Talking Biotech with Dr. Kevin Folta

The 400th episode also represents the first episode of the 9th year-- an amazing run for a tiny, self-produced podcast.  Where did it come from?  In this episode I talk about the genesis of the Talking Biotech podcast, from the Vern Blazek Science Power Hour, to an arm twisting by Joe Rogan, to being banned from podcasting by my university-- this is a behind-the-scenes history of this effort. I al...

Vaccination is a cornerstone of animal health, and is critically important in animal agricultural operations. A number of devastating livestock diseases are prevented with vaccination, yet vaccines have not been developed for some of the most devastating diseases for several reasons. Long before the COVID pandemic and its slate of next-gen vaccine strategies, Harris Vaccines was using rapidly adap...

Sam Kean is a prolific author that has a unique talent for sharing the stories of science.  Trained in physics, Kean's work describes seminal events in science using a deeply researched narrative style that transforms textbook information into better-than-fiction stories of discovery. In today's episode guest co-host Gracelyn Byrd joins the podcast to discuss the state of science communication, ho...

The human brain is complex, but over the years massive data have been gathered regarding the relationship between structure and function.  From functional MRI to many other techniques, researchers slowly are resolving the relationship between brain anatomy and how it actually works. Dr. Stephan Doyen of Omniscient Neurotechnology have designed tools to parse massive collections of data relating br...

The kidney is one of the organs necessary to filter blood, composed of tiny functional units that separate waste products from molecules the body should retain. Chronic kidney disease is a significant international problem, with up to 10% of the population requiring treatment, and extreme cases requiring dialysis and/or transplantation with significant personal and public health costs. In today's...

Plant biologists use a set of tools to modulate gene expression. The well-established set of molecular switches are rather crude, with limited control of spatial or temporal expression.  Dr. James Lloyd discusses the newest tools in synthetic circuits, molecules that can tailor a response with a given input. These new tools add needed nuance to the regulation of gene expression and stand to revise...

Scientists are encouraged to step into the public conversation around controversial work, especially when that work seems to deliberately misinform, and can negatively affect public health.  A series of authors have used to COVID pandemic to use the peer-reviewed literature to push claims that are poorly supported by legitimate evidence. These papers find favorable review from poor-quality reviewe...

The companies on the front edge of pharmaceutical development have identified the value of massive data sets in the future of drug design. Ironically, personalization of therapies will be improved tremendously through examination of massive data sets. Dr. Michael Zaizac from Novartis of Europe discusses how his company has they have integrated artificial intelligence and analysis of patient data s...

As we age, the brain undergoes changes that lead to various disorders that affect physical ability and mental acuity. There are many processes at play, ranging from alterations in the extracellular environment, to accumulation of deleterious proteins, to a breakdown in connections between neurons. Can these processes be reversed?  Dr. Jean Herbert from the Albert Einstein School of Medicine has le...

The COVID pandemic accelerated development of a new class of vaccines. This class, called mRNA vaccines, allows ease in manufacture, rapid response to disease or disease variants, and many other benefits.  But just like any technology, an industry has arisen to stand in its way, promoting false information that painfully mischaracterizes what these new veterinary tools truly are. A cadre of intern...

In a rapidly changing technology environment, how do established businesses tackle smart growth and continue transformative change?  In this special edition of Talking Biotech Podcast we examine the business climate of Regeneron, and how growth in the era of genomics and massive data sets from human health changed the process of drug discovery, but also changed how the company would respond to new...

In this episode Dr. Kevin Folta shares a spontaneous conversation with Dr. Liza Dunn. Dr. Dunn is an emergency medicine physician with a specialty in medical toxicology, now working as the Medical Affair Lead at Bayer CropScience.  The discussion covers the current scientific environment in social media, and emphasizes the need for scientists to be engaging. Topics from communication about vaccine...

The potato is a world food staple, yet it is constantly threated by fungal and viral pathogens in all of its growing regions. Farmers combat these problems with chemistry, which cuts farmers profits and has potential consequences for applicators and the environment. Dr. David Douches from Michigan State University discusses the USAID project that installed a cassette of disease resistance genes fr...

Whereas we used to be challenged with finding information, today we are flooded with information, and our job has switched to vetting it's merits. Three students from the University of Florida spoke to me about their efforts in a national competition to study the origins of false information and communicate how to identify good information to the public. Tammy, Heather and Courtney were amazing gu...

Mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression are being diagnosed with increasing frequency. At the same time, treatment is frequently dependent on legacy drugs that oftentimes to do not work well, have drug interactions, or can lead to addiction or dependence. New therapies are also available, yet they they are systemic and can also have drug interactions and unfavorable side effects. New thera...

Lipid nanoparticles have been around for decades, but they took a spotlight in the delivery of the COVID19 mRNA-based vaccines. This chemical cage can fuse with cell membranes and deliver a specific payload to a cell. While the delivery to specific cells is routine, are there ways to improve the system to have more specific therapeutic benefit. Dr. John Lewis of Entos discusses lipid nanoparticle...

There are many rare diseases that originate with a single letter change in DNA, and they can cause tremendous physical and financial hardship for families affected. Viral-based gene therapies have been a promise for decades, and modern technology is now bringing these concepts to fruition. Dr. Gaurav Shah, CEO of Rocket Pharma, describes the power of the current gene therapy approaches, along with...

This week's podcast has two parts.  Dr. Leen Kawas , Managing General Partner at Propel Biopartners, speaks about how biotech startups can benefit from skilled oversight and capital provided from experts that understand the business/science ecosystem. In the second part we discuss the latest therapies for Alzheimer's Disease, and how trials and regulation can't follow traditional trajectories. Alz...

As the amount of plant genomic DNA sequence increases, scientists have detected DNA sequence information that simply does not conveniently fit into genome assemblies, and clearly appears to be from somewhere else. Dr. Lara Pereira from the University of Sheffield explains the surprising frequency of lateral gene transfer between grass species. The mechanism of crossing the species barrier is discu...

Salmon are outstanding table fare, featuring flavor and nutrition. The AquAdvantage salmon is a genetically engineered salmon that is resistant to changes in growth due to seasonal fluctuation or the stresses encountered in traditional ocean-net salmon farms. Despite the advantages, the salmon has been caught in deregulation for many years, limiting consumer access. Silvia Wulf of AquAdvantage tal...

The mythical Fountain of Youth may be an actual component of our physiology. Aging is not simply the body breaking down against the calendar, it is a coordinated series of molecular/biochemical changes that occur with time. There is an active hypothesis that later-life medical issues are not just happening as we age, but are actually caused by aging, meaning there are potential drug targets that m...

What are the risks associated with being able to create custom DNA?  Today's podcast discusses the potential weaponization of synthesized nucleic acid sequences. Dr. Kevin Esvelt discusses synthetic DNA and synthetic viruses, along with the possibility that they may drive the next pandemics or become the basis for future biological weapons. The dark realities are discussed, along with surveillance...

If a genetic disorder can be detected in the developing fetus, it provides families and physicians vital information that can guide important decisions. From family planning to medical intervention, new molecular techniques are being employed to detect potential anomalies as early as 10 weeks after conception. The modern genetic counselor is an expert at communicating the results of these tests, b...

While there are many views on Brexit, one certain benefit is the UK's self-governing role in scientific regulatory affairs. The EU's position on genetic engineering has perplexed its scientists, as they create solutions for EU farmers that may never be implemented. Now out from the EU's onerous non-scientific regulatory oversight, the UK may choose to deregulate gene editing. Cameron English talks...

The American chestnut was a dominant tree in many forests in the eastern United States. In the late 1800's an imported fungus spread rapidly throughout the range, destroying most of the trees in a matter of decades. Scientists at the State University of New York have engineered trees to host a gene from wheat that disarms the fungal invader, breaking the production of an acid required for infectio...