Finding Genius Podcast

How can neurodegenerative diseases be better understood to find new therapeutic techniques? Researchers use tools like deep brain stimulation and virtual reality to make new leaps. Press play to learn: The physical signs that hint at the development of Parkinson's How brain circuits can be modulated The next stages of research planned by Aasef Shaikh Aasef Shaikh, a neurologist, and neuroscientist from Daroff-Dell'Osso Ocular Motility Laboratory at Cleveland VA Medical Center, shares their experience researching neurodegenerative diseases and Parkinson's Disease particularly. By identifying key risk factors and signals that an individual may develop Parkinson's Disease, therapeutic techniques can be implemented early to begin proactive treatment. In addition, techniques like deep brain stimulation can give patients insight into their condition and allow neurologists a peek behind the curtain. Systems neuroscientists study the circuits within the brain that allow...

Cancer survival exceeds 90% when detected during Stage I. Novel technologies are making early detection easier, especially for cancers that usually aren’t diagnosed until after metastasis has occurred.  Tune in to discover: The important distinction between multi-cancer early detection and liquid biopsy The benefits provided by looking for molecular signs of cancer rather than anatomical, such as by mammogram or colonoscopy How stage I cancer is defined Eric Fung, MD, PhD, is Vice President of Clinical Development at Grail, a company with a mission to detect cancer early, before it has spread to other parts of the body. Unfortunately, as it currently stands, only a fraction of cancers are detected at Stage I, especially when it comes to cancers for which there are no screening guidelines. Over the past 50 years, the primary focus in cancer research has been on therapeutics. But many FDA-approved therapeutics have very little impact on survival rates, because when it comes d...

Dr. Bill McGraw is a research scientist currently living in Panama and is a prolific writer on a variety of topics such as aquaculture, the environment, heavy metals in the body , and related health issues. He is currently studying for a degree in naturopathic healing and helps people afflicted with chronic disease find the path to health using heavy metal detox techniques and Rife technology. Click on play to learn: Why the body is exposed to aluminum every day. How the sources of aluminum can lead to aluminum toxicity and affect health. How silica water may facilitate the elimination of aluminum from the body. Dr. McGraw explains the dangers of aluminum to the body and the many ways it affects our health and environment. Aluminum occurs naturally in soil, water, and air. It can enter the body as we breath, through the digestive tract, and through our skin. We are constantly being exposed to aluminum in products such as aluminum cooking utensils, beverage cans, sunscreen, a...

Dr. Richard Allen White III is an Assistant Professor with the College of Computing and Informatics at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. Dr. White describes himself as a computational and molecular virologist working on the systems aspect of ecosystems. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of RAW Lab in Concord, North Carolina that is developing a repository of genetic data on the global virosphere. Click on play to learn: The difference between viruses and cancer . How viruses may cause cancer. Why eliminating some viruses could eliminate many types of cancers. What therapies look promising in the fight against cancer. Cancer is many diseases with different causes. DNA and RNA viruses have the capability to cause some types of cancer in the human body. Dr. White is conducting studies of the links between viruses and cancer with a goal of finding possible targeted therapies for treating virus caused cancers. Six viruses are currently being evaluated for the devel...

“At first, it was like trying to drink from a firehose of knowledge…but I kept doing it, and getting better at it…” says Richard Jacobs, as he explains his experience in creating what’s now known as the Finding Genius Podcast.   Tune in for all of Jacobs’ insights, and discover: What it took to co-author a book on viruses alongside 30 virologists and researchers How and why an auto accident compelled Jacobs to investigate medicine, health, and bioscience How to identify a real ‘genius’ in their area of expertise The topic of the next book in the Finding Genius pipeline The difference between people who are “splitters” vs. “clumpers” Since 2016, Jacobs has interviewed nearly 3,000 genius-level researchers, practitioners, scientists, and entrepreneurs on various topics, ranging from cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence to sleep science and chronic diseases. Through this process emerged  Finding Genius: Understanding Viruses , a compilation of 100 unique insights ...

No one likes me. I’m going to fail this exam. I really shouldn’t have eaten all that lasagna. Ever have these or similar thoughts? If so, you’re not alone. Most of us are overrun by certain thinking patterns, which lead to certain feelings, which lead to certain behaviors. And often, the result is detrimental to our mental and physical health. Tune in to discover: What’s unique about the use of CBT in treating anxiety and depression Tips and tricks for dealing with bouts of depression and/or anxiety The importance of psychoeducation and practical skills to reframe negative thoughts A longstanding interest in psychology and the mind-body relationship led Liz Ross to become a licensed psychotherapist who specializes in the application of cognitive behavioral therapy techniques for people dealing with anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. Having spent over a decade in the field, she recounts how things have changed since her early days, like the advent of social media and its...

How can GI health significantly determine the general health of the rest of the body? Since so many bodily systems utilize products produced along the gastrointestinal tract, minor issues can be increased throughout the body. Listen up to learn: How the gut microbiome has the potential to make or break the body's health How the Western diet may be threatening your gut's health How "bacterial economics" governs GI systems Executive vice president and chief medical officer at Seres Therapeutics, Dr. Lisa von Moltke, discusses her work developing therapeutic techniques to treat gastrointestinal conditions and microbiomes. Through the study of how the gut microbiome and gastrointestinal health affect the operation of the rest of the body, new therapies have been developed to combat GI-targeted infections. New therapies are also being produced to prevent infection with patients undergoing transplants and grafts. Immunosuppressants are also a weak point regarding gu...

Dr. Brian Hooker is an Associate Professor of Biology at Simpson University. He specializes in microbiology and biotechnology and has a keen interest in the importance of inoculation and the safety of childhood inoculation. He has written numerous articles about childhood inoculation side effects including allergies, developmental delays, infections, and neurodevelopmental disorders. He is currently interested in the association between the cv1-9 inoculation and subsequent health issues such as the number of adverse events and deaths thought to be related to the inoculation. Click on play to learn: How inoculation has become lucrative for pharmaceutical companies. What studies of uninoculated children reveal about the side effects of childhood inoculation. What long-term and acute effects are being associated with childhood and cv1-9 inoculation. Childhood inoculations are meant to protect children from serious and potentially fatal diseases such as measles, polio, diphtheria,...

Janet Hays, founder of Healing Minds NOLA, is a formidable advocate for those who suffer from severe mental illness in New Orleans and across the country. She works tirelessly to bring those afflicted with mental illness, their families, and other stakeholders together to find a path to more productive and humane treatments of mental illness.  Click on play to learn: Why someone who is mentally ill ends up being incarcerated instead of being admitted to a hospital for treatment. How anosognosia impairs a person’s ability to acknowledge their mental illness and subsequent refusal of treatment. What the vision is for assisted outpatient treatment (AOT). Janet Hays has been instrumental in New Orleans in shining a spotlight on the mismanaged mental health care system for more than six years. Having witnessed the inadequacies of mental health care in the United States, Hays has made it her life’s work to advocate for better ways to care for the mentally ill. Her vision includes ...

Imagine feeling perfectly healthy and heading to your doctor for a simple cholesterol check, only to be told your blood work indicates that you may have an extremely rare, aggressive form of cancer. This is how most people are diagnosed with T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL). Dr. Marco Herling specializes in this type of cancer and shares his insights with listeners. Press play to learn: The difference between leukemia and lymphoma How the study of T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) has led to a change in its name, and why it matters The most common physiological findings in patients who end up with a T-PLL diagnosis Why T-PLL is mostly a disease of the elderly, and the one exception  Dr. Herling is an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Hematopathology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center who was drawn to the study of T-PLL precisely because it is so rare and so understudied. In fact, he explains that most doctors struggle to di...

Is cancer its own separate organism? While we believe that it may not be most of the time, some instances of contagious cancer variants do not die with the host. Listen in to learn: How cancers may first arise Why metastatic sites hold vital clues to begin understanding metastasis  How to backtrack a tumor to see how it may have formed  Courtenay C. and Lucy Patten Davis Endowed Chair in Lung Cancer Research, James DeGregori, shares his expertise on various forms of cancer and the theoretical questions of the future. Many people think that random mutations may be the root cause of many forms of cancer. However, new research disputes this, and specialists have begun on a new research path of carcinogens and their effects on the body. While they may cause a higher rate of mutations in the area they affect, carcinogens seem to have many other impacts as well. The critical component of the speculation surrounding cancer is the "why?" of the developing tumors in specific...

You may be familiar with cicadas but are you aware of the vast impact they have on the environment. A cicada emergence can leave lasting effects on the world around them. Press play to learn: What years cicadas emerge Why cicadas live most of their life underground What Samuel Ramsey plans on studying next Samuel Ramsey, founder and director of the Ramsey Research Foundation, joins the podcast to discuss his research regarding parasitic insects and the wondrous world of cicadas. While many refer to them as locusts, there is much that distinguishes cicadas, and they have a vast benefit on the world around them. Unlike what we may have previously believed, cicadas bring benefits that can have favorable effects on crops and the ecosystem they emerge in. From having a boon on growth and providing vast energy sources for animals across the ecosystem, the 13 and 17-year broods can have an incredible impact. By studying emergence patterns and the lifespans of cicadas, information can ...

Dr. George Calin holds M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Carol Davila University of Medicine in Bucharest, Romania. He completed cancer genomics training at the University of Ferrara in Italy and was a post-doctor fellow at the Kimmel Center in Pennsylvania. The focus of his work is exploring new RNA therapeutic options for cancer patients. Click on play to learn: Why research on non-coding RNAs is important and what makes them special. How studies of ultraconserved gene sequences led to the discovery of distinct signatures in human cancers. How combinatorial therapeutics for small RNAs shows promise in treating cancers. Dr. Calin is the Principal Investigator at the Calin Laboratory at MD Anderson. He is currently working on all aspects of molecular biology and biomarkers with a focus on deadly cancers such as ovarian, gastric, colon, pancreatic, and cholangiocarcinoma. It has become evident in recent cancer research that the genomic complexity of cancer cells is more significant ...

Dr. Eliot Peyster is a heart transplant surgeon at the University of Pennsylvania Cardiovascular Institute. He is a member of the primary cardiology treatment team that specializes in cardiovascular conditions. In addition to heart transplant as a tool for treating end stage heart disease, Dr. Peyster is interested in the possibilities of using tissue samples from heart biopsies to study the heart at a microscopic level. Click on play to learn: What role inflammatory mediators plays in heart disease. How heart transplants and left ventricular assist devices are being used to treat people with severe heart disease. How computer vision analysis may be used to as a screening tool for high-risk heart disease in the future. Dr. Peyster describes coronary vascular disease as a leading cause of death, a disease of aging. Ischemic myopathy is generally understood regarding what causes heart blockages and how they relate to heart failure. However, too little is known about the role genet...

What dictates your decision to buy one type of cereal over the other? Cost? Nutritional content? Or is something else…like the colors of the packaging, or the nostalgic association you have with it from childhood? The truth is, you might not even be consciously aware of why you make the product purchases you do. But rest assured…others are studying this topic very closely. Press play to learn: How to distinguish between and understand the deep drivers vs. random factors of decision-making How to bridge the disconnect between perceptual and mathematical models of probability in product purchase decisions Whether and how to use large amounts of unstructured data in decision-making processes Amit Gandhi is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and applied economist at Microsoft, where he specializes in industrial organization and econometrics. In simpler terms, he focuses on the use of data in economic models and decision-making processes, whether at the organization, indu...

How does understanding molecular evolution hold the key to significant advances in technology and preserving life? By studying it, there may even be clues to how to survive on planets other than Earth. Press play to learn: How synthesizing unnatural DNA building blocks is possible If we can test Martian geology to determine its base properties Why the "Vitamin C Gene" was integral to evolution A distinguished fellow and part of the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Steven Benner, discusses his research in molecular evolution and testing the viability of sustaining life on other planets.  By understanding the basis of molecular DNA and its four natural bases, researchers can begin expanding that number to eight or even 12. This opens the possibility that various lifeforms may not have the same basis for evolution and developed using different mechanisms. By adapting to the world as the established systems were destroyed through phenomena like climate change, ...

Nicholas (Nik) P. Money is a Professor and Director of the Western Program at Miami University. He has spent most of his professional career studying fungi and other microorganisms and has published several books on the topics. His new book, Nature Fast and Nature Slow , was released in the summer of 2021 and focuses on biology from a unique perspective, the timing of life.  Click on play to learn: How miniscule units of time can be used to study fast mechanisms over slivers of time.  Why Professor Money chose to focus his new book on the passing of time. What the prospects may be for human life extension. The subtitle of Nik Money’s new book is, “How Life Works, From Fractions of a Second to Billions of Years.” He captures the reader’s attention with thought provoking statements about how quickly time seems to pass, shares the concept of milliseconds, and discusses nature slow which stretches out over billions of years.  The book explores the timetable of the un...

Is someone pulling the wool over the country's eyes when it comes to the pros and cons of the inoculation? Informed consent is an important right to retain and may be the key to safely inoculating the population. Press play to learn: The number of inoculation suggested by the CDC How inoculation may have been shown to correlate with adverse side affects The social groups which are responsible for inoculation pressure Health freedom lawyer Greg Glaser shares his experience fighting for informed consent for a large population of civilians and doctors around the country, especially in the age of high-pressure inoculation. Inoculation have been an integral part of American society since the latter decades of the 1900s, regardless of whether they actually make people healthier. Unfortunately, due to the social pressure cultivated by years of high-profit marketing from the inoculation industry, the truth may not correlate with the information widely pushed in the media. The soc...

Dr. Abdul Kadir Slocum is a co-founder of Chemothermia, an oncology center in Turkey that combines conventional cancer treatments with “out-of-the-box” therapies to improve cancer treatment outcomes. Dr. Slocum began the clinic in 2010 in Turkey with two partners, Professor Bulent Berkarda, M.D., and Professor Mehmet Salih İyikesici, M.D. to treat cancer patients from around the world. Click on play to learn: What role cellular metabolism has in health. How diet, hyperthermia, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy maximise the efficacy and reduce the side effects of conventional treatments. How holistic treatments support the patient undergoing traditional cancer treatments with promising results. Dr. Slocum has been working with Dr. İyikesici and Dr. Berkarda on the development and application of conventional and unconventional cancer treatments such as oxygen therapy for cancer to support and balance the system. These supportive treatments give the patient more time to fight the disea...

“This is one of the biggest stories ever,” says T. Colin Campbell.   What story is he talking about? The one that offers clear evidence of a safe, natural, and effective way to reverse cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and more. Tune in to discover: Whether there is a difference between the protein from pasture-fed animals and feedlot animals How taste preferences can change powerfully over a relatively short period of time Hidden sources of animal protein that you may not even know you consume Why most vegans still develop some of the same diseases as non-vegans and non-vegetarians T. Colin Campbell grew up on a farm, which meant growing up on dairy and animal meat. His doctoral dissertation was on the importance of animal protein consumption, and he even led a program in the Philippines aimed at helping malnourished children by providing them with quality animal proteins. His belief was firm, and in line with the rest of the nutritional science community: malnourishmen...

How can early detection and regular monitoring of breast health play a significant role in the severity of breast cancer ? The earlier cancer can be detected, a significant possibility emerges that an early understanding can benefit the patient when treatment begins. Listen in to learn: How heterogeneity impacts various tumors  If chemotherapy is contributing to tumors in specific ways How early-stage testing can save lives Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and member of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Kornelia Polyak, shares her research on the monitoring and preventing breast cancer. Through understanding why and when an individual gets breast cancer , better treatment techniques may become available, and prevention methods can be uncovered. In addition, through a deeper understanding of cause and early behavior, the next stages of treatment and prevention research can progress. The location of tumors and the environment within the body can play a signif...

Finally, you can take a deep breath in and relax…knowing you’ve also taken the lowest efficacious dose of your medicine, with less worry over adverse events. And it’s all thanks to a company called TFF Pharmaceuticals. Press play to learn: What specific problem TFF technology solves in terms of drug metabolism and systemic absorption How TFF technology can be applied to the area of vaccines Whether TFF technology could be used with cannabinoids as an alternative to vaping Glenn Mattes has worked in the pharmaceutical industry for over forty years now, and for the past four years, has served as CEO of TFF Pharmaceuticals, a Thin Film Freezing technology platform that can improve the properties of drug formulation, delivery, and administration while maintaining efficacy and avoiding many adverse events associated with other drug therapies. The Thin Film Freezing technology uses flash freezing to c...

“When psychiatry became wedded with the drug companies, it became very little more than a sales department of the pharmaceutical industry,” says Dr. Peter Breggin. He explains the pre-wedding state, post-wedding state, the future of psychiatry, and how it’s all related to the current virus situation. Tune in to discover: What a lobotomy is, how it works, and how recently it’s been performed in the US Why various competing views in psychiatry have been reduced to one predominant viewpoint (and what that viewpoint is) The damaging side effects and deaths related to the vaccine for the current virus Dr. Breggin is a psychiatrist and author of over 20 books, with one of his most recent publications addressing the current virus situation and the influence of global predators. He’s been involved with reform work his whole life, starting with giant volunteer projects in state mental hospitals over 60 years ago, to taking on almost all major lobotomy programs in the US s...

“All malignant diseases are derived from a normal cell in the body,” says Dr. Owen O’Connor, MD, PhD. But how different are the malignant cells from the normal ones, and how hard is it to differentiate one from the other? This question is at the heart of the 'therapeutic window' problem in cancer treatment. But with new research in full swing, a solution may be within reach. Press play to learn: The four eras of cancer treatment, and where the future of cancer therapy is headed The problem of the therapeutic window and modern-day chemotherapies, and how a combination of immunotherapy and precision medicine could overcome it The function of B cells in the body; how they behave differently in malignant disease vs. autoimmune disease Dr. O’Connor is an international authority on lymphoma and drug development with over 25 years of experience in academic medicine. He is also Chief Scientific Officer at TG Therapeutics, a biotechnology company that focuses on targeting diseas...

Kiana Aran, Ph.D. is an associate professor and director of the Aran Lab at Keck Institute and is also the Chief Scientific Officer at Cardea Bio. She is an electrical engineer with a driving interest in biology that has led her to combining these two seemingly unconnected fields. Her research has led to the discovery that amplification is not required for targeted DNA and gene detection. Click on play to learn: How functionalizing materials can be used in biosensing technologies and in lab-on-a-chip (LOC) systems. How linking biology directly with electronics molecular control signals can be accessed and studied. How the first DNA search engine is possible using a CRISPR-SNP-chip and graphene. Dr. Aran is interested in the integration electrical, mechanical, chemical, and bioengineering to develop new device solutions for use in clinical research. She thinks of the CRISPR chip as a microscopic robot that can be used as a genome typing tool, a kind of DNA search engine. This too...

A cure for cancer ? Immunotherapy could be the key. Tune in to discover: How an antiviral response is similar to an anti-tumor response The various ways in which cancer evades the immune system Which immunotherapies can treat end-stage patients, and how they work Samantha Bucktrout is the senior director of research at Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, where she focuses on bringing curative immunotherapy for patients with cancer. She begins by explaining the basics of immunotherapy, noting that all throughout each and every day, our immune systems are at work detecting and eliminating pre-cancerous cells in the body. For patients who have developed metastasis and where the standard of care has failed, immunotherapy might provide promise. Research in immunology has led to an understanding of the ways in which cancer co-opts the body’s natural ability to regulate the immune system , and thereby actively blocks it from doing its job. Equipped with this knowledge, ...

“If you can’t sleep, so what?” asks Annie Miller. Well, you may or may not agree, but the point she’s making is that it’s far better to not care about a lack of sleep than to panic about it. Press play for more of her insights and learn: How different people are responding differently to the virus-related shutdowns and re-entry into the “old” way of life Why the bed should only be for sleeping Why eight hours of sleep isn’t best for everyone Annie Miller is a psychotherapist and the founder of DC Metro Sleep and Psychotherapy , a private practice in Bethesda, Maryland. Her specialties include sleep and insomnia, anxiety, trauma , and chronic pain. In today’s show, she discusses how the current virus situation has been impacting people’s anxiety and sleep health , and also explains her approach to helping people through these issues. In the process, she provides several tips on establishing and maintaining good sleep hygiene.   Tune in for all the details and visit ...

How can Diabetes treatment be made more accessible and easy to use? By encouraging the availability of products to be all under one roof and finding less invasive treatment methods, patients can find new ease of lifestyle. Listen in to learn: The latest products coming on the market How pumps function and their limitations How algorithms assist with Diabetes treatment Ali Dianaty, the vice president of product innovation for the Diabetes Business at Medtronic, shares his work developing products to ease the burden placed on diabetes patients. In recent history, patients who have Diabetes were limited to very scarce, expensive, and painful treatment techniques. However, by innovating using machine learning, pumps, and similar therapeutic methods, the lifestyle surrounding Diabetes has changed and simplified treatment for many. With data storage and algorithms working with smartphone apps, devices may even remember meals one has consumed in the past and automatically adjust...

How can victims of cystic fibrosis and other degenerative lung diseases be treated and even reverse? Stem cells may hold the key to a new world of treatments. Press play to learn: The genes that are responsible for the proliferation of CF How the regulation of genes can change the disease landscape Common complications of lung transplants Barry Stripp, Ph.D. and professor of medicine and director of the lung stem cell program at Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, and John Mahoney, Ph.D., and head of the stem cell biology team at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Lab, join the podcast to share their work with lung regeneration and cystic fibrosis treatment . Cystic fibrosis , while not inherently destroying the lung, it disrupts bodily systems that allow the lung to function correctly. Due to mucus buildup after not allowing lungs to be appropriately hydrated, asphyxiation is one of the most common causes of death among CF sufferers. ...

Christopher Logan is an avid health and nutrition reader who is continuously searching for the next best thing in the wide world of physical culture and herbalism. He is the co-founder and CEO of Lost Empire Herbs , an online store that offers herbal medicine for men’s health and herbal supplements for athletic performance . Logan has an interesting perspective on the history of snake oil in the United States and its impact on pharmaceuticals, supplements, and herbs. Click on play to learn: How the use of snake oil at the turn of the century to treat muscle strains and pain became a derogatory term in spite of some amazing health benefits. Why some drugs have been found to be ineffectual in treating conditions as approved by the FDA. How the environment tends to produce food that is tainted by pesticides and lacks micronutrients leading to unhealthy conditions. Christopher Logan discusses the philosophy of scientism as it relates to health and sickness. The United States is o...

Luke Burgis is an entrepreneur by experience who worked on Wall Street for a short time before moving to California to jump into the startup world in Silicon Valley. He established four companies and experienced many successes and failures while in California. From the outside, Burgis appeared to have everything. However, he felt he was on a never-ending journey to find “something” while not really understanding what that something was. Click on play to learn: How the influences of René Girard and mimetic desire redirected Burgis’ life path. What drives people to pursue systems of desire. How to juggle competing multiple tribes. How the concept of tribes may play a role in blaming others. As a successful entrepreneur, Burgis struggled with wanting one thing one day and wanting something else the next day. Dealing with conflicting wants on an ongoing basis led to Burgis stepping back to revaluate his life. As an avid reader, he studied various theories of want and the self and f...

How can CRISPR technology be viewed in perspective past regular lab use? By examining the bacteria left after genetic editing, the potential for new research emerges. Press play to learn: How the cell-free system works The unanswered questions that remain in the field How CAS-9 functions with mRNA Chase Beisel, a Group Leader (W2) at Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research in Würzburg (Germany), discusses his research using CRISPR bacteria beyond their typical scope of work. While CRISPR is commonly used and known for manipulating DNA strings, there is actually a fascinating byproduct left behind. Using the bacteria responsible for the editing during the process, they are still viable for use after editing and can be seen as an extensive natural immune system. By watching and studying how mRNA functions within the system, there may be possibilities for new technology. By recruiting mRNA and turning them into guide RNA, the nature of how this change occurs can be un...

Jianghong Min is a graduate student with the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School who is currently involved in genomics studies of the heritability of CRISPR-based gene drive cassettes to control specific functionalities in non-human species and their impact on genetic diseases. He is working on these projects at MIT with the Sculpting Evolution Group and Kevin Esvelt, Assistant Professor. Listen to the podcast to discover: Why trial work with CRISPR-based gene drive systems is important. What unintended consequences might result from genome editing techniques. What measures are being taken in the new CRISPR method to ensure safety in this area of science. What potential benefits are associated with manipulating heritable genes in non-human species such as mosquitos and mice. Min is working on a study involving the genetic editing of heritable genes using gene drive cassettes in a non-human genus. The study is in the exploration phase at this time. Of particular int...

"Nature, over millions of years, developed the immune system in vertebrate animals,” says Martin Steegmaier. And one of those developments is the antibody—a large protein that detects and neutralizes threats to the body, like viruses and bacteria. Learn how one company is using this to tackle cancer, and discover: How the monoclonal antibody production process works The half-life of an antibody in the human body, and why it matters Methods of antibody-based treatment administration Steegmaier is head of research at MorphoSys AG, a company that’s focused on antibody discovery and development, with an aim to become a leader in hematology-oncology and autoimmune disease treatment. He discusses the benefits and observed effects of antibody-based treatment for various cancers, and the key differences between the use of antibodies (large molecules) and small molecules in the treatment of cancer. He also explains the function of the most notable antibody treatments on the MorphoS...

How can the application of machine learning make CRISPR even more beneficial than it already is? By lowering bench time, researchers may free time to find even more beneficial advancements. Listen in to learn: The potential concerns some researchers pose How domains can serve multiple functions The function of fetal hemoglobin Hannah Spinner, a research specialist and Ph.D. candidate at Harvard, discusses her work in applying machine learning on CRISPR technologies and new CRISPR proteins. Applying machine learning techniques that have been proven to advance technologies in other fields holds promising results in increasing the efficiency of CRISPR technology . Reducing the tedious lab work required by researchers will allow new advancements in how we interact during the research process. New advancements and discoveries regarding proteins and their use in CRISPR have opened the possibilities of adding a function that was not previously available. By editing various bases on...

Dr. Ana Soto is a Professor of Immunology at Tufts University who by training is a physician with a deep interest in science. She began working in labs while attending the university and eventually discovered an interest in how estrogens and hormones control the proliferation of cells in the breast, uterus, etc. Dr. Soto is currently conducting research on a new theory of cell proliferation and carcinogenesis at The Ana Soto – Carlos Sonenshein Lab at Tufts University. Click on play to learn: How this new theory of the proliferation of cancer cells contrasts with the predominant somatic mutation theory (SMT). How a related study on endocrine disruption became the focus of one of Dr. Soto’s studies. What are the current theories on factors that trigger cancer. Dr. Soto and Schonnenschein have been focusing their research on the origins of carcinogenesis known as the Tissue Organization Field Theory (TOFT). While their studies involve the biomechanics of morphogenesis, SMT theor...

One of the most profound questions in life is how did cells first materialize on Earth? Joana C. Xavier, Ph.D. is a scientist at University College London, bioengineer, and author who has focused her life’s work on finding possible answers to that question. She has an interest in systems biology , specifically the origin, evolution, and diversity of prokaryotic cells, minimal cells and chassis cells. Examples of Dr. Xavier’s work in computational biology include the analyses of the evolution of genes, species, and communities. She is also involved in large scale and integrative studies of metabolism. Press play to learn more about: The characteristics of prokaryotic cells and how they differ from eukaryotic cells. How the dynamics of hydrothermal vents may have played a role in the origins of life. How the vitamins and co-factors essential for us today played a vital role in establishing the first biochemical networks. Dr. Xavier has a keen interest in the origin and evolution...