EBRC In Translation

In this episode of EBRC In Translation, hosts Heidi Klumpe and Talia Jacobson interview Sam Schaffter, lead scientist for RNA synthetic biology at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), about genetically encoded RNA circuits for real-time sensing of gene expression and their potential in diagnostics, therapeutics, and biotechnology. Sam describes his path from bioengineering an...

In this episode of EBRC In Translation, Talia Jacobson and Will Grubbe interview Jim Collins of MIT, a pioneer of synthetic biology. He reflects on his path from human biomechanics and early gene circuit design to AI-driven antibiotic discovery. Collins discusses how deep learning is enabling new antibiotics despite market challenges, what makes research translation succeed, and the growing role o...

In this episode of EBRC In Translation, we are joined with Danielle Tullman-Ercek, a professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern University and co-director of its Center for Synthetic Biology. Danielle discusses her journey from aspiring architect to leading bioengineer, the foundation and goals of her lab, the interdisciplinary approach at Northwestern's Center for Synth...

In this episode of EBRC in Translation, we speak with Jenn Brophy , an assistant professor of Bioengineering at Stanford University. Jenn discusses her journey into plant synthetic biology, including how she transitioned from microbial synthetic biology and her motivation to increase female representation in academia. The conversation explores the current research directions of the Brophy lab, the...

In this episode, we chat with Niko McCarty—a scientist turned writer who is the founding editor of Asimov Press and head of creative at Asimov . Niko takes us through his unexpected journey from biochemistry research to science journalism. He shares insights on transitioning from the lab to the press, crafting deep-dive narratives, and even pioneering projects like a book encoded in DNA. Whether y...

In this episode, we’re joined by Prof. Jef Boeke , a pioneer in synthetic genomics. Jef shares his journey from uncovering retrotransposons in yeast to leading the ambitious Sc2.0 project, an international collaboration to design and build the world’s first fully synthetic Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome. Along the way, we delve into the groundbreaking science, the collaborative spirit of syntheti...

In this episode, we speak with Daniel Goodwin and Paul Reginato, the co-founders of Homeworld Collective , a non-profit working to support the social, intellectual, and funding infrastructure needed for climate biotech. Dan and Paul discuss the challenges in climate biotech, action-oriented optimism, their fast-grants program for climate research, how writing is a superpower, and so much more. Lat...

In this episode, we speak with Janice Chen , co-founder and CTO of Mammoth Biosciences . From her PhD work in Jennifer Doudna's lab to co-founding a biotech startup, Dr. Chen discusses her journey of translating scientific discoveries into real-world applications. Learn about the development of CRISPR-based diagnostics, including a rapid COVID-19 test, and gain insights into the evolving land...

In this episode, we talk to Sebastian Cocioba, a self-taught, independent researcher who designs flowers and develops tools that lower the entry barrier for others to do biology research. We talk with Sebastian about his unique path to Engineering Biology, his experience with DIY biology, the importance of open science, the role of citizen scientists in engineering biology, and much more! During t...

In this episode, we interview Dr. Prachee Avasthi, Co-founder and CSO of Arcadia Science and previous Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology at Dartmouth. We talk with Prachee about her many layers of experiments, from mining new biological tools to building new organizational structures for open science. We also talk with her about non-canonical career paths, science publishing mode...

In this episode, we interview Drew Endy , a professor in the Department of Biological Engineering at Stanford University. We talk to Drew about making the engineering of living systems routine, how biology is the perfect technology to interface with joules, bits, and atoms, the concept of synbiophobia-phobia, teaching biological literacy via the “Labrary”, the new discipline of Awestronomy, and so...

In this episode, we interview Geoffrey Otim , founder and CEO of SynBio Africa and founder of iGEM Makarere , the first iGEM team in East Africa. We discuss the unique health, agricultural, climate, biosecurity, and energy challenges being tackled by the emerging engineering biology community in Africa. We also talk about his policy advocacy, African Union-led initiatives, and the cultural, politi...

In this episode, we interview Dr. John Inglis and Dr. Richard Sever, the executive director and assistant director respectively of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press . John and Richard also co-founded both bioRxiv and medRxiv , the primary preprint servers for biological and medical research. We discuss what makes the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press unique, how they founded bioRxiv and me...

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Sean Simpson , strategic advisor and former CSO of LanzaTech . We talk with Sean about using biology to convert greenhouse gases into ethanol, how to scale up and sell a novel biological process, and the economic and policy requirements of engineering biology for global challenges. For more information about EBRC: Visit our website at ebrc.org . If you are intere...

In this episode, we interview Dr. Tony Kulesa , a Principal at the VC firm Pillar. We talk to Tony about his work to open source the biotech company creation process, overrated and underrated investment theses, reading and writing to all the different scales of biology and more! To learn more about founder-led biotech, check out some of Tony's writing on the topic  here . For more information...

In this episode, we speak with Melissa Takahashi , an Assistant Professor at California State University Northridge in the Department of Biology. We talk with Melissa about her research on the biological principles behind RNA gene regulation in bacteria, being a professor at a primarily undergraduate institution, helping students realize they can be scientists, and more! For more information about...

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Mustafa Khammash , Professor of Control Theory and Systems Biology in the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering at ETH-Zurich. We talk with Mustafa about integrating control theory into synthetic biology, designing computer/biology interfaces, starting a wet lab as a tenured computational professor, the need for new theoretical frameworks for biolog...

In this episode we’re joined by Eldora Ellison, PhD , director at law firm Sterne Kessler and lead patent strategist for the CVC group in the MIT-Berkeley CRISPR patent litigation. We discuss the long and winding road of filing and defending patents, what it’s like to go from PhD scientist to law firm partner, how biotechnology advances are challenging the world of patents, and more! Links related...

In this episode, we interview Vineeta Agarwala , MD, PhD, a general partner at Andreesen Horowitz (a16z) where she leads investments in the group’s bio + health fund . We talk to Vineeta about investing in synthetic biology startup companies, a day in the life of a VC, following the good people, and more! Disclosures: The views expressed here are those of the individual AH Capital Management, L.L....

In this episode, we interview Dr. Henry Lee, CEO of Cultivarium , a focused research organization that aims to expand access to novel microorganisms. We discuss the world’s fastest-growing bacterium, the challenges of domesticating non-model microbes, new organizational models for science, robotic dogs, and more! If you are interested in Cultivarium, you can learn more and get involved at https://...

In this episode, we interview Dr. Doug Friedman, CEO of the BioIndustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem (BioMADE) and President of the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC) . We talk about how to build and grow community-driven organizations, what it takes to be an expert in DC, visions for the future of the bioeconomy, and more! For more information about EBRC: Visit our website at...

In this episode, we interview Dr. Hana El-Samad, a Professor at UCSF, editor-in-chief of GEN biotechnology , and a founding PI at Altos labs , whose research focuses on controlling mammalian cell behavior with genetic circuits. We talk with Dr. El-Samad about her work on controlling mammalian cell behavior, her role at and transition to Altos labs, committing to equity in STEM, the mission of GEN...

In this episode, we interview Dr. Ross Cloney , a Senior Editor at Nature Communications , focusing on the areas of synthetic biology, genome engineering, and therapeutic biotechnology. We talk with Ross about: how a manuscript becomes a publication; what it’s like to be an editor; how to make scientific publishing more diverse, equitable, and inclusive; what the future of scientific journals look...

In this episode, we interview Dr. Doug Densmore , a professor at Boston University and co-founder of Lattice Automation, Asimov. and Biosens8. We talk to Doug about developing laboratory workflows as a service for engineering biology, finding your own management style, and treating automation and algorithms as first-class scientific citizens. Links and notes for the episode: Lynn Doucette-Stamm Ru...

In this episode, we interview Dr. Tobias Erb , a member of the Max Planck Society and Director of the Max Planck Institute for terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, Germany. We talk to Tobias about building synthetic carbon dioxide fixation pathways, similarities and differences between science in the US and Europe, and the superiority of German bread and beer. For more information about EBRC: Visi...