discovery Biologics & Protein Sciences at…

1
The future of exercise 28:09

26m ago28:09

28:09

Jonathan Long is a biochemist who studies the chemicals produced during exercise. In Long’s world, “you always start with molecules,” which offer “clean handles” to understanding complex processes. His lab has identified a chemical produced in the digestive tract during exercise that can make a person stop eating. Long now studies this “gut-brain a…

1
EP 140: The future of Electronic Health Records and data analysis with Ben Goldacre 52:51

1d ago52:51

52:51

0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast 1:00 Welcome to Ben Goldacre 02:22 Ben’s open data projects at the Bennett Institute and the challenges they aim to tackle 04:03 Using Electronic Health Records (EHR) to help the National Health Service improve care 06:18 The importance of software development within healthcare data and how to manage salary scales…

1
Episode 14 - Syma Khalid: New ways to fight bacteria, the bacterial envelope, and kindness & openness in academia 23:00

3d ago23:00

23:00

Send us a Text Message. In the fourteenth episode, Syma Khalid and I talk about the challenges we're faced with when trying to understand the environment of the bacterial cell envelope, and the outer membrane in particular. We discuss how the lessons taken from the computational study of these structures can inform the design of future antibacteria…

1
Best of: The future of proteins 31:17

7d ago31:17

31:17

We’re digging back into our archives with an episode with bioengineer Polly Fordyce. Polly studies the form and function of proteins. She refers to proteins as the “workhorses” that make things in the body happen, and her study of these molecules reveals a greater understanding of human life. We hope you’ll tune in to this conversation again, and e…

1
EP 139: Rare disease breakthroughs using tRNA with Michelle Werner, CEO of Alltrna and CEO-Partner of Flagship Pioneering 44:42

8d ago44:42

44:42

0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast. 01:00 Welcome to Michelle. 02:00 Sstop codon diseases and how are they characterised 03:45 Diseases caused by premature stop codons in haploinsufficient genes. 04:35 The role of transfer RNA technology in finding solutions for premature stop codon diseases. 06:16 How Alltrna is engineering tRNAs which can bind to…

1
Episode 13 - Daniel Zuckerman: Trajectory ensembles, writing books, and learning biology through physics 29:45

11d ago29:45

29:45

Send us a Text Message. In the thirteenth episode, Daniel Zuckerman and I talk about textbooks on statistical biophysics and a physics-based vision of biology, a few of which he himself authored. Daniel reveals that his passion for clarity in writing comes from his early humanities background, and makes a case for how well-thought and physically mo…

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The future of computer-aided education 32:17

14d ago32:17

32:17

Chris Piech is a professor of computer science who studies how computers can help students learn. In comparing human- and computer-aided education, he says humans are great one-on-one, but AI is more consistent at grading and feedback. He and colleagues have created several generative AI grading apps to take advantage of these relative strengths, a…

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Episode 12 - Vlad Cojocaru: Simulating transcriptional regulation, returning to our home countries, and the scales of the genome 27:12

17d ago27:12

27:12

Send us a Text Message. In the twelfth episode, Vlad Cojocaru and I discuss how the simulation field can integrate further layers of complexity in modeling transcription control and genome organization in humans. Vlad shares his insights on the computational biology of transcription factors, including DNA-mediated allostery and pioneer transcriptio…

1
The future of effective communication 30:01

21d ago30:01

30:01

Guest Matt Abrahams is a master communicator who helps others overcome their fear of speaking — before live audiences, in small groups, or even one-on-one. His catchphrase, “Think Fast, Talk smart,” describes a mindset that, he says, is key to speaking well. Thinking fast is the ability to recognize and respond to patterns in order to talk smart — …

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EP 138: Personalised medicine using microbiome models with Dr. Almut Heinken 40:22

22d ago40:22

40:22

0:00 Introduction 1:45 Almut’s research experience, including two recent publications on genome-scale metabolic reconstruction human microorganisms Genome-scale metabolic reconstruction of 7,302 human microorganisms for personalized medicine APOLLO: A genome-scale metabolic reconstruction resource of 247,092 diverse human microbes spanning multiple…

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Best of: What happens when computers can write like humans 27:14

28d ago27:14

27:14

We’re bringing you a timely best-of episode, given the recent advances in generative AI tools like ChatGPT. A couple years ago we interviewed Jeff Hancock, a Stanford professor of communication whose research explores the psychological and interpersonal processes at play when people communicate with each other and with computers. At the time of thi…

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EP 137: Mavis Machirori on promoting equity, diversity, and social justice in genomics research 41:40

29d ago41:40

41:40

0:00 Intro 1:30 Mavis’ career arc, from starting as a midwife to researching medical innovation and technology with an emphasis on advocacy and equity 7:00 Systemic issues that are easily overlooked in medical research and advancements Webinar: Participant Diversity: Increasing the Impact of Biomedical Research Webinar 10:00 Addressing Eurocentrici…

1
Episode 11 - Justin Lemkul: Providing technical help online, sharing expertise, and polarization in nucleic acids 29:38

1M ago29:38

29:38

Send us a Text Message. In the eleventh episode, Justin Lemkul and I talk about the motivations and challenges behind providing technical help on online forums and mailing lists. Justin shares his story of becoming a prolific technical advisor for the Gromacs community, which evolves into a discussion about automatability, the role of expertise in …

1
The future of the universe 30:11

1M ago30:11

30:11

Astrophysicist Risa Wechsler studies the evolution of the universe. She says that our understanding of how the universe formed and how it will change over time is changing as new technologies for seeing and measuring space come online, like a new high-resolution camera that can quickly map the full sky to see everything that moves, or new spectrogr…

1
EP 136: Developments in ring chromosome 20 research and advocacy with Allison Watson 40:57

1M ago40:57

40:57

0:00 Introduction 2:00 Allison’s personal journey to researching epilepsy and ring chromosome 20 syndrome 4:00 Biggest challenges families face with ring chromosome 20 syndrome 11:00 Incidence and prevalence of r(20) syndrome, and how we can improve data reliability 21:00 Applying next generation sequencing to r(20) syndrome gene research 29:00 Eng…

1
Episode 10 - Ariane Nunes-Alves: Kinetics in drug design, molecular crowding, and the social life of a PI 19:13

1M ago19:13

19:13

Send us a Text Message. In the tenth episode, Ariane Nunes-Alves and I talk about a kinetics-centric view of drug design, making the case that modeling kinetics in atomistic simulation is an important frontier that, despite clear biomedical relevance, is rarely explicitly addressed either in model parameterization or with the latest AI methods. We …

1
The future of robotics 29:46

1M ago29:46

29:46

Guest Jeannette Bohg is an expert in robotics who says there is a transformation happening in her field brought on by recent advances in large language models. The LLMs have a certain common sense baked in and robots are using it to plan and to reason as never before. But they still lack low-level sensorimotor control — like the fine skill it takes…

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EP 135: Integration of newborn sequencing programs into healthcare systems with Dr. Ingrid Holm 41:16

1M ago41:16

41:16

0:00 Introduction 1:30 Ingrid’s initial interests in genetics, paediatrics, and newborn screening 2:45 How the original BabySeq project, a pioneering newborn sequencing program got started, how it’s going, and the launch of BabySeq2 8:45 Lessons from BabySeq1 and goals for BabySeq2 10:30 Potential societal and long-term considerations for those inv…

1
Episode: 61 - Tomoyuki Igawa Discusses Leadership and His Experiences in Discovery and Development 55:04

2M ago55:04

55:04

In this episode of The Chain, host Tariq Ghayur, PhD, consultant and entrepreneur in residence, FairJourney Biologics, speaks with Tomoyuki Igawa, PhD, chief executive officer, Chugai Pharmabody Research in Singapore, about his 20+ years of experience in drug discovery and development. Igawa possesses a unique perspective that has allowed him and h…

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Episode 9 - Michele Vendruscolo: Preventing protein misfolding, fostering public engagement of scientists, and AI tools in drug design 31:21

2M ago31:21

31:21

Send us a Text Message. In the ninth episode, Michele Vendruscolo and I discuss the current state of research on misfolding diseases, typically associated with excessive protein aggregation and formation of insoluble amyloids. Michele presents an optimistic perspective in which the convergence of recent clinical and software developments opens up n…

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The future of brain science 34:40

2M ago34:40

34:40

Guest Sergiu Pasca is a physician-scientist who turns skin cells into stem cells and then into brain tissues he calls “organoids” and “assembloids” in order to study psychiatric and neurological illness in a dish instead of in living human beings. With this knowledge, Pasca hopes to develop new treatments for conditions ranging from schizophrenia a…

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EP 134: Prenatal genetic testing and the future of AI in genetic counselling with Kira Dineen, host of DNA Today 40:44

2M ago40:44

40:44

0:00 Introduction 1:00 The backstory of how Kira first started DNA Today in 2012, when she was still in high school! 3:30 Some of Kira’s favourite topics she has discussed on DNA Today, including the legacy of Henrietta Lacks, and the story of a Glee actress with down syndrome 10:00 Kira’s best practices for podcasting, from over 10 years of experi…

1
The future of cybersecurity 31:58

2M ago31:58

31:58

With TikTok in the hands of 170 million Americans, cybersecurity expert Amy Zegart says it’s time to talk about consequences. Foreign access to all that data on so many Americans is a national security threat, she asserts. For those as concerned as she, Zegart has good news and bad. The government has gotten better at fighting cyberthreats, but art…

1
EP 133: Insights into pharmacogenomics and increasing diversity in genomics research with Dr. Emma Magavern 39:17

2M ago39:17

39:17

0:00 Introduction 2:00 The value of an English Literature degree in designing and analysing research studies in medicine 3:45 Emma’s entrance to pharmacogenomics and her transition from practising physician to genetics research 6:00 How the East London Genes and Health program is increasing representation of diverse populations, namely South Asians…

1
Best of: Regenerating and rejuvenating human tissues 26:53

2M ago26:53

26:53

A best of episode where Russ interviews one of his bioengineering colleagues, Fan Yang, about some of the fascinating work she’s doing in the realm of tissue engineering. Hear more about the ways her lab is modeling human tissue to help develop a better understanding of how we might effectively replace damaged tissues and alleviate a number of heal…

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EP 132: From mammoths to genome editing, trailblazing genetics with Dr. George Church 47:41

2M ago47:41

47:41

0:00 Introduction 1:00 George’s upcoming big projects, including developing full recycling, renewing energy, creating bioweather maps, and harnessing citizen science 6:45 Progress in engineering viral resistance in humans, including thoughts from pre- and post- pandemic 11:00 A swapped genetic code that prevents viral infections and gene transfer b…

1
Best of: How do you build a better robot? By understanding people. 27:09

2M ago27:09

27:09

A best of episode where Russ interviews computer scientist and electrical engineer, Dorsa Sadigh. They had a fantastic conversation about the work she’s doing to train robots to better understand humans, and as she shares, it turns out that one key to this work is better understanding human behavior. If you’re curious about how we’re going to make …

1
Hibernation, Ketamine and Aphantasia 37:53

2M ago37:53

37:53

This month, how animals hibernate and evidence that muscle myosin makes its own heat in the cold, brain scans to reveal how ketamine relieves resistant depression, the way the brain changes when animals build a bond, the evolution of flu outbreaks, and how aphantasia affects autobiographical memory. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting t…

1
EP 131: The potential of somatic genomics in drug discovery and development with Jake Rubens 44:57

2M ago44:57

44:57

0:00 Intro 0:40 Jake’s experiences as a serial entrepreneur starting five companies with a basis in genomic science 5:30 Opportunities for research and drug development in the realm of somatic science 9:20 Somatic evolution and how it provides valuable insights into disease mechanisms 12:30 Advantages and disadvantages of studying germline genome-w…

1
Episode 8½ - My commentary: Wrapping up the first season 20:15

2M ago20:15

20:15

Send us a Text Message. In this episode, I'm attempting to string together the most common threads brought up by my guests in the first eight interviews on the podcast. Reflecting on these conversations, I'm suggesting some grand challenges for the field in the years to come.By Miłosz Wieczór

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Best of: Why AI must embody the values of its users 27:52

3M ago27:52

27:52

We’re bringing back an episode about trust and AI. In a world where the use of Artificial Intelligence is exploding, guest computer scientist Carlos Guestrin shares insights from the work he’s doing to support the development of trust between humans and machines. We originally recorded this episode in 2022, but the insights are just as if not more …

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EP 130: Quarterly insights into noncoding variants and GWAS with Dr. Veera Rajagopal 51:56

3M ago51:56

51:56

Show Notes: 0:00 Introduction 1:20 How polydactyl mutations can inform research on non-coding variant mechanisms The importance of low-affinity binding between transcription factors and targets How these lessons can help us improve our understanding of drug and target discovery See Veera’s January round-up for more information: https://www.gwasstor…

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Episode: 60 - Lesley Millar-Nicholson on Technology Licensing, Navigating Patents, and Building Teams 48:14

3M ago48:14

48:14

This month The Chain shares a recent episode of the Lab Rats to Unicorns podcast. Lab Rats to Unicorns, hosted by John Flavin, aims to demystify the process of creating a great company in the life sciences, biotech, medtech, clean energy, and beyond. In this episode, Flavin speaks with Lesley Millar-Nicholson, executive director of MIT’s Technology…

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Episode 8 - Rossen Apostolov: Managing scientific collaboration, the biggest project of European biophysics, and seeding schools of thought 27:13

3M ago27:13

27:13

Send us a Text Message. In the eight episode, Rossen Apostolov and I depart from the standard format to talk about the core concepts behind BioExcel, the European Center of Excellence for computational biology. We discuss their main objectives and challenges, from working with code to organizing schools and webinars, talk about the challenges of su…

1
The future of addiction 30:30

3M ago30:30

30:30

Guest Anna Lembke is a psychiatrist and a specialist in the behavioral sciences who studies addiction. While there is tremendous variety in the things people can be addicted to, all forms are tied to dopamine, a biochemical that is key to human senses of pleasure, reward, and motivation. She says that new treatments are combining traditional abstin…

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EP 129: Patient advocacy for genetic ALS and FTD with Jean Swidler, Executive Director of End the Legacy 38:44

3M ago38:44

38:44

0:00 Introduction 0:45 Jean’s personal experiences with family members with genetic ALS 10:00 Jean’s thoughts on the barriers and facilitators to providing treatment for those with genetic ALS 13:20 Insights into C9orf72, a common genetic determinant of ALS, and how it can also be associated with FTD 16:10 Jean’s experiences as an active advocate f…

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The proteins responsible for feeling cold revealed... 4:28

3M ago4:28

4:28

A problem that's been puzzling scientists for decades is the way our bodies recognise cold stimuli, and researchers at the University of Michigan have finally got to the bottom of it. They've identified the protein GluK2 acts as a sensor in our bodies for cold temperatures, and Sannia Farrukh has been finding out more... Like this podcast? Please h…

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Episode 7 - Aleksei Aksimentiev: Nanobiotechnology, the importance of mentoring, and engineering serendipity 37:38

3M ago37:38

37:38

Send us a Text Message. In the seventh episode, Aleksei Aksimentiev and I delve into the intersection of physics, biology, and nanotechnology, exploring the innovative world of nanopores and biomolecular sequencing. Aleksei shares his journey from particle physics in Ukraine to leading-edge research in the US, and underscores how on the unpredictab…

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The future of computer music 34:27

3M ago34:27

34:27

Humans and computers making music together, it’s the best of both worlds. Ge Wang is a professor of music, a computer scientist, and director of the Stanford Laptop Orchestra – an orchestra in which human musicians and computers collaborate to make music. “I once thought computer music was abstract and inaccessible, but it can be very playful, too,…

1
EP 128: Parkinson’s disease and precision medicine with Drs. James Beck and Ignacio Mata 50:18

3M ago50:18

50:18

0:00 Introduction 1:05 Insights into the PD GENEration’s (a programme from the Parkinson's Foundation) milestones and progress points for the upcoming year 3:30 The shifting attitudes and perspectives of neurologists and healthcare workers at the PD GENEration 5:50 Insights into Nacho’s work with the genetics of Parkinson’s disease 10:20 Barriers a…

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Episode 6 - Giulia Palermo: Reimagining scientific creativity, the RNA revolution, and truly multiscale systems 24:24

3M ago24:24

24:24

Send us a Text Message. In the sixth episode, Giulia Palermo and I discuss the challenges of studying truly multiscale biomolecular systems, such as the CRISPR/Cas9 complex she famously got involved with. While such problems can take us way out of our comfort zones, they also provide us with clear pathways to innovative and transformative science, …

1
The future of pediatric pain 29:31

3M ago29:31

29:31

Laura Simons is a clinical psychologist and an authority on pain, particularly chronic pain in childhood, which is much more common than widely understood. Most people don't even think chronic pain happens in children, says Simons. The consequences, however, are serious, ranging from learning gaps from missed school to social isolation and even dep…

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EP 127: Insights into precision medicine, fatty liver disease, and minimally invasive diagnostic tools with Dr. Mazen Noureddin 39:10

3M ago39:10

39:10

0:00 Intro 0:25 Mazen’s lifelong commitment to furthering the field of precision medicine in liver disease research, fueled by a personal connection of his grandmother developing MASH cirrhosis 2:30 Breakthroughs in the field of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) since the beginning of Mazen’s career 5:30 The potential…

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