What does 'the body as a bioreactor' mean? In this discussion how scientists use the body's machinery to produce therapeutic proteins. Scott Ripley, General Manager of Nucleic Acids at Cytiva, explains that traditional bioprocessing uses external bioreactors, while the new approach leverages the body's natural processes. This method offers benefits like longer protein half-life and the ability to express multiple proteins simultaneously. Justin Eyquem, assistant professor at University of California San Francisco, discusses the potential of in vivo CAR T cell therapy, which could simplify manufacturing and reduce costs. Both approaches face challenges in quality assurance and regulatory approval but hold promise for personalized and more effective treatments.

We're diving into advanced therapies with industry leaders. Emmanuel Abate, President of Genomic Medicine at Cytiva discussed the strategies to accelerate clinical work and reduce costs. Nathaniel Wang, CEO and Co-Founder of Replicate Bioscience highlighted their ground breaking self-replicating RNA technology, showcasing impressive clinical results for a rabies vaccine. Both experts emphasized the momentum in biotech, the potential of AI in advancing science, and the importance of making innovative therapies accessible globally. Stay tuned for these insights.

Show notes

• Beneath Everest, a lone caretaker struggles to keep one of the world’s highest laboratories alive
• Integrating human endogenous retroviruses into transcriptome-wide association studies highlights novel risk factors for major psychiatric conditions

Keywords: vaccines, advanced therapies, mRNA, manufacturing, technology, patients, innovation, new modalities.

Join Conor and Dodi in the latest episode of Discovery Matters, as they explore the wonders of ground-breaking scientific discoveries from multidisciplinary collaboration. MIT's Professor Pete Dedon expresses how multidisciplinary approaches and unique combinations of experiences can help to produce unexpected results. Professor James Evans of the University of Chicago then brings in the concept of surprise and hypergraphs to uncover the connections between different fields of knowledge. With insights from their guests, the latest episode of Discovery Matters dives deep into the mechanics behind groundbreaking discoveries. Jump in and listen to discover new ways to think about innovations and uncover the next amazing breakthrough!

Keywords: multidisciplinary, ideas, papers, surprise, science, combinations, teams, antibiotics, compounds, infectious diseases, malaria, space, serendipity.

Let’s explore the world of organoids and their potential to revolutionize disease treatment. Joined by Matthias Zilbauer and Roisin Owens, we look at the interplay of the gut-brain axis with organic electronic materials. Dive into the advances in organoid and microbial models used to develop treatments for illnesses such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s Disease, and Ulcerative Colitis. Join Dodi and Conor to discover how bioengineering could change our understanding of health and disease - and our lives.

Transcript

Show notes

Shi, F., Evans, J. Surprising combinations of research contents and contexts are related to impact and emerge with scientific outsiders from distant disciplines. Nat Commun 14, 1641 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36741-4.

Moon landing: India’s home-grown tech cut the costs (nature.com)

Keywords: microbiome, patient, model, cells, tissue, disease, gut, biological systems, microbes, biology, pediatric gastroenterology, science, organoids

In this episode of Discovery Matters, we discuss the exciting potential of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver genetic material and therapeutics to target cells and tissues. We are joined by Lloyd Jeffs, Senior Director of Biopharma Services at Precision NanoSystems, and Prof Dan Peer, Director of the Laboratory of Precision Nanomedicine at Tel Aviv University. Dan shares how his team has developed siRNA LNPs to deliver treatment more efficiently for ovarian cancer patients. From Dan's unique perspective, learn why this technology is cutting-edge, and why it may help defeat one of mankind’s biggest enemies— cancer.

Transcript

Show notes

Therapeutic gene silencing of CKAP5 leads to lethality in genetically unstable cancer cells | Science Advances

Neuroscientists decoded a Pink Floyd song using people’s brain activity (sciencenews.org)

Nutrients | Free Full-Text | Does Pizza Consumption Favor an Improved Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis? (mdpi.com)

Keywords: ovarian cancer, nanoparticles, lipid nanoparticles, genomic medicine, tumour, nucleic acids, cells, chemotherapy, drug, mrna, patients, sirna, rna.

Challenges of improving access to healthcare in developing countries - it's a conversation we need to have. With the help of Dr Jerome Kim, Director General of the International Vaccine Institute, we discuss vaccination and immunization programs as a key aspect of public health and global development – especially in developing nations, where access to life-saving medicines is often limited or non-existent. Karen Heichman, Deputy Director of Diagnostics, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, takes us on a journey of the critical role of diagnostics in the fight against diseases. Tune in to hear how technology and innovation could help to bridge the gap in access to healthcare and potentially save lives in the process.

Through a discussion of combination therapies, Dodi and Conor delve into the mysterious power of the human microbiome, and antimicrobial resistance. With evidence of the microbiome being a key factor in fighting diseases, this episode highlights the importance of understanding and treating the microbiome and its potential to improve lives. Tune in to find out more and explore the possibilities of the microbiome with Dr Saman Maleki, and the power of serendipity with Prof Pete Dedon!

Transcript

Show notes

Routy, B., Lenehan, J.G., Miller, W.H. et al. Fecal microbiota transplantation plus anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in advanced melanoma: a phase I trial. Nat Med 29, 2121–2132 (2023).

A novel combination therapy counters antibiotic-resistant Mycobacterium abscessus infections (MIT news)

'Blight' warns that a future pandemic could start with a fungus (sciencenews.org)

Hildebrandt, T., Peyser, D. The gut microbiome in anorexia nervosa. Nat Microbiol 8, 760–761 (2023).

Keywords: microbiome, patients, immunotherapy, immune system, cancer, study, people, combination therapy, tumor, immuno-oncology, fungus, fecal transplant, anorexia nervosa, oncology, higher bmi

In this episode, we dive into the potential of liquid biopsies as a method to detect deadly diseases. We speak with three experts – Marta Herreros, Rik Bryan, and Doug Ward – to learn more about the non-invasive nature of liquid biopsies and the process of detecting biomarkers within a patient sample. Rik and Doug discuss their GALEAS Bladder test, which can identify key mutations present in 96% of bladder cancer patients. Tune in to learn more about the potential of liquid biopsies and the importance of early detection!

Transcript

Show notes

• GALEAS Bladder test – Galeas Bladder
• BBC and hybrid working – Internal Communications Europe 2023 — BBC
• Identification by ears – Ear identification: A multi-ethnic study sample - ScienceDirect

Keywords: bladder cancer, patient, liquid biopsy, urine, cells, bladder, urine test, urine sample, mutations, tumor, DNA, cancer, clinical trials, sequencing, samples, biomarkers.

Why do China and US have different government regulations? Why can’t we do business above the fray?

These are just some of the struggles biopharma executives report impacting their business. Our guests are of the same view – the industry needs fixing.

Yingke He, CEO and Co-Founder of Forecyte Bio, explains how China's industrialized experience is limited and in its early stages compared to the US.

Listen to this episode to understand the industry tensions and areas showing promise.

Transcript

Show notes

The Biopharma Resilience Index - Biopharma Resilience | Cytiva (cytivalifesciences.com)

Pessimists Archive - Pessimists Archive

Caesarean babies and their mother’s microbiome - 'Vaginal seeding' boosts the development of babies born by C-section | New Scientist

Keywords: talent, industry, manufacturing, collaboration, pandemic, therapies, challenges, government, regulators, biopharma resilience index, policies, solutions, companies, China, genomic medicine, cell and gene therapy.

In this episode of Discovery Matters, we explore the incredible advances in precision medicine enabled by organoid technology. Vicky Marsh Durban and Oksana Sirenko contribute to the conversation, talking about how machine learning and robotics are used to scale up organoid culture and analyse data, as well as the potential of organoids to revolutionise regenerative medicine. Listen to this episode for an insightful and informative deep dive into the potential of organoids for transforming the face of modern medicine.

Transcript

Keywords: patient, cells, tissues, cardiac, drugs, assays, cancer, organoids, data, technology, stem cells, tumors, automation, ai.

War! What is it good for? In this episode of Discovery Matters, Dr Smith explains how military medicine first shaped state medicine and how wartime creates an opportunity to innovate. From advances in prosthetics, psychology, and cosmetic surgery to the mass production of penicillin during World War II, this episode dives deep into the life-saving innovations brought over the line due to conflicts.

Show notes

• More is Better: English Language Statistics are Biased Toward Addition - Winter - 2023 - Cognitive Science - Wiley Online Library
• Protecting maternal health in Rwanda | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Transcript

Keywords: medicine, war, military, wartime, innovation, doctors, civilian, patient, ai, medical, human, diseases, historian, psychiatry, navy, history.

John Morris, a scientist at the forefront of cryopreservation technology, joins Dodi and Conor. They discuss the impact of cryopreservation on the development of CAR T therapies, why freezing cells is essential to these treatments, how tracking the samples ensures quality, and the potential for frozen cells to treat solid tumors in the future. Tune in to find out how cryopreservation has transformed the life sciences and how it could revolutionize how we treat disease in the future.

Show notes

Pioneers and Visionaries docu-series.

Transcript

Keywords: patient, cells, freezing, therapies, gene therapy, car t, t cells, john Morris, cytiva, podcast, stabilizing, cryogenics, cold chain

From gene and cell therapies, to the use of CRISPR and other precision engineering technologies, this episode dives into the opportunities and challenges of the emerging field of advanced therapies.

On Discovery Matters this week, Dodi and Conor are joined by Daria Donati, Chief Scientific Officer of Genomic Medicine at Cytiva, as well as Jen Moody, Vice President of External Innovation of Genomic Medicines at Danaher, to discuss the science, progress, and potential of advanced therapeutics.

Demaris Mills, Group Executive of Genomic Medicines at IDT, and experts Fyodor Urnov, Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Director of Technology & Translation at the Innovative Genomics Institute, cover the technologies used in gene and cell therapies as well as CRISPR to deliver powerful and precise treatments aiming for a healthier future.

Conor and Dodi explore the new and exciting world of bacteriophage therapy. Join them as they speak to Anton Peleg, Professor of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology and the Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Alfred Hospital and Monash University, about this emerging field. Together they discuss how phages, viruses that specifically target bacteria, are being used to fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs and the challenges of producing them at scale and getting them approved by regulatory bodies.

Show notes

For more information on Professor Anton Peleg’s work with phages: Old cure revived in fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs (smh.com.au)

RNA in space: Oba, Y., Koga, T., Takano, Y. et al. Uracil in the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu. Nature Communications 14, 1292 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36904-3

Transcript

Keywords: phage, bacteria, infection, antibiotics, rna, therapies, bacterial infections, penicillin, patients, antibiotic resistant bacteria, cholera, phage therapy, superbugs.

In the latest episode of Discovery Matters, Dodi and Conor are joined by Dr. Bradley Moore from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to discuss his research into the medical and synthetic implications of using marine microbes to fight aggressive cancers such as glioblastoma. By leveraging salinosporamide A, Dr. Moore proposes that these deep-sea organisms could potentially be scaled up for human use and repurposed for medicinal and synthetic purposes. Dive into this episode to hear how the ocean has the power to bring forth new discoveries that could save lives!

Show notes

For more information on this 'anti-cancer weapon': Scientists Discover How Molecule Becomes Anticancer Weapon | Scripps Institution of Oceanography (ucsd.edu)

Transcript

Keywords: glioblastoma, salinosporamide A, Scripps, chemicals, organisms, coral, ocean, genomes, dna, molecules, medicine, bacterium, drug, oceanography, sequence, sea.

We should not underestimate cells. Conor and Dodi talk with Dr Brett Kagan, who conducted research to understand the brain and test ‘sentient’ brain cells, using the 1970s game, known as ‘Pong’. In another conversation, Professor Petra Levin and Kunaal Joshi explain how they have demonstrated that there is no mythical ‘average’ cell which mimics the stochastic behaviors of any individual cell.

At the end of this episode, we hope to have proven that cells are not to be overlooked and still have so much to tell us about human health.

Show notes

• In vitro neurons learn and exhibit sentience when embodied in a simulated game-world
• Beyond the average: An updated framework for understanding the relationship between cell growth, DNA replication, and division in a bacterial system

Transcript

Keywords: cells, replication, pong, gamification, average, machine learning, brain cells, dna replication, intelligence, sleep, biology, biomass, bacteria, neurons.

What do CRISPR and longevity have in common? Not much, except it's all molecular.

We spoke to two different CEOs focused on improving human health. We begin with Dr Benjamin Oakes, Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Scribe Therapeutics, who takes us through the discovery, potential, and possible limitations of CRISPR.

Then we are joined by fellow visionary Kristen Fortney, the CEO and co-founder of BioAge, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapies that treat disease by targeting the biology of ageing.

You cannot miss these fascinating conversations.

Transcript

Keywords: ageing, CRISPR, molecules, age, technology, disease, muscle, engineering, treat, understand, genome editing, human, Jennifer Doudna.

Psychedelic treatment is a therapy which is on the rise according to the increasing number of studies on the use of psilocybin, ketamine and MDMA to treat mental health disorders such as PTSD. In this episode, Conor talks to Prof. Eric Vermetten, a psychiatrist who has been working with the military in the Netherlands for the last 25 years, helping Dutch armed forces and the uniformed people in the face of PTSD and psychotraumatology.

Show notes

For more info on Prof. Eric Vermetten’s work: Eric Vermetten - Leiden University (universiteitleiden.nl)

Transcript

Keywords: MDMA, psilocybin, psychedelics, PTSD, compounds, therapy, drugs, psychotraumatology, trauma, ketamine, revived therapies

Conor and Dodi try their hand at learning to operate an ÄKTA ready in virtual reality. Their virtual journey takes them to Singapore and Miami, without leaving Sweden, Amersham, and Edinburgh. Join us on a journey into the metaverse.

Show notes

For more info on using virtual reality for customers: cytiva.com/vr

You can view the video version of the episode here, where you can see virtual Dodi and Conor interact with virtual Arron Greig (our expert guide).

Transcript

Keywords: virtual reality, meetings, vr, learning, training, virtual, instructions, ÄKTA

Mushrooms on Mars, life-saving blood from worms, cell-cultured seafood. It's been a year filled with surprise, serendipity, and everything in between. Conor, Dodi and the podcast team look back on a fascinating year and highlight their favourite interviews and topics of the year. 

See you in the new year!

Show notes

More info on Conor’s favorite: What is Quorn mycoprotein? | Quorn

More info on Dodi’s favorite: How We Make Chocolate and Coffee From Plant Cell Culture Technology — The Future of Coffee and Chocolate | California Cultured (cacultured.com)

More info on Beth’s favorite: Discovery Makers: Mustapha Bittaye | Cytiva (cytivalifesciences.com)

More info on Tom’s favorite: Kevill JL, Pellett C, Farkas K, Brown MR, Bassano I, Denise H, McDonald JE, Malham SK, Porter J, Warren J, Evens NP, Paterson S, Singer AC, Jones DL. “A comparison of precipitation and filtration-based SARS-CoV-2 recovery methods and the influence of temperature, turbidity, and surfactant load in urban wastewater,” Sci Total Environ. 2022 Feb 20;808:151916. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151916

Transcript

This episode focuses on the microbiome and how it is increasingly linked to disease and illness. It seems this is true for understanding the illness of the body and the brain. Dr Amir Minerbi, the Deputy Director of the Institute for Pain Medicine at Rambam Medical Center, talks to us about how the microbiome may hold the secrets of fibromyalgia. This chronic disorder causes widespread pain, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and potentially dozens of other symptoms.

We are also joined by Prof Illana Gozes, Director of Elton Laboratory for Molecular Neuroendocrinology in the Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. She elaborates on her research surrounding the role of specific microbiota signatures as a biomarker for PTSD.

Show notes

Minerbi, Amir, Gonzalez, Emmanuel, Brereton, Nicholas, Fitzcharles, Mary-Anna, Chevalier, Stéphanieh, Shir, Yorama. (2022) ‘Altered serum bile acid profile in fibromyalgia is associated with specific gut microbiome changes and symptom severity’, PAIN Vol.10 (1097). doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002694.

Levert-Levitt E, Shapira G, Sragovich S, Shomron N, Lam JCK, Li VOK, Heimesaat MM, Bereswill S, Yehuda AB, Sagi-Schwartz A, Solomon Z, Gozes I. (2022) ‘Oral microbiota signatures in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) veterans,’ Mol Psychiatry. doi:10.1038/s41380-022-01704-6.

Transcript

Today, we sat down with Christos Michas, R&D scientist and engineer at Curi Bio, and Alice White, professor of mechanical engineering at Boston University. Christos and Alice have taken the organ on a chip to another level with the miniPUMP, a heart on a chip which is the first step in understanding the interaction of therapeutic drugs with the heart.

Show notes

Christos Michas and Alice White et al. (2022) ‘Engineering a living cardiac pump on a chip using high-precision fabrication’, Science Advances 8(16). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abm3791.

Transcript

Keywords: organ on a chip, chip, cells, organ, heart, technology, tissue, structural elements, challenge, structure, model, drugs, photon, system, resin, material, function, miniPUMP.

In this first in a two-part series on organ on a chip technology, we discuss with Jan Turner, formerly part of Safer Medicines Trust, how these organoids can help us move away from the inefficient animal model.

Show notes

Emulate study on LiverTox - Liver-Chip Publication | Qualifying a human Liver-Chip for predictive toxicology (emulatebio.com)

Transcript

Keywords: chips, drugs, organ, human, model, cells, technology, testing, animal models, animal testing, microbiome, preclinical testing, animal, organ on a chip, drug development.

Can you tell the difference between a human and AI? Of course you can…right? We challenge Conor and Dodi to tell the difference between Conor and Conor BOT all while uncovering how AI is transforming the life sciences.

Uncover how AI is transforming the life sciences. Together with an AI-bot the pair explore the potential applications of AI in drug discovery, personalizing medical treatments, protein folding, and more. They also consider the ethical considerations required when developing AI models, as well as the need for emotional intelligence in AI systems.

Keywords: AI, ethical dilemma, bias, misinformation, datasets, diagnostics, drug discovery, healthcare.

We have lots of information at our fingertips, so how do we make sense of it all, especially in human health? Conor and Dodi speak to two experts making sense of this information overload by creating genetic and genomic databases. 

Dr Artem Babaian, a computational biologist and now Assistant Professor leading The Laboratory for RNA-Based Lifeforms at the University of Toronto, explains how he and his team uncovered 100,000 novel viruses in old genetic data that could help us predict future pandemics.

Professor Jinchuan Xing, Associate Professor at Rutgers University in the Department of Genetics conducting research on genomic variation, walks us through his study on using genomic data to predict infertility from aneuploid egg production.

Let's dive into the data!

Show notes

Edgar, R.C., Taylor, J., Lin, V. et al. Petabase-scale sequence alignment catalyses viral discovery. Nature 602, 142–147 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04332-2

Sun, S., Miller, M., Wang, Y. et al. Predicting embryonic aneuploidy rate in IVF patients using whole-exome sequencing. Hum Genet 141, 1615–1627 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00439-022-02450-z

Transcript

Keywords: viruses, genome, patients, prediction, mutations, data, RNA viruses, computational biology, families, human genome, whole exome sequencing, discovery, machine learning, infertility, chromosomes, scientists.

Within the life sciences industry, there has been a longstanding conversation around one of the industry’s most difficult challenges. That challenge is talent. In more detail, it is that the access to a global talent pool remains difficult. In this longer than usual conversation, Conor and Dodi speak with Darrin Morrissey, CEO of NIBRT, Anne-Cecile Potmans, general manager of Fast Trak and CDMO services at Cytiva, and Nikki Soares, global talent acquisition leader at Cytiva.

We discuss how the industry is stepping up its resilience for customers and patients. To find, train, retrain, and retain talent is what matters in this episode of Discovery Matters.

Transcript

Keywords: talent, organization, people, biopharma, industry, life sciences industry, training, global, retaining, companies, skills.

Plastic and pollution are two issues that impact our planet. It would be easy to despair but once again biology has come to save us. The Alper Lab at University of Texas at Austin has engineered a plastic-eating enzyme which can shorten plastic degradation from hundreds of years to 48 hours.

We speak to Dr Hal Alper, Professor in Chemical Engineering at UT at Austin, who engineered this heroic enzyme.

We also speak to Marco Poletto, director and co-founder of EcoLogic studio, which is a design innovation company specializing in biotechnology for the built environment. He explains his use of microalgae to create streetlights, playgrounds, and biofilms on the outside of buildings which can capture 20 large trees worth of CO2 every day.

Show notes

Timelapse of the plastic degradation, courtesy of University of Texas at Austin.

Transcript Keywords: enzyme, plastic, protein, biology, ecologic, engineering, machine learning, organism, planet, algae, biomass, degrade, microorganisms, eco warrior, microscopic.

Wastewater-based epidemiology is a relatively new approach to determine the viral make up in any given area. Using chemical analysis of pollutants and biomarkers in raw wastewater, the level of exposure to certain pathogens can be assessed. This technique was used during the pandemic, which has helped realize its potential in public healthcare policy.

We speak to Prof. Dominic Frigon, a specialist of biological wastewater resource recovery at McGill University, who used this technique in Quebec through the pandemic to determine areas of vulnerability, including a homeless shelter. We also speak to Dr Kata Farkas, an environmental virologist at Bangor University, to understand the wider applications and importance of this analysis technique.

Urine for a treat with this conversation.

Transcript

Keywords: wastewater, viruses, monitoring, pandemic, sewage, samples, population, infection, epidemiology, mutations, surveillance, norovirus.

This episode is all about special blood and transplants. We speak to Jon Adkins, co-founder of XenoTherapeutics, who walks us through their use of xenotransplantation for skin grafts and organ transplantation. We are also joined by Dr. Franck Zal, a marine biologist, CSO and CEO of Hemarina, to discuss the lugworm. His discovery, that the lugworms’ blood is compatible with human blood, means it can be used in medical applications for transplants.

Join us for this eye-opening and insightful conversation.

Transcript

In this episode, we contemplate the combatting the devastating disease that Alzheimer’s is. According to a recent report by the Alzheimer’s Disease International, an estimated 50 million people are living with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. We talk to two experts leading two respective early-stage studies into possible treatments for Alzhemier’s. One study looks at the tackling of tau proteins, another looks at treating aging rather than the disease itself.

Join us for this fascinating discussion!

Transcript

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, ageing, disease, patients, tau, study, treatment, brain, discovery, protein, sodium selenate, neurodegenerative diseases, frailty, tauopathies, alzheimer's and brain awareness month.

The pandemic has been a global issue, which has benefitted from the coming together of industry, pharma, academia, non-governmental and governmental support. What the pandemic has also brought into sharp focus is the global imbalance access to healthcare and health inequity between the Global North and Global South.

For this important conversation, we are joined by Professor Linda-Gail Bekker, Chief Operating Officer of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation about the current situation with HIV and TB in Africa, and the impact COVID-19 has had on patients already suffering from communicable diseases.

So, what can we do? Lenias Hwenda, founder and CEO of Medicines for Africa, explains the additional problems of access to medicines and potential solutions for global vaccine inequity, working to make medicines as inexpensive as possible, and improving the supply chain.

Transcript

Related reading –

Dzau, V.J., Balatbat, C.A., Offodile II, A.C., Closing the global vaccine equity gap: equitably distributed manufacturing. The Lancet. 2022;399(10339): 1924-1926. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)00793-0

The Global Biopharma Resilience Index

How localizing manufacturing is helping the Middle East take control of its vaccine supply?

Keywords: equitable access, HIV, human immunodeficiency viruses, Lentivirus, medicines, pandemic, countries, vaccine, TB, epidemic, Africa, supply chain, communicable diseases, middle-income countries, access, low-income countries, Global North, Global South, disease burden.

We know meat is problematic for the environment, and seafood has its own issues with overfishing, so do we have to wave goodbye to the foods we love?

Well, what if we told you that there are substitutes which you can enjoy without sacrificing taste and texture?

We start with mycoprotein, in the form of the well-known meat substitute products of Quorn Foods. Tim Finnigan, Chief Scientific Advisor for Quorn Foods, explains why mycoprotein is such a suitable source of protein, how it is manufactured, the environmental benefits, and how fusarium venenatum, the microfungus, was discovered. And... it's tasty!

In the same episode, we ask Dr Lauran Madden, Chief Technology Officer at BlueNalu, to share with you the engineering process, the health and environmental benefits, and the positive impact on the environment of their cell-cultured seafood. This is hugely critical as the populations of marine species have halved since 1970, battling with overfishing, illegal fishing, and the effects of trawling. This cell-cultured seafood comes first...plaice... *sorry*.

By the end of this episode, we will hopefully have demonstrated the environmental and health benefits of switching meat out of our diets for better alternatives.

Transcript

Keywords: cell-culture, microfungus, filamentous, mycoprotein, environment, meat substitute, protein, seafood, yeast, engineering, technologies, fish, fungi, Quorn, BlueNalu.

According to Jacob Moe-Lange from California Cultured, and Natasha Haveman from the UF Space Plant Lab, genetically modified food is the future. Both discuss the way that food is grown and how that is changing. Jacob takes us through cell-cultured chocolate and the environmental and humanitarian benefits. Natasha forces our gaze upwards to the plant experiments happening in spaceflight conditions, where scientists are learning how plants adapt to new environmental stresses.

In this episode, Dodi puts forward her argument that plants are better than Conor’s mycelium. Who will win out? Let’s see.

Transcript

Keywords: cell-culture, chocolate, mycelium, plants in space, climate change, cell, bioprocessing, environment, space, gardeners, stem cells, food, genetic modification, GMOs.

Fungi are amazing in so many ways, and after learning that they could be used to build habitat on Mars, we have this bonus episode to go into home these mushrooms can be used on Earth. Chris Maurer, principal architect at redhouse studios, explains that he has been using mushrooms to make building materials in low-resource environments in Namibia. These materials prove even better than concrete.

Join Dodi and Conor for this episode on a truly amazing use of biology to solve our problems.

Transcript

Keywords: mycelium, building materials, mushrooms, Namibia, carbon, oyster mushrooms, resources, encroach, bush, low-resource environment, Mars, redhouse studios.

Let's explore the remarkable colour-changing abilities of cephalopods. Joined by Dan Wilson from the Kostas Research Institute at Northeastern University, the team dive into the fascinating research behind the development of paints that respond to environmental stimuli, such as sunlight. They also discuss titanium dioxide and how it acts as a facilitator of the colour-changing process. Professor Alon Gorodetsky, Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, talks about his research on developing energy-responsive dyes to mimic the features of octopi. Discover the potential applications of these dyes from diagnostics to resource-constrained initiatives, and more. Listen in and discover this remarkable evolutionary adaptation and the incredible ingenuity of cephalopods.

March is the month of the Woman, and to celebrate International Women’s Day we speak with two agents of change who are passionate about opportunity and diversity within the sciences. Ruchi Sharma, CEO and Founder of Stemnovate Limited, and Sabrina Fleurimé, drug product development scientist and Corporate Partnership Director at BBSTEM, talk to us about what we can all do to become agents of change.

Ruchi Sharma is recognized as one of the ones to watch entrepreneurs in the health industry, she is passionate about ensuring equality and equal opportunity. Alongside supporting women in science, she is also a veterinarian and supports inventions for better animal health while reducing animal testing. 

Sabrina Fleurimé is a drug development scientist who has been working in the pharmaceutical industry for the past 6 years. During her time at AstraZeneca, she met Kayisha Payne, the founder of BBSTEM (Black British in STEM), and later decided to join the non-profit organisation. As BBSTEM’s corporate sponsorship director, she is actively interacting with actors in the STEM field, working towards bridging the gap between talents and opportunities.

Transcript

Keywords: women, STEM, science, cells, equality, diversity, international women’s day, drug discovery, opportunities, scientists, Stemnovate, BBSTEM.

Sustained life and colonization in space are closer than ever, and biology holds the key. Biomimetic processes have applications for water filtration and for building homes on Mars. Jörg Vogel, VP of Open Innovation at Aquaporin, discusses how their Aquaporin Inside® Membrane Technology will help filter condensate and urine to make drinking water for astronauts.

We are also joined by Chris Maurer, an architect and founder of redhouse studios in Cleveland, Ohio. Chris is working on a project with NASA to build homes on Mars using mycelium.

Join Dodi and Conor for this truly ‘out-of-this-world’ episode.

Transcript

Keywords: biomimicry, biomimetic, space, water, fungi, Mars, mycelium, NASA, oxygen, algae, biomass, radiation, condensate, building materials, Aquaporin, redhouse studios.

Meet Discovery Maker Mustapha Bittaye, now a senior scientist working on diagnostic assay development at Medicines Discovery Catapult, who previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Jenner Institute helping create the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. Born in The Gambia, a scholarship took Mustapha to the UK to study Microbial Proteomics, and from then onwards he has made truly amazing contributions to human health globally.

Conor and Dodi examine Mustapha’s story, truly brilliant mind, and how he is looking to the future. 

Transcript

Keywords: vaccine, pandemic, Oxford, Gambia, discovery, trial, AstraZeneca, scientists, COVID-19, scholarship, Jenner Institute, microbial proteomics.

What better way to start off 2022 than with a return to our Discovery Makers series. We celebrate discovery by talking to the scientists changing the world one day at a time. This time we are joined by Sebastian Falk.

What drives a scientist? Well, according to Sebastian Falk, it is curiosity that drives him. Sebastian is a structural biologist who is leading a research group at the Max Perutz Labs investigating the structure and function of proteins, and how they work in RNA metabolism. In line with his curiosity-driven mindset, Sebastian also teaches at the University of Vienna where he is educating the next generation of up-and-coming scientists.

As part of our Discovery Makers series, Conor and Dodi discuss why Sebastian went into his research field, what motivates him, why he enjoys teaching, and what future research Sebastian is looking into.

Transcript

Keywords: structural biology, proteins, science, discoveries, mentoring, serendipity, nucleic acid, discovery, experimenting, art, curiosity, hypothesis, research, RNAi, biogenesis.

As 2022 rolls around the corner, we look back on the amazing topics we covered in 2021. Conor and Dodi were set an assignment to choose their favorite episode of the year, but as this was such a jam-packed year it made it very hard for them to complete their assignment. But as in all things, they delivered.

From fungi forays to an eye-opening conversation with Dr Joan Reede, President of the BSCP, Dodi and Conor discuss the best moments of the year, with a little input from the production team. Our podcast planner intern, Bethany shares her favorite episode, as does Thomas Henley our podcast editor and sound designer.

Stay to the end for a little surprise from us to you for the holiday season…

Transcript

Keywords: insects, recombinant factor c, pupae, biotech, fats, discovery, favorite, industry, BSCP, fungi, horseshoe crab.

For this episode of Discovery Matters we are focusing on industry surveys and what they can tell us. This includes BioPlan and the Biopharma Resilience Index. Both huge reports providing insight into both the issues and opportunities facing the industry today.

Firman Ghouze, Cytiva’s Marketing Director in APAC, explains how the Biopharma Resilience Index came about, the industry issues it uncovers and potential solutions. We are also joined by Eric Langer, from BioPlan Associates, to discuss the BioPlan findings and how they echo many of the same themes. Finally, it was a delight to talk to Dr. Richard Wang, the founder and CEO of Neukio Biotherapeutics, who shares his insights as an industry leader.

This episode is an informative and accessible discussion on the state of the biopharma industry today. We discuss ways to tackle the most pressing challenges and how, if possible, we can best plan for the future.

Learn more about the Biopharma Resilience Index here.

Check out bioplanassociates.com.

Transcript

Keywords: industry, manufacturing, index, talent, biopharma, resilience, capacity, supply chain, talent pool, capital flows, pandemic, biopharma resilience index.

Single-cell sequencing is a technology that is giving us new genomic capabilities. Dr. Luciano Martelotto joins us to explain how single-cell sequencing allows scientists to understand cells as building blocks, much like LEGO™, which form part of a much bigger structure such as an organ, a tissue, a disease, and so forth. Dr. James McLaren utilizes this technology to look at septicemia; in his work he is using single-cell analysis to better understand sepsis and to develop a rapid diagnostic test. Single-cell sequencing could hold the key to understanding why the body reacts to infections, and overall to help us advance healthcare. Join Dodi, Conor and their guests, Dr. Luciano Martelotto, Scientific Director of Single Cell Lab at Harvard Medical School, and Dr. James McLaren, Systems Immunity lecturer at Cardiff University, in the latest episode of Discovery Matters.

Transcript

Keywords: single-cell, sepsis, sequencing, diagnostic, infection, lab-on-a-chip, detection, technology, cellular.

We’ve talked about slime, seaweed, mushrooms, and now creepy crawlies. Insects are important biotech engines for medicines and meals. Algenex are using insect pupa to produce recombinant proteins that can be used for vaccines, which also has the potential to replace less sustainable raw materials. Insects are also excellent food sources, not just for bush tucker trials, but Dr. Daylan Tzompa-Sosa explains that insect lipids can make doughnuts, croissants, oils, and hummus!

Join Dodi, Conor and their guests Dr. José Escribano, founder and CSO of Algenex, and Dr. Daylan Tzompa-Sosa, a researcher at Ghent University specializing in milk fat, in the latest episode of Discovery Matters.

Transcript

Keywords: insects, fats, protein, vaccines, cells, biomass, milk fat, recombinant protein, bioreactors, molecules, lipids, moth larvae, downstream.

We talk a lot about beginnings on Discovery Matters, but what about actually getting biologic drugs to people? Once the biologic is produced, aseptic filling and hybrid glass and plastic vials help to protect the biologic drug and the patient.

Join Dodi, Conor and their guests, Chris Weikart the Chief Scientist at SiO2 Material Science, and Ross Gold one of the founders of Cytiva's aseptic filling business, in the latest episode of Discovery Matters, talking about the end of the workflow.

Transcript

Keywords: vials, packaging, biologic drugs, glass, injectable, aseptic filling, pandemic, plastic, innovation, dosage, patient, coating, molding.

Who (in the scientific community) would have guessed that mRNA would be such a popular word in everyone's vocabulary one day? Well, as Conor puts it, "all the research by the people on the edges of the scientific community for the past 20 years are really paying dividends."

Join Dodi, Conor, and their guests, Clive Glover the General Manager of Gene Therapy at Pall and James Taylor General Manager in Vancouver for Precision NanoSystems, in the latest episode of Discovery Matters, talking about mRNA revolutionizing the genomics field.

Transcript

Keywords: mRNA, medicines, technology, disease, genetic, therapeutics, vaccines, RNA, innovation, viral vector, genomics.

In this episode of Discovery Matters, hosts Dodi and Conor explore how synthetic biology can lead to transformative breakthroughs when it comes to dealing with global health problems. Through their conversation with Justin Vigar, a PhD student in Dr. Keith Pardee's lab at the University of Toronto in Canada, we learn how his team's paper-based diagnostic tool has the potential to provide faster, more cost-efficient, and accessible diagnostics for underserved locations. This is complemented by Amir Pandi and Tobi Erb's discussion of using AI and synthetic biology to develop new antimicrobial peptides.

Show notes

• U of T PhD student uses synthetic biology to create low-cost diagnostic tools.

• Pandi, A., Adam, D., Zare, A. et al. Cell-free biosynthesis combined with deep learning accelerates de novo-development of antimicrobial peptides. Nat Commun 14, 7197 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42434-9

• Khalek IS, et al. Synthetic development of a broadly neutralizing antibody against snake venom long-chain α-neurotoxins. Sci Transl Med. 2024 Feb 21;16(735). https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.adk1867

• Josh A Goldstein, Jason Chao, Shelby Grossman, Alex Stamos, Michael Tomz, How persuasive is AI-generated propaganda?, PNAS Nexus, Volume 3, Issue 2, February 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae034

In this episode of Discovery Matters, enter into the world of slime: seaweed, agar and algae. Algae gave us the atmosphere that we have today and is still coming to our aid against climate change. Executive Director of the Climate Change Cluster at the University of Technology in Sydney, Photobiologist Peter Ralph, who once called himself Dr. Death, explains how algae has given him newfound hope to fight climate change.

Join Conor and Dodi for this fascinating episode!

Transcript

Keywords: algae, microalgae, seaweed, agar, sugars, protein, agarose, resins, cyanobacteria, climate change, photobiology, witchetty grub.

The BSCP is working towards greater diversity and opportunities for people of colour and disadvantaged individuals within the biomedical and life sciences.

Join Dodi and Conor and their guest, Dr Joan Reede, for this important episode where we learn what more can be done by ourselves and the industry as a whole to further diversity and inclusion.

Transcript

Keywords: students, color, people, organisations, doctors, opportunities, privilege, pandemic, biomedical science, diversity, representation, life sciences, women, BSCP.

How do you solve linked murders without witnesses? The answer, DNA. 

In this episode of Discovery Matters, we have been inspired by the true crime genre. We discuss a 32-year-old cold case which was the first to be solved with DNA profiling, and a murder in Las Vegas that was solved with the smallest amount of DNA ever! 

Join Dodi and Conor, and guest Kathryn Lamerton a former forensic scientist currently a Senior R&D Scientist at Cytiva, with a re-enactment helped by some of our colleagues at Cytiva for this exciting episode of Discovery Matters.

Transcript

Keywords: DNA, crime, DNA profiling, crime scene, Colin Pitchfork, R&D.

We adore happy accidents.  But is that the only way to innovate? We talk to an innovation guru who's all about structure. Then we meet a scientist whose goal with innovation is to scale up.  Enter the Testa Center in Sweden.  Hear how it all comes together in this episode with Dodi and Conor. 

Transcript

Keywords: innovation, discoveries, Testa Center, Innovation hub, scale up.