Talking Techniques
60 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago -Welcome to Talking Techniques! In this Podcast BioTechniques Digital Editor Tristan Free, interviews researchers at the forefront of their fields about the latest breakthroughs, controversies and conversations in the life sciences. From CRISPR to COVID-19, organoids to the microbiome, this podcast will explore the latest developments in the lab and interesting applications of techniques, while trying to determine how we can drive science forward in progressive and inventive ways.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episodes
Spatial analysis of the immune-cell-surface proteome at a single-cell resolution
March 22, 2024 14:21 - 23 minutes - 87.8 MBThe cell-surface proteome plays a critical role in immune-cell function; however, our ability to examine its interactions and spatial organization has previously been limited by available proteomic techniques. This episode explores the function of immune-cell membrane proteins and how the latest developments in spatial proteomics have enabled more detailed interrogation of these proteins and their spatial relationships. Our guest, Hanna van Ooijen, Immunology Application Scientist at Pixelg...
Investigating the neurological pathways underlying vocal communication
February 20, 2024 15:44 - 34 minutes - 252 MBIn this episode of Talking Techniques, we catch up with Michael Long, Principle Investigator of the Long Lab at New York University (NY, USA), where he investigates the neural circuits that underlie vocal communication. Through the examination of animal models, from songbirds to the rare singing mice of Costa Rica, with cutting-edge imaging techniques Michael reveals fascinating insights into vocal communication. We also discuss his human experiments, working alongside neurosurgeons, with e...
Rare disease and pharmacogenomics
January 23, 2024 10:26 - 20 minutes - 112 MBLaunching our fourth season of Talking Techniques, this episode, supported by the University of Cincinnati (OH, USA) we delve into rare disease research and pharmacogenomics, their intersection and the key techniques used to explore them. Guiding us through these fields is Brenna Carey, an Assistant Professor at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center whose research focuses on rare disease pathogenesis, diagnostics and therapeutic development and who also runs key courses on the Unive...
One man’s waste in another man’s treasure: using wastewater to monitor infectious diseases
December 18, 2023 09:57 - 20 minutes - 76.1 MBIn this episode of Talking Techniques, we talk to Andrew Lee, a senior research fellow in Queen’s University Belfast’s (UK) wastewater-based epidemiology group, about his work using wastewater to monitor and detect infectious diseases. Andrew discusses how wastewater surveillance acts as an early warning system, providing novel, unbiased insights into human and animal pathogens that are circulating within a community, and how this can contribute to a ‘One Health’ approach. He also explains h...
Talking Techniques | One man’s waste in another man’s treasure: using wastewater to monitor infectious diseases
December 18, 2023 09:57 - 20 minutes - 76.1 MBIn this episode of Talking Techniques, we talk to Andrew Lee, a senior research fellow in Queen’s University Belfast’s (UK) wastewater-based epidemiology group, about his work using wastewater to monitor and detect infectious diseases. Andrew discusses how wastewater surveillance acts as an early warning system, providing novel, unbiased insights into human and animal pathogens that are circulating within a community, and how this can contribute to a ‘One Health’ approach. He also explains h...
Next-generation antibody therapeutics
November 22, 2023 17:18 - 24 minutes - 182 MBIn this episode of Talking Techniques, we speak to two experts from Sino Biological US Inc. (PA, USA) about the latest developments in antibody technologies and how these developments have led to the next generation of antibodies that are revolutionizing therapeutic approaches to a number of diseases. With the guidance of Field Scientist Ritwika Biswas and Technical Account Manager Grace Liu, we explore the challenges of developing and working with next-generation antibodies, the latest dev...
Investigating resistant leukemia with single-cell technologies
November 03, 2023 16:20 - 9 minutes - 36 MBIn this episode of Talking Techniques, Rachel Thijssen, an Assistant Professor at Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC; the Netherlands), discusses her research using single-cell analyses to investigate treatment-resistant leukemia cells. Rachel explains her single-cell technique called rapid capture hybridization sequencing (RaCH-seq), how she utilizes nanopore sequencing, and how she hopes that this technique can be used to gain new insights into disease and improve therapies. Co...
Talking Techniques | Investigating resistant leukemia with single-cell technologies
November 03, 2023 16:20 - 9 minutes - 36 MBIn this episode of Talking Techniques, Rachel Thijssen, an Assistant Professor at Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC; the Netherlands), discusses her research using single-cell analyses to investigate treatment-resistant leukemia cells. Rachel explains her single-cell technique called rapid capture hybridization sequencing (RaCH-seq), how she utilizes nanopore sequencing, and how she hopes that this technique can be used to gain new insights into disease and improve therapies. Co...
CAR-T and CAR-NK cell therapies
July 27, 2023 13:38 - 27 minutes - 202 MBIn this episode of Talking Techniques, Ritwika Biswas, Field Scientist at Sino Biological US Inc. (PA, USA), walks us through the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) development process and how T and natural killer (NK) cells can be utilized to carry these modular synthetic molecules. Ritwika also addresses the safety and efficacy of these cell therapies as well as the ethical considerations around them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Talking Techniques | CAR-T and CAR-NK cell therapies
July 27, 2023 13:38 - 27 minutes - 202 MBIn this episode of Talking Techniques, Ritwika Biswas, Field Scientist at Sino Biological US Inc. (PA, USA), walks us through the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) development process and how T and natural killer (NK) cells can be utilized to carry these modular synthetic molecules. Ritwika also addresses the safety and efficacy of these cell therapies as well as the ethical considerations around them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mitochondria, the immune system and cancer: discovering new insights with spatial technologies
June 16, 2023 15:30 - 24 minutes - 179 MBIn this episode, supported by Fortis Life Sciences, we delve into the relationship between mitochondria, inflammation and cancer, discussing the new techniques that are bearing fruit in this field, such as spatial analysis. Our expert insight for this episode comes from Phillip West, Principle Investigator of the West lab at Texas A&M Medicine (TX, USA). Philip explains the role mitochondria can play in cancer and heart disease, reveals some of his most exciting discoveries of late and prov...
Long-read sequencing, metagenomics and the microbiome
May 10, 2023 13:42 - 22 minutes - 225 MBIn this episode, sponsored by Zymo Research, we explore the microbiome and how long-read sequencing techniques are changing our approach to the field and the exciting discoveries that they have led to. To do this we speak to Kris Locken, Molecular Biologist in the Research & Development department of Zymo Research (CA, USA), and Jeremy Wilkinson, Global Marketing Specialist for Microbial Genomics at PacBio (CA, USA). Find out how microbes compare to nuts and what this means for the challeng...
Open neuroscience and the meaning of FAIR
February 03, 2023 12:52 - 37 minutes - 416 MBThis episode, our second recorded at Neuroscience 2022 (13-19th April 2022; San Diego, CA, USA), delves into the importance of open data in neuroscience and the FAIR guidelines, which encourage researchers to make their data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable. Sharing her considerable expertise in this area is one of the authors of the FAIR guidelines, Maryann Martone, who provides some key examples of the successes that open data practices have delivered so far and cautionary...
Welcome to the jungle: sequencing for conservation
January 25, 2023 14:43 - 43 minutes - 28.7 MBIn this episode of Talking Techniques, we head to the Ecuadorian rainforest to chat about the use of sequencing in conservation with Zane Libke, a field researcher based at Sumak Kawsay In Situ (Pastaza, Ecuador). Zane discusses how he turned his fascination with nature into a career, his current work using nanopore sequencing technologies to find undescribed species and helping train future field researchers. We also explore the benefits of fighting biodiversity in a more local-centric way...
Neuropixels: big data heaven or burying the lead in averages?
January 18, 2023 10:40 - 19 minutes - 214 MBIn this special episode of Talking techniques, one of two recorded at Neuroscience 2022, we speak to Tim Harris (Howard Hughes Medical Institute, VA, USA). Tim is the creator of Neuropixels, neural recording probes inserted into the brains of animal models, which allow researchers to collect signals from hundreds of individual neurons in different brain regions simultaneously over extended periods of time. Here, he shares the story behind his creation and details how they have changed the d...
Microbiome profiling techniques: from immunology to agriculture
September 29, 2022 15:59 - 22 minutes - 224 MBIn this episode of the Talking Techniques podcast, we explore microbiomes and the techniques used to profile them. Get an overview of the different techniques’ working principles, their pros and cons and the different applications that they are best suited to. Providing an expert insight into this field is Annabelle Damerum, Microbiome R&D Scientist at Zymo Research. Annabelle reveals some key tips best practice when profiling the microbiome and details the importance of an emerging aspect ...
The gut–brain axis and addiction
September 28, 2022 10:38 - 29 minutes - 24.5 MBIn this special episode of Talking Techniques, brought to you from the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies Forum (FENS; 9th–13th July 2022), an expert panel discuss their research into the relationship between the gut–brain axis and addiction. The panel features Benjamin Boutrel (Lausanne University Hospital; Switzerland), Lorenzo Leggio (NIH Intramural Research Program; MD, USA) and Nathalie Delzenne (University of Louvain; Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium), who discuss their current re...
3D cell cultures: the latest developments, applications and regulations in the field
August 26, 2022 09:40 - 30 minutes - 307 MBIn this episode, supported by BrandTech, returning guest Rob Vries, CEO of HUB organoids (Utrecht, The Netherlands), fills us in on the advancement of 3D cell cultures and organoids over the last 2 years, starting off by documenting how the pandemic impacted their development and uptake. We also discuss how the recent FDA Modernization Act, removing the requirement for drug candidates to be tested on animals, has impacted the drive for improved models, the key techniques available to analyz...
rAAVs, host-cell contamination and ddPCR
August 03, 2022 14:54 - 26 minutes - 269 MBIn this episode of Talking Techniques, supported by Bio-Rad, we discuss a key component of many gene therapies: recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) and their production. These viruses act as efficient, accurate delivery vesicles for the gene therapy’s plasmid. Speaking to Associate Director of Biopharma Product Marketing at Bio-Rad Laboratories, Mark White, we take a look at the different expression systems used for their production and compare their advantages, before looking at s...
HPV, epigenetics and cancer: sequencing for new insights and to correct healthcare inequality
July 28, 2022 14:00 - 17 minutes - 172 MBIn many regions of the world, HPV and its association with cervical cancer is a well-known but rarely considered issue, after the rollout of the HPV vaccine in the late 2000s. However, while this rollout significantly impacted cervical cancer rates where it was implemented, it was not universal and in many areas of the world HPV-induced cervical cancer remains a critical issue. Cervical cancer is the leading cause of death for people with a cervix living in poverty in low-resource regions a...
Artificial intelligence in healthcare
July 20, 2022 08:43 - 30 minutes - 223 MBRecently, the Alliance for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare (AAIH) published "The Lifecycle of an AI System in Healthcare", a whitepaper defining what healthcare is and provides guidelines on implementing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in this setting. In this episode of Talking Techniques, we speak with Oscar Rodriguez, a board member at AAIH and one of the authors of this whitepaper, to find out more about what the lifecycle of AI is, the importance of having ...
Liquid biopsy and cfNAs: driving forward diagnostics and disease research
May 26, 2022 10:29 - 22 minutes - 225 MBThe key diagnostic and prognostic information locked away in cell-free nucleic acids (cfNAs) has become increasingly accessible due to developments in genetic and epigenetic profiling techniques. These advances have engendered the rise of liquid biopsy techniques, which capture and analyze cfNAs from samples such as blood, saliva, urine and feces, in diagnostics and basic disease research. However, challenges remain in the detection and analysis of these nucleic acid fragments, in part due ...
The evolution of recombinant antibodies
April 19, 2022 17:30 - 17 minutes - 132 MBIn this episode, we discuss recombinant proteins: what are they and what are they used for? BioTechniques Editor Tristan Free speaks to Amy Sheng, Technical Account Manager at Sino Biological, who explains the history of recombinant proteins and how protein modeling techniques such as AlphaFold are changing their development. Find out how monoclonal antibodies have been used through the COVID-19 pandemic and how we may overcome challenges in production, upscaling and more in this episod...
The epigenetic clock
March 25, 2022 12:17 - 24 minutes - 22.1 MBIn this episode, supported by Zymo Research, we discuss the epigenetic clock: what is it? How are researchers using it and what are some of the key tools available to study it? Elucidating the link between epigenetics and aging is Keith Booher, Director of Services at Zymo research including aging and epigenetics research services. Keith reveals how our behaviors and environment, such as diet, exercise and air quality, can impact our epigenetics and the impact that the epigenetic clock has...
Resolving spatial biology in neuroscience
February 28, 2022 16:24 - 30 minutes - 19.3 MBIn this episode of Talking Techniques, supported by Resolve BioSciences, we explore the realm of spatial biology, with a particular focus on the techniques involved in this approach to biological exploration, and the exciting insights gleaned from these techniques that have led to this approach being labeled Natures Method of the year 2020! Stefano Pupe, Postdoctoral Researcher at German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, takes me through this field, revealing – amongst other fascinat...
Introducing STEM Tea
February 17, 2022 12:11 - 34 minutes - 352 MBIn this episode of Talking Techniques, we introduce a new podcast series, produced by BioTechnques and hosted by the enigmatic Antentor Othrell Hinton Jr, Assistant Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics at the Vanderbilt University (TN, USA), and bring you a sneak peek of the first episode of the series. In this podcast series, Antentor will discuss all things diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM, meeting with different guests each episode from across the spectrum of fields an...
Cell proliferation in drug screening
January 25, 2022 16:33 - 20 minutes - 313 MBIn this episode, supported by BioRad, we explore cell proliferation monitoring and its role in drug discovery, guided by the expert advice of Rachel Preston, Product Development researcher at Bio-Rad. We discuss techniques available to monitor cell proliferation, their advantages and disadvantages and the importance of selecting the right combination of techniques for different experimental targets. Rachel also provides some tips for best practice and some pitfalls to avoid regarding DNA d...
Synthetic biology: from cancer to the climate crisis
December 21, 2021 12:15 - 26 minutes - 263 MBIn this episode, we explore the field of synthetic biology. Discover the history of the field and its origins in the production of biofuels, before fracking burst onto the scene forcing a pivot in direction towards chemical production. Find out about the key techniques that have brought synthetic biology into the realm of immunotherapies and cancer research, which have even welcomed in a return to applications focussed on tackling the climate crisis, such as lab-grown meat. To investigate ...
Establishing an epigenetic lens to explore cancer and infectious diseases
November 12, 2021 14:37 - 23 minutes - 390 MBWe are talking all things DNA methylation in this episode, providing a brief explanation of epigenetics and the technologies involved in the study of DNA methylation, before exploring the application of these techniques in the study of infectious diseases and cancer. Revealing all of this information is my guest Chloé Goldsmith, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Canberra University, whose research focuses on DNA methylation, Hepatitis B Virus and the link between lifestyle and the epigenome....
Target enrichment for NGS: why, how and what's next?
October 26, 2021 13:26 - 18 minutes - 264 MBIn this episode, supported by Roche, we explore a vital aspect of many next-generation sequencing studies: target enrichment. Here, regions of interest are selectively amplified before sequencing takes place. More specifically we examine some of the new technologies improving this key step and their impact on oncology research. My guest for this episode is Brian Godwin, Director of Reagent and Assay Development at Roche sequencing. Brian reveals the myriad of ways that poor target enrichme...
Producing challenging proteins in the golden age of protein engineering
October 13, 2021 12:54 - 19 minutes - 14.6 MBIn this episode, we roam the world of recombinant proteins and their production, discussing the challenges of their production, and recent evolutions in protein engineering that have brought the field into a golden era of innovation. I'm joined by recombinant protein engineering expert Yuning Chen, R&D Manager at Sino Biological, who discusses the key applications of recombinant proteins, the aspects of certain products that make them difficult to produce and how these difficulties can be o...
The evolution of PCR: From q to dd and beyond
September 21, 2021 11:04 - 24 minutes - 182 MBPCR has evolved rapidly over the last few years, an evolution that has been dramatically accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. New technologies and approaches have been brought to the fore and the full range of applications for which this technique can be applied have been highlighted, from diagnostics to basic disease research and immunology. This episode explores this evolution, looking at how challenges presented by the pandemic forced the hand of researchers to think outside the box and...
Molecular therapeutics: how far have we come and what's on the horizon?
August 27, 2021 14:37 - 37 minutes - 416 MBUncover the history of molecular therapeutics, the staggering current applications and developments of these therapeutics and what their future could hold, in this episode of Talking Techniques. To explore the field of molecular therapeutics and provide an insight into their production, is Aaron Clauson, Product Manager at Zymo research. First, we cover the ins and outs of targeting the therapies and how to select the correct type of molecular therapeutic to begin developing a drug for a sp...
Adeno-associated viral therapies: harnessing the power of HPLC
August 17, 2021 23:01 - 20 minutes - 222 MBThis episode centers on the critical role that high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) plays in the production of adeno-associated viral (AAV) therapies, the latest advances in AAV design and the next steps in their development. Filling me in on all things HPLC and AAVs is Bella Neufeld, Director of R&D at Teknova. Bella reveals the essential validation and quality control steps required for the production of successful and safe AAV therapies and the role that both HPLC and liquid chr...
Organoids: advancing drug discovery and cancer research
August 16, 2021 16:10 - 33 minutes - 243 MBAs the transition from 2D to 3D cell cultures, or organoids, as the gold standard for modeling basic biology and disease continues, these models are being utilized in ever more intricate and impactful ways. This episode covers the rise of organoids and their advantages over 2D cell cultures, before exploring just how representative these models are becoming and their new applications in drug discovery. To find out all this and more, I speak to Oksana Sirenko, Senior Scientist at Molecular D...
The ethics of whole-genome sequencing: from race and religion to science fiction
June 25, 2021 12:10 - 27 minutes - 20.3 MBWelcome to part two of this two-part episode on whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in rare disease research and treatment. In part one we discussed the impacts the technology has had on both improving the clinical diagnosis and management of rare diseases and on drug development and basic research studies. This episode goes beyond the technology’s capabilities and into the debates surrounding how, when and why they should be used. What needs to change for the technique to be applied equitably? A...
Revitalizing the western blot
June 21, 2021 09:08 - 22 minutes - 13.9 MBLove it or hate it, western blotting forms the bedrock of countless studies across numerous disciplines. Explore its history, development and applications in this episode all about the marmite of life science techniques. Guiding me through the hand wringing, hair follicle destroying history and process of western blotting, and hopefully explaining the beauty and potential of the technique - is Kenneth Oh, Senior Project Manager at Bio-Rad Laboratories. Kenneth reveals some of the latest d...
From space to the streets: infectious disease sampling in extreme conditions and extraordinary circumstances
June 18, 2021 12:06 - 19 minutes - 12.9 MBIn this episode, we take a look at one of the key steps of infectious disease research, sample collection; exploring the challenges associated with the step and the solutions available to improve infectious disease research around the globe. Exploring the trials and tribulations of infectious disease sample collection with me is Stanislav Forman, Product Developer at Zymo Research (CA, USA). Stan explains the extreme environments in which sample collection often occurs; revealing the diffic...
Revealing the regulome: using multiomic approaches to explore epigenetics and DNA expression
June 11, 2021 11:51 - 33 minutes - 22 MBExplore the realm of epigenetics and gene expression, discovering the different omic ‘lenses’ used to examine these processes and the power of single-cell studies to reveal a comprehensive multiomic view of cells and their biology. This episode features the ever-buoyant Will Greenleaf, Associate Professor of Genetics at Stanford University School of Medicine (CA, USA) and head of the Greenleaf Lab. Will takes us through his lab’s work, detailing his attempts to understand the compacting o...
The oncolytic Trojan horse: Immune cells, the tumor microenvironment and the invasion of neurons
May 28, 2021 11:35 - 29 minutes - 18.6 MBThis episode, supported by Bethyl, delves into the realm of the tumor microenvironment (TME), exploring the cells that reside there and how they interact to promote tumor growth and metastasis. Discover how immune cells are attracted and manipulated by tumor cells enabling the cancer to invade neurons where they can then travel throughout the body. Providing an expert's insight into this topic is Moran Amit, Assistant Professor at the MD Anderson Cancer Center (TX, USA). Moran exposes the n...
Whole-genome-sequencing: navigating the "Diagnostic Odyssey" in rare disease research
May 19, 2021 09:55 - 39 minutes - 25.8 MBRare diseases present a series of challenges on numerous fronts. From simply deciphering what a patient is affected by to considering how best to manage a rare condition with limited pre-existing medications available for a rare disease, each new development or breakthrough brings clinicians to a new question. While these conditions are, in isolation, rare; in total rare diseases impact 25-30million people in the USA alone. Supported by Psomagen and featuring four fascinating guests from a...
The wonders of wastewater surveillance for COVID-19
April 19, 2021 17:30 - 28 minutes - 18.6 MBIn this episode, we explore the often overlooked technique of environmental sequencing for infectious diseases and how it is being applied to the response to COVID-19. Taking the state of California as a case study of this application, I speak to Micheal Lisek, Project Manager Environmental Microbiomics at Zymo Research Corp. Micheal outlines the basis of environmental sequencing, predominantly the screening of wastewater for signs of viral RNA, the key techniques involved in the process a...
How PCR has prevailed during the COVID-19 pandemic
March 30, 2021 11:01 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBIn Part 3 of our COVID-19 diagnostics and detection miniseries, supported by Roche, we explore the contribution PCR has made towards diagnosis during the pandemic. Providing me with an insight into the world of PCR diagnostics is Tyler Miller, Clinical Pathology Resident and Research Fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital (MA, USA), where he was instrumental in setting up the testing regimen for the Hospital. Ty details the attributes of PCR that lead to it becoming the gold standard for ...
Reproducibility in microbiomics
March 25, 2021 11:01 - 27 minutes - 17.3 MBReturning to the contentious topic of the Reproducibility crisis – the inability of many study results to be replicated by different research groups or labs – this episode, supported by Zymo Research, zeros in on the topic within the field of microbiomics. Speaking to me about the topic is Raul Cano, Chief Scientific Officer at the BioCollective. Raul discusses the crisis and explains why it is prevalent in the emerging field of microbiomics before taking a look at the key role that microb...
How can we achieve gender equality in STEM?
March 05, 2021 12:36 - 40 minutes - 33.6 MBThis International Women’s Day takeover episode, with special guest host BioTechniques’ Senior Digital Editor Abi Sawyer, takes a look at the results of Future Science Group’s (London, UK) survey for the scientific community on gender equality and parity in STEM. Abi’s guests on this episode are the Vice President of Epidemiology and Clinical Evidence at IQVIA (NC, USA), Dr Christina Mack; the Executive Director for the Pharmaceutical Research Computing Center at the University of Maryland ...
COG-UK: sequencing SARS-CoV-2 and detecting the novel variant B.1.1.7
February 18, 2021 15:57 - 34 minutes - 20.3 MBThis episode, supported by Tecan, takes a look at the role the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK) has played sequencing SARS-CoV-2 and surveying for COVID-19. To do this I speak to two key members of the consortium; Steve Paterson, Professor of genetics at the University of Liverpool and lead for the wastewater working group of COG-UK; and Josh Quick, Future Leaders Fellow at the University of Birmingham and lead at the COG-UK Sequencing working group. Steve discusses some of the tech...
COVID-19 diagnostics: which test should you choose?
January 15, 2021 14:22 - 21 minutes - 14.2 MBRT-PCR, antigen and antibody testing; each has its niche and each has a flaw. But what are the key differences between each of these tests and what are the key things to consider when selecting the appropriate COVID-19 diagnostic for you? In this podcast, supported by Zymo Research, I speak to Senior Scientist in assay development Paolo Piatti in order to answer this question. Whether you are a concerned citizen looking for the best test to take to inform your behavior, or a researcher aim...
Andy Tay: Forbes, awards and championing diversity in STEM
December 10, 2020 18:09 - 20 minutes - 15.3 MBIn this episode, I speak to a very special guest. Winner of this year's Future Science Future Star award, Andy Tay is a fantastic example of an early career researcher who has seized every opportunity with both hands and is not content to leave science as he found it. We discuss Andy's fascinating research into pain modulation using magnetic biomaterials, which got him included on the Forbes 30 under 30 list for 2019 and his work in science communication. Andy is a champion of diversity in...
How has neuroimaging continued and flourished during the COVID-19 pandemic?
November 06, 2020 13:54 - 24 minutes - 18.7 MBIn this episode, I speak to Michelle Itano, Director of the Neuroscience Center Microscopy Core at UNC-Chapel Hill and recent addition to the BioTechniques Editorial Board, about her work at the core. Michelle outlines how she has modified the core to make it possible for imaging research to continue throughout the pandemic, using a combination of specialist users and remote working techniques. Michelle provides her key learnings, from this process and last 7months, in keeping the core and h...
The reproducibility crisis: where are we now and how can we progress?
October 20, 2020 11:11 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBIn this episode I address the 'reproducibility crisis'. The concerning trend in the life sciences in which published papers and established principals are unable to be repeated by other researchers and, at times, even by the researchers who provided the initial results. To do this I speak to two researchers driving forward reproducibility in the life sciences, Marc Raphael from the United States Naval Research Laboratory, and Elizabeth Iorns, CEO of Science Exchange. Marc discusses his rec...