ATCC's Podcast: Behind the Biology

In this episode, David Yarmosh and Tasha Santiago-Rodriguez delve into their unexpected journeys into bioinformatics and data science. Tasha shares her transition from wet lab work to data science, emphasizing the importance of reproducibility and proper experimental controls in microbiome research. Finally, Tasha reflects on her work with ancient DNA and microbiomes, viewing it as a way of reveal...

Here, Nick Greenfield discusses the evolution of One Codex from a microbiome analysis company to an integrated end-to-end provider. Greenfield brings up a few ideas that he has been incubating, particularly around large language models and data visualization. In a discussion about the future of One Codex, Greenfield shares upcoming changes to his organization’s business model. He also remarks on t...

In this episode Nick Greenfield, the founder of One Codex, discusses his transition from a background in environmental studies and international relations to establishing a microbiome company. He touches on his experience entering a contest by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency in 2013, aimed at developing better metagenomics algorithms. Despite not winning, the positive feedback on their prototy...

In this episode Nick Greenfield, the founder of One Codex, describes his organization’s evolution from a microbiome analysis company in 2014 to a full-service microbial company. Mr. Greenfield shares his transition from CEO to board chair, reflecting on the early days of One Codex when there was no market. He also emphasizes the company’s focus on reducing complexity for the user, providing a high...

In this episode, James Crill delves into the future of microbial forensics, emphasizing the importance of fully vetted databases for microbial forensics and the impact of rapid technological advancements. Mr. Crill discusses the evolution of sequencing technologies, from large laboratory equipment to more mobile and efficient technologies. He underscores the urgency for data validation and authent...

In this episode, James Crill discusses his unconventional career path, highlighting his transition from healthcare to academia and research. He underscores the importance of adaptability, hard work, and openness to new opportunities in shaping one’s career. Mr. Crill’s experiences in various roles, from industry to academia, and the challenges faced during these transitions are discussed. He then...

In this episode, Jamie Crill discusses his research focus of microbial forensics, particularly the origins of bacteria and yeast. Join us as we engage discussion about how to use microorganisms to determine if a crime was a biological one, or if these microbes can clarify when and where a person has been recently. Additionally, Dr. Crill will discuss what the current methods are for determination,...

In the third episode in this series, Dr. Birgitt Schuele shares her insights on the current state and future directions of this field, from diagnosis and care to mechanisms and treatments. She also tells us about her own work on using machine learning to study mouse behavior in the dark, and creating 3D organ models from stem cells to simulate drug responses. She explains how these technologies ca...

In this second episode of the series, Dr. Birgitt Schuele discusses how the study of Parkinson’s disease has transformed over the years, from gel bands done by hand to modern sequencing technologies. Dr. Schuele then detours to how we as scientists recognize research in today’s big data biology. We also find an answer to the question “what does a researcher gain through personal interactions with...

We kick off this season of ATCC’s podcast with insights from Dr. Birgitt Schuele on Parkinson’s disease. In this episode, she discusses the physical and cognitive changes brought on by the disease, and zeros in on some of the genetic components. Dr. Schuele then talks about her current focus of research, the role of alpha synuclein in the onset and progression of Parkinson’s. She touches on some o...

In the final episode of season one of ATCC’s podcast, John Bagnoli peers into the future of bioinformatics and describes the challenges that are likely to appear along the way. He’ll explore important questions such as: Will bench scientists become the bioinformaticians as the bioinformaticians transition into software development? Will machine learning and robotics replace humans in the laborator...

In this episode ATCC’s John Bagnoli reminisces about his role in the response to the 2014 Ebola virus epidemic in western Africa. Mr. Bagnoli does a deep dive into the challenges that he faced while running a biosafety level 4 laboratory in a shipping container. He then pivots to discussing how these experiences have informed his management style, giving Bagnoli a new appreciation for logistics, c...