The Texas A&M Genetics Program has a podcast! Blue Genes & Boots is a podcast series where faculty and students talk about the fun science going on right here at Texas A&M University. Graduate students also share insights on how to pursue a PhD and jump-start a career in science. Find Blue Genes & Boots on social media @GeneticsPodcast TAMU Genetics Program Website: https://genetics.tamu.edu/ Blue Genes and Boots YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@geneticspodcast
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Howdy, and welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Sarah spoke with four undergraduates from universities across the county who participated in our Summer Undergraduate Research in Genetics and Genomics (SURGe) program. The National Science Foundation SURGe Program is a 10-week intensive research experience under the mentorship o…
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First Year in Review with Veronika and Charles
54:27
54:27
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54:27
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Anthony Matarazzo speaks with Veronika Mojik and Charles Mitchell, two current PhD students in the TAMUGENE program. Veronika obtained her undergraduate degree from The University of North Carolina - Asheville and studies under Dr. Hubert Amrein. Charles' undergraduate studies were complete…
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In this episode Veronika Mojik talks with third year PhD candidate Mayra Mendoza about what it's like to traverse graduate school while being a mom to two boys! They also discuss Mayra's research on the alpaca genome and the in's and out's of running a cytogenetic service lab within an academic setting.…
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Dr. Jessica Light - Mammals, Morphology, and Mapping a Way through Graduate School
1:01:07
1:01:07
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1:01:07
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots, everyone! In this episode, Emmarie and Sarah talk to Dr. Jessica Light, a professor and curator of mammals in the Ecology and Conservation Biology department at Texas A&M University. She received her B.S. in Biology and Resource Ecology and Management at the University of Michigan and her Ph.D. in Zoology at Louisia…
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Fossil Viruses and Genetic Conflicts with Dr. Harmit Malik
48:47
48:47
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48:47
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots, everyone! In this episode, Emmarie and Veronika talk to Dr. Harmit Malik, a professor and associate director of the Basic Science Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, Washington. He received his BTech in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in Biology at the Uni…
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Dr. Bruce Walsh - Math, Moths, and the Biology of Everything
48:39
48:39
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48:39
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots, everyone! In this episode, Emmarie and Serina talk to Dr. Bruce Walsh. Dr. Walsh is an Ecology and Evolutionary Biology professor at the University of Arizona. He earned his Ph.D. in genetics at the University of Washington and was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Chicago and the University of California, …
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Bioinformatics for the Betterment of Science with Dr. Adam Phillippy
52:36
52:36
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52:36
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots, everyone! In this episode, Emmarie and Serina talk to Dr. Adam Phillippy. Dr. Phillippy is the director of the Center for Genomics and Data Science Research and the head of the Genome Informatics Section at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). His research focuses on developing computational tools f…
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Dr. Lily Sanchez - Breast Cancer Research and How to Be Fearless in Graduate School
35:15
35:15
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35:15
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots, everyone! In this episode, Khushboo and Sarah talk to Lilia Sanchez. Lily is a postdoctoral researcher who successfully defended her dissertation in Fall 2023! She is in Dr. Weston Porter’s lab where she has studied mitochondria and mammary gland development. If you want to know more about the Genetics program at Te…
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Special Guest: Dr. Anne-Ruxandra Carvunis - How Genes are Born and Evolve
48:03
48:03
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48:03
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots, everyone! In this episode, Serina talks to Dr. Anne-Ruxandra Carvunis. Dr. Carvunis is a computational and systems biology assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She earned her PhD in Bioinformatics from the University of Grenoble and was awarded the NIH Director’s New Innovator Awar…
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Special Guests: Drs. Matt Burg and Washington da Silva
45:31
45:31
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45:31
Howdy everyone! In this episode, Joe and Anthony interview guests from Texas A&M’s 2023 Genome Editing Symposium. Dr. Matt Burg is a researcher at Solid Biosciences and Dr. Washington da Silva is a researcher at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station within the Department of Plant Pathology and Ecology, where he specializes in the diagnosi…
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Special Guests: Drs. Jeffrey Barrick and Thomas Saunders - Genome Engineering of Honeybee Microbes, Mice, and More
39:41
39:41
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39:41
Howdy everyone! In this episode, Joe and Anthony interview guests from Texas A&M’s 2023 Genome Editing Symposium. Dr. Jeffrey Barrick is an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin where his research is focused on the development of methods to predict and stop unwanted evolution of microbes. Recently, his group has started to apply …
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Diagnostics and Drug Discovery with Ben Thomas
42:17
42:17
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42:17
Howdy everyone! In this episode, Joe and Brittni talk to Ben Thomas, a PhD candidate in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics and Genomics at Texas A&M. His lab is in the Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology and his advisor is Dr. Zhilei Chen. If you want to know more about the Genetics program at Texas A&M or the resear…
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From Aussie to Osteology: A Tale of Bone Research with Dr. Larry Suva
51:20
51:20
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51:20
In this episode, Sarah interviews Dr. Larry Suva. Dr. Suva is a professor and is the department head of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M. He is also a member of our very own faculty of genetics. Sarah discusses Dr. Suva's path from industry to academia and his ongoing …
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"I Have a Problem with Authority" with Dr. Zach Adelman
33:24
33:24
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33:24
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Joe and Serina talk to faculty of genetics, Dr. Zach Adelman. Dr. Adelman is a professor of entomology and Chair of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics and Genomics here at A&M, where he is also a Presidential Impact Fellow. His focus is on the development of novel gene editi…
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Unraveling the Biology of Mosquitoes (and Bird Obsessions) with Esmé Cope
37:30
37:30
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37:30
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots! In this episode, Serina and Aaron talk to Esmé Cope, a graduate student in the Texas A&M Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics and Genomics. Esmé works in Dr. Zach Adelman's laboratory, where she studies the genetic mechanisms surrounding the mosquito Aedes aegypti. If you want to know more about the Geneti…
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Cowboys, Cattle, Mathematics, and Genetics - Dr. David Riley
40:39
40:39
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40:39
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Serina and Aaron talk to faculty of genetics, Dr. David Riley. Dr. Riley is a professor of genetics and animal breeding here at A&M, with a special focus on cattle genetics. His research examines the association of genes, gene combinations, and other molecular variants with beef cattle prod…
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From Industry to Academia with Anthony Matarazzo
38:37
38:37
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38:37
In this episode, Sarah talks to fellow GENE student, Anthony Matarazzo. After receiving undergraduate degrees in Biology and Anthropology from the University of Florida, Anthony spent three years working in industry labs where he helped diagnose patients with genetic disorders and produced gene-therapy products to treat such diseases. His current r…
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Lions, Tigers, and Dr. Bill Murphy, Oh My!
40:03
40:03
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40:03
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Ashley and Emmarie talk to Dr. William Murphy. Dr. Murphy is a professor in the vet school at Texas A&M University, and his work focuses on comparative genomics, phylogeny and molecular evolution, with a specific focus in feline genetics. Dr. Murphy’s work has been very influential, from la…
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Cotton and Communication (and the Origin of BGAB) with Serina Taluja
40:09
40:09
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40:09
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Anthony and Ramiah talk to Serina Taluja. Serina is the founder and creative director for this podcast, in addition to being a fourth year graduate student in the genetics program. She's in Dr. David Stelly’s lab, and her graduate work has been focused on characterizing and manipulating mei…
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Conifers and Conservation Genetics with Dr. Claudio Casola
43:19
43:19
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43:19
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Sarah and Emmarie talk with Dr. Claudio Casola. Dr. Casola is an associate professor in the Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology. Dr. Casola’s research encompasses many aspects of evolutionary biology, conservation genetics, ecology, and population dynamics, with a special focus o…
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Ins and Outs of Grad School Internships with Michelle Jonika
39:26
39:26
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39:26
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Serina and Khushboo talk with Michelle Jonika. Michelle is a fifth-year Ph. D. student in the genetics program, getting ready to defend her dissertation in early 2023! She’s completed her research in Dr. Heath Blackmon’s lab, and her work focuses on the structure and evolution of sex chromo…
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Cancer and Our Microbiome with Dr. Jessica Galloway-Pena
38:36
38:36
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38:36
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Ramiah and Sarah talk with Dr. Jessica Galloway-Peña. Dr. Galloway-Pena is an assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology and is currently recognized as a Montague Center for Teaching Excellence Scholar here at Texas A&M. Her research focuses on the genetic basis of pat…
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SURGe Ahead: A summer of research with Danielle and Meg
6:28
6:28
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6:28
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots! In this special mini-episode, we talk to two of our SURGe (Summer Undergraduate Research in Genetics program) students and hear about how their experience in the program went. Listen and learn about what you can look forward to if you apply for the 2023 cycle! If you'd like to submit an application and join us next …
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Summer of '22 Special Series: Livin' the Conservation Dream with Dr. Caitlin Curry
43:21
43:21
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43:21
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Anthony and Khushboo chat with former genetics grad student Dr. Caitlin Curry. After receiving her degree in 2019, Dr. Curry accepted a Post-Doc position at “Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium'' working in Conservation Genetics. She is currently working at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alli…
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Summer of '22 Special Series: Lions, Tigers, and Dr. Kevin Bredemeyer! Oh my!
46:34
46:34
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46:34
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Aaron and Serina host Dr. Kevin Bredemeyer, who is a bioinformatics scientist at Catalytic Data Science, and the first of our special alumni guests here on the podcast! He earned is Ph. D. from our program (the IDP in Genetics and Genomics) at Texas A&M in 2021. He worked in Dr. William Mur…
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Summer of '22 Special Series: Evolution, Scientifically and Socially with Dr. Rachel J. Whitaker
59:53
59:53
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59:53
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots! In this episode, Josh and Aaron interview Dr. Rachel Whitaker, a microbiologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who works primarily on archaea. Dr. Whitaker has been a faculty member at UIUC since 2006 and has worked as both a researcher and lecturer. She is widely recognized for her teaching excel…
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Summer of '22 Special Series: Covering Pandemics with Apoorva Mandavilli
33:58
33:58
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33:58
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Serina and Madison host Apoorva Mandavilli, a reporter for the New York Times who covered much of their discussion on the coronavirus pandemic. Apoorva is a decorated journalist and freelance writer, winning the 2019 Victor Cohn Prize for Medical Science Reporting, and has work featured in …
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Cytogenetics and Crops Galore with Dr. David Stelly
58:45
58:45
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58:45
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Khushboo and Sarah host Dr. David Stelly, who works primarily on cotton and cytogenetics here at Texas A&M. However, his career didn’t always focus on cotton. Dr. Stelly has experience working with a plethora of crops and has trained countless scientists who have gone on to careers in both …
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(The Ultimate?) Work-Life Balance with Autumn and Amanda
57:55
57:55
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57:55
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Khushboo and Sarah host two graduate students from our program, Autumn and Amanda, who rock the research world by day, and provide all the love and support for their families by night as mothers and wives. Amanda works in Dr. Sarah Bondos’s lab on protein biology and protein synthesis, and …
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Mental Health and Shower Thoughts with Dr. Adam Case
45:04
45:04
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45:04
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, distinguished redox- turned PTSD investigator Dr. Adam Case joins Anthony Matarazzo and Serina Taluja to talk about the emerging field of mental health research and its implications on graduate school. Dr. Case received his BS in Biochemistry and PhD in Free Radical and Radiology Biology fr…
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Summer Undergraduate Research with Lois and Osiris
47:35
47:35
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47:35
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Joe Romanowski and Madison Williamson host two of their fellow second-year Ph. D. students in the Genetics IDP- Lois Gordils Valentine and Osiris Lopez Garcia. Joe and Madison got to chat with Lois and Osiris about their experiences doing summer undergraduate research experiences and how th…
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The Backbone of the Genetics IDP: Tamara and Ximena
1:04:11
1:04:11
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Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Joe Romanowski and Lilia Sanchez host two women absolutely vital to the Genetics program- Tamara Ospina-Vega and Dr. Ximena Paez-Colasante. Without the two of them, the program could not be where it is today, and in this episode we chat with them about how they came to the Genetics program,…
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Metal studs and no floods with the Porter Lab
43:11
43:11
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43:11
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Lily Sanchez and Madison Williamson host their lab members- Dr. Weston Porter, Ramiah Vickers, Steven Wall, and Garhett Wyatt- to discuss their research, what led Dr. Porter to Texas A&M, and how their lab culture has changed over time. The Porter lab began its research journey here at Texa…
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Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Matt Jevit and Josh Meehan host Dr. Heath Blackmon to discuss his research, what led him to Texas A&M, and why he’s known around campus as “The Beetle Guy”. Dr. Blackmon received his BS in Environmental Science from Oregon State University and his Ph. D. in Quantitative Biology from the Uni…
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"I hope my mom doesn't see this" with Aravindh and Khushboo
48:22
48:22
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48:22
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Anthony Matarazzo and Lilia Sanchez host fourth year PhD students Khushboo Rastogi and Aravindh Nagarajan to discuss their experiences as international students in the Texas A&M Genetics program. Khushboo received her B.S. from Tamil Agricultural University in India and her M.S. from Seoul …
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Beagles and Biomaterials with Dr. Sarah Bondos
54:32
54:32
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54:32
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots! In this episode, Serina Taluja and Ashley Coffell host Dr. Sarah Bondos, an associate professor in Texas A&M’s department of Molecular & Cellular Medicine. They explore Dr. Bondos’ expertise in biomaterials, running an academic laboratory while simultaneously starting and operating a biotechnology company, overcomin…
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Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Lily Sanchez and Madison Williamson host two of our first year graduate students, Stephanie McMahon and Sam Franklin, to discuss their research and their experience beginning graduate school amidst a pandemic. Sam and Steph both joined Dr. Galloway-Pena’s lab in December 2020. Steph joined …
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Sneaking into Graduate School with Dr. David Threadgill
35:42
35:42
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35:42
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, Serina Taluja and Ramiah Vickers host the Chair of the Genetics IDP here at Texas A&M, Dr. David Threadgill, to discuss current research in his lab and advice to heed when applying for and beginning graduate school. Dr. Threadgill received his B.S. in Zoology as well as a Ph.D. in Genetics …
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The seniors tell all: Navigating graduate school with Sam and Joe
49:53
49:53
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49:53
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In this episode, our two hosts Matthew Jevit and Lilia Sanchez sit down with senior graduate students Joseph Dubie and Samantha Iiams. They discuss their research, their experiences as grad students, and give advice to future and current students. If you want to know more about the Genetics program at Texas…
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Elm Trees to Plant Pathology with Dr. Clint Magill
47:22
47:22
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47:22
Welcome to Blue Genes and Boots everyone! In our pilot episode, our two hosts Serina Taluja and Joshua Meehan sit down with local TAMU legend Dr. Clint Magill to discuss his beginnings, his lengthy scientific career, and get his take on the graduate school experience. Dr. Magill is a seasoned plant geneticist who has been teaching and doing researc…
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The Genetics Program has a podcast! Blue Genes & Boots is a new podcast series where faculty and students talk about the fun science going on right here at Texas A&M. Graduate students also share insights on how to pursue a PhD and jump-start a career in science. Find Blue Genes & Boots on social media @GeneticsPodcast…
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