Dose of Discovery is BioXconomy's monthly science podcast about the ideas, research, and people shaping modern biomedicine.
Hosts AJ and Søren bring their scientific training to make sense of biomedical discovery for listeners. The show brings thoughtful, accessible conversations to subjects that often feel closed off or over-complicated.
Each month, they sit down with leading scientists to explore research shaping oligo therapeutics, mRNA technology, and advanced therapies, and more, tracing how those ideas move from research toward real-world impact.
For biotech professionals, researchers, and curious listeners, Dose of Discovery offers smart, grounded science conversation with a warm over-coffee feel.Â
Be sure to check out BioXconomyfor more deep-dive conversations about the latest in biomedical research.
Dose of Discovery, podcast de Søren Hough - Statistiques, Êpisodes et classements - My Podcast Data
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âNobody Calledâ: Katalin KarikĂł on the mRNA breakthrough that changed medicine
Saison 1 ¡ Ăpisode 6
mercredi 23 septembre 2026 ⢠DurÊe 01:13:17
Decades of curiosity and determination helped Katalin Karikó turn overlooked research into a technology that changed the course of a pandemic. The mRNA pioneer and Nobel laureate joins Søren and AJ to discuss how she navigated demotion and threats of deportation to find peace and joy in the lab.
Kati grew up in Hungary before leaving with her family to start a new life in the US â smuggling money hidden in her daughterâs teddy bear as she left.
She faced a language barrier and intense career headwinds upon arrival in the States. Then, one day, a serendipitous encounter with Drew Weissman at a photocopier triggered a collaboration that would lead to one of medicineâs biggest breakthroughs and the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Kati talks about rejected grants, losing academic positions, and finding a new home for her research at BioNTech. She reflects on what it was like receiving the phone call confirming the COVID-19 vaccine worked. Søren and AJ reflect on the myriad uses for mRNA tech beyond vaccines and Kati explains why scientists need to get better at talking about what they do to prevent misinformation from filling the gaps.
In this episode
04:18 â Explainer: What is mRNA and why does it matter?
09:04 â Nourishing a thirst for science in Hungary
15:20 â How Kati found her way into RNA research
16:53 â Leaving Hungary and starting again in the US
24:08 â Facing unemployment and the threat of deportation
29:01 â Meeting Drew Weissman at the photocopier
36:34 â âNobody was interestedâ: when a breakthrough goes unnoticed
38:54 â Losing her position at Penn and finding a way forward
44:16 â Founding RNARx and the trouble with university patents
48:49 â Finding a new home for mRNA research at BioNTech
51:03 â The call that confirmed the COVID vaccine worked
52:49 â What could mRNA do beyond vaccines?
55:24 â Why scientists need to explain their work
60:01 â Being an immigrant and a woman in science
63:38 â Learning to handle setbacks and keep going
65:46 â Wrap-up and key takeaways
71:11 â Season one reflections
About the guest
Katalin KarikĂł is a biochemist whose pioneering work with Drew Weissman helped make mRNA vaccines and therapeutics possible. After decades working on the technology in academic labs and later at BioNTech, Kati was awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine alongside Weissman. She is currently a professor at the University of Szeged and an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dose of Discovery is cohosted by Søren Hough and Ayokunmi Ajetunmobi (AJ) and produced by Suze Cooper.
Snail Chemistry: Anne Conibear on how small changes reshape peptide and protein biology
Saison 1 ¡ Ăpisode 5
mercredi 26 aoÝt 2026 ⢠DurÊe 54:32
What can cone snail venom teach us about peptides and new medicines?Â
Anne Conibear joins Søren and AJ to explain how small chemical changes can affect protein and peptide behavior in the cell.
A lockdown project investigating cone snail venom gave Anne the opportunity to explore how these slow-moving predators use potent peptide toxins to paralyze their prey and how small modifications can make those toxins even more effective.Â
She also discusses how scientists build and study proteins in the lab and how understanding post-translational changes could eventually help develop more targeted medicines.
Anne reflects on a career that has taken her from South Africa to Australia and Europe and what sheâs learned from working in different research cultures. The discussion moves into the different priorities of academia and industry, how teaching has helped shape Anneâs career, and what the future might hold for peptide medicines.
In this episode
02:40 â Explainer: What are peptides and GLP-1s?
07:25 â How Anne got into peptide research
08:00 â What is NMR?
12:57 â The chemical changes that alter how proteins behave
16:23 â In the lab: peptides as a tool and subject of study
18:43 â Anneâs journey from South Africa to Australia and Europe
25:38 â Moving between academia and industry
32:06 â Impacting science through teaching
33:51 â Wherein lockdown leads to a cone snail venom project
36:47 â How chemical changes make snail toxins more potent
40:31 â What does HMGN1 do and why study it?
44:09 â The effect of post-translational modification on HMGN1
49:08 â Wrap-up and key takeaways
About the guestÂ
is an assistant professor at the Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry at the . Her research combines peptide chemistry and structural biology to understand how proteins are modified after theyâre made and how those changes affect their behavior. Her work has touched on everything from improving our understanding of cone snail venom to proteins involved in DNA packing in the cell.
CRISPRâs 'Wild West': Erik Sontheimer on the evolution of genome editing
Saison 1 ¡ Ăpisode 4
mercredi 29 juillet 2026 ⢠DurÊe 01:03:20
CRISPR pioneer Erik Sontheimer joins hosts Søren and AJ to discuss how curiosity-driven research revealed a powerful genome editing technology.
Their conversation looks at the landmark research that revealed how CRISPR could target DNA and the scientific discoveries that have turned it into a revolutionary research tool. Erik looks back at the âWild Westâ years of early CRISPR research, the unexpected discoveries that pushed the field forward, and his decision to co-found Intellia Therapeutics.Â
He also explains how genome editing is progressing from so-called âgenome vandalismâ towards increasingly precise technologies, including base editing, prime editing, and prime assembly, allowing it to move into the clinic. Erik also considers the ethical boundaries of genome editing and the importance of scientists taking part in wider conversations about how these technologies should be used.
In this episode
03:38 â Explainer: What is CRISPR?
06:36 â The 2008 paper that hinted at CRISPRâs potential
10:55 â How Erik started working on CRISPR
18:50 â The âWild Westâ of early CRISPR research
26:57 â Career moves and finding two academic posts
32:51 â Co-founding Intellia Therapeutics
41:36 â Has CRISPR lived up to the hype?
44:38 â From gene cutting to precision editing
46:24 â Base editing, prime editing and prime assembly
51:05 â The ethics of genome editing
56:04 â Wrap-up and key takeaways
About the guest
Erik Sontheimer is the Pillar Chair in Biomedical Research and Professor at UMass Chan Medical School and Vice Chair of the RNA Therapeutics Institute. His early research helped show CRISPR could target DNA, an important step towards its use as a genome editing tool. He later co-founded Intellia Therapeutics and, alongside his academic work, advises other companies working on new approaches to genome editing.
Making the Medicine: Cheng Yi Chen on Scaling Drugs from Lab to Launch
Saison 1 ¡ Ăpisode 3
mercredi 24 juin 2026 ⢠DurÊe 51:44
It may seem obvious, but not all drugs are manufacturable. Getting an exciting new treatment from the lab to patients is only possible if the molecule or substance itself is scalable.Â
In this episode of Dose of Discovery, hosts Søren and AJ speak to Cheng Yi Chen, chief technology officer at Asymchem, about the chemistry, scaling up, and decision making behind moving a drug from clinical trials to commercial supply.
Cheng Yi shares the story of cancer drug adagrasib and the urgent supply challenge he faced at Mirati Therapeutics, when the original process couldnât generate enough of the drug to support clinical trials.
Their conversation then turns to the broader world of process chemistry: how process routes are designed, the regulatory pathways they must follow, and sustainability issues they face.
They also discuss flow chemistry, continuous manufacturing, and why CDMOs play such an important role in helping new medicines reach patients â especially when it comes to dealing with regulators.
In this episode:
03:48 â Explainer: What are CDMOs?
06:50 â Introducing Cheng Yi Chen
07:09 â The adagrasib supply challenge at Mirati
11:19 â How process chemistry enables clinical progress
16:57 â Moving between big pharma, biotech, and CDMOs work
27:06 â Peptides, oligos, and the rise of TIDES manufacturing
30:44 â Green chemistry, solvents, and cost-effective production
36:56 â Flow chemistry and continuous manufacturing
44:50 â Creating a manufacturing story for regulators
39:48 â Chinaâs growing role in biotech innovation
47:57 â Wrap-up and key takeaways
About the guest
Cheng Yi Chen is the chief technology officer at Asymchem. He has held senior process chemistry and drug development roles across Merck, Janssen, Mirati Therapeutics, and Bristol Myers Squibb. His work focuses on developing and manufacturing drug substances and products at scale.
Genetic Mechanic: Stanley Crooke on Fixing Nano-Rare Disease with Oligos
Saison 1 ¡ Ăpisode 2
mercredi 27 mai 2026 ⢠DurÊe 58:50
In this episode of Dose of Discovery, hosts Søren and AJ speak to physician-scientist Stanley Crooke, CEO of the nonprofit n-Lorem Foundation, about how antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) technology has evolved into a revolutionary therapeutic modality.
Their conversation explores Stan's expansive career journey, from his early days building cancer programs at Bristol Labs and SmithKline to his bold decision to launch Ionis in 1989 when the industry doubted ASO technology.
Stan discusses the emotional rollercoaster of biotech drug development, the inefficiencies of traditional small molecule discovery, and what led him to establish the n-Lorem Foundation.
He shares how the regulatory frontiers of treating nano-rare genetic conditions âfor free, for lifeâ are changing rapidly and why innovations like patient-derived stem cells are driving drug development forward, one patient at a time.
In this episode:
03:41 â Explainer: What are ASOs?
06:50 â Stanley Crookeâs journey and his journey into biomedicine
10:31 â Frustrations with big pharma, founding Ionis
15:05 â Trailblazing on ASO medicinal chemistry
19:33 â Building company culture amid clinical failure
22:56 â Spinraza (nusinersen) and the economics of drug pricing
28:08 â Launching the n-Lorem Foundation for nano-rare diseases
30:57 â âFree for lifeâ ASO therapies
36:55 â Impact on n-Loremâs patients
39:36 â âEverything we thought we knew about developmental delay is wrong.â
34:58 â Redefining traditional diseases n-of-1 trial success
26:12 â âJust tell me what the cause is. I'll fix it.â
37:22 â 90% success rate for n-of-1 work
45:08 â Moving beyond animal models with patient-derived iPSCs
52:23 â Biology is shifting industry toward platforms
55:55 â Wrap up and key takeaways
Serendipity and siRNA: Julia Alterman on Expanding RNA Therapeutics
Saison 1 ¡ Ăpisode 1
mercredi 22 avril 2026 ⢠DurÊe 01:01:40
Welcome to Dose of Discovery:a dose of breakthrough medical discoveries, delivered with your morning coffee. (Coffee not included.)
In this first episode, hosts AJ and Søren speak to Julia Alterman, assistant professor at the RNA Therapeutics Institute at UMass Chan Medical School, about how siRNA technology has evolved from a useful laboratory research tool into a promising therapeutic modality.
Their conversation explores innovations in siRNA chemistry and how these changes have enabled researchers to craft potent siRNA drugs. Julia talks about her unlikely beginnings as a theater major before finding her way into biology â eventually leading her into the biotech industry and academia. Along the way, she discusses the challenges of delivering siRNAs beyond the liver into harder-to-reach tissues such as the brain and muscle, and the serendipitous discovery that helped launch Atalanta Therapeutics.
In this episode:
04:23 â Explainer: What are siRNAs?
08:42 â Meet Julia Alterman
12:39 â Juliaâs history in industry
16:33 â UMass and a PhD pivot
18:28 â siRNAs versus ASOs
21:39 â siRNAs versus CRISPR
28:33 â A serendipitous breakthrough
38:02 â Baby steps and big leaps
42:10 â Stability and the therapeutic window
46:27 â The importance of strong science communication
50:55 â Scientists and VC funding
54:28 â Wrap up and reflections
About the guest
Julia Alterman is an assistant professor at the RNA Therapeutics Institute at UMass Chan Medical School, where she develops new siRNA therapies for genetically defined diseases. Her work spans RNA chemistry, delivery, and pharmacology. Her earlier research into siRNA scaffold was licensed to Atalanta Therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease.
Dose of Discovery - Trailer
Saison 1
mercredi 8 avril 2026 ⢠DurÊe 02:03
Dose of Discovery is a monthly science podcast about the people, ideas, and challenges shaping modern biomedicine.
Tune in as hosts Søren and AJ have thoughtful, accessible conversations with leading scientists about complex subjects, following emerging therapeutics as they move from research to real-world impact.
Dose of Discovery â BioXconomyâs flagship podcast âis for biotech professionals, researchers, and curious listeners alike. Subscribe now for your regular dose of breakthrough medical discoveries delivered with your morning coffee. (Coffee not included).
Physician-scientist Stanley Crooke, founder of Ionis Pharmaceuticals, and founder, chairman, and CEO of the n-Lorem Foundation. Widely regarded as a pioneer of antisense medicine, he helped lead the development and commercialization of the first approved ASO therapies. Today, his work through nonprofit organization the n-Lorem Foundation focuses on creating and providing bespoke ASO treatments to patients suffering from nano-rare genetic conditions (affecting fewer than 30 people worldwide) for free, for life. Crooke studied pharmacy at Butler University and went on to earn his MD and PhD at Baylor College of Medicine.
Read more at Bioxconomy, sign up to our newsletter, and donât forget to check out our upcoming events. You can find a fully annotated transcript of the episode here.
