The Scientist’s LabTalk

DNA Unlocked: Beyond Genomics

Genomics is just one branch in the burgeoning field of science informally known as -omics. The data points flowing from various branches of omics can be pieced together to build a sharper picture of how disease takes root and develops. The technology has the potential to deliver new biomarkers for earlier diagnosis of disease, faster and more successful clinical trials, and the ability to predict and prevent disease before it becomes more grievous and costly.

In this episode, we talk to Larry Gold, founder of SomaLogic, a company with technology that provides more coverage of the proteome than any other platform. This technology is based on aptamers—nucleic acid molecules that bind to precise targets. Prior to SomaLogic, Gold founded and was chairman of NeXagen, which later became NeXstar Pharmaceuticals.

To dive further into this topic, please join Amgen scientists at the DNA Unlocked Q&A webinar discussion on September 8, 2021. Register for this event here: DNA Unlocked Q&A

 

DNA Unlocked is a special edition podcast series produced by The Scientist’s Creative services Team. This series is brought to you by Amgen, which is a pioneer in the science of using living cells to make biologic medicines. They helped invent the processes and tools that built the global biotech industry, and have since reached millions of patients suffering from serious illnesses around the world with their medicines.

Since the initial sequencing of the human genome almost twenty years ago, researchers have been enticed by an explosion of DNA data. These sequences hold the promise of understanding human biology, transforming drug research and development, and curing diseases. However, the quest to generate insights from human genetics and -omics research has been full of twists, turns, and roadblocks. In DNA UNLOCKED, Ray Deshaies, senior vice president of Global Research at Amgen, explores the ever-evolving perception of human biology and disease processes thanks to a growing mountain of genetics and omics data. Through discussions with colleagues and other leading research experts, Deshaies unpacks how drug developers decode human genetics to solve some of the most challenging diseases.

 

DNA Unlocked: Genetics vs. Biology

Researchers in drug development face a series of challenges even before candidate drugs are tested; namely, finding promising targets and figuring out what they do in the context of complex diseases. There are numerous gaps in our understanding of human biology, and to make matters worse, due to the complexity and unpredictability of biology, scientists often come to the lab bench with preconceived notions that are often incomplete or even incorrect. Thankfully, human genetics enables researchers to unravel the mysteries of biological systems in an unbiased manner.

In this episode, Ray Deshaies talks to Saptarsi Haldar, a physician-scientist and vice president of research at Amgen, who leads cardiometabolic drug discovery. Prior to joining Amgen, his academic research group studied the gene regulatory mechanisms governing tissue plasticity in physiology and disease. They explore how human genetics and other -omics data helps us understand the basic biology behind promising drug targets and how that informs therapeutic development.

To dive further into this topic, please join Amgen scientists at the DNA Unlocked Q&A webinar discussion on September 1, 2021. Register for this event here: DNA Unlocked Q&A 1

 

DNA Unlocked is a special edition podcast series produced by The Scientist’s Creative services Team. This series is brought to you by Amgen, which is a pioneer in the science of using living cells to make biologic medicines. They helped invent the processes and tools that built the global biotech industry, and have since reached millions of patients suffering from serious illnesses around the world with their medicines.

Since the initial sequencing of the human genome almost twenty years ago, researchers have been enticed by an explosion of DNA data. These sequences hold the promise of understanding human biology, transforming drug research and development, and curing diseases. However, the quest to generate insights from human genetics and -omics research has been full of twists, turns, and roadblocks. In DNA UNLOCKED, Ray Deshaies, senior vice president of Global Research at Amgen, explores the ever-evolving perception of human biology and disease processes thanks to a growing mountain of genetics and omics data. Through discussions with colleagues and other leading research experts, Deshaies unpacks how drug developers decode human genetics to solve some of the most challenging diseases.

DNA Unlocked: The Promise and the Potential

Welcome to DNA Unlocked, a special edition podcast series produced by The Scientist’s Creative services Team. This series is brought to you by Amgen, which is a pioneer in the science of using living cells to make biologic medicines. They helped invent the processes and tools that built the global biotech industry, and have since reached millions of patients suffering from serious illnesses around the world with their medicines.

Since the initial sequencing of the human genome almost twenty years ago, researchers have been enticed by an explosion of DNA data. These sequences hold the promise of understanding human biology, transforming drug research and development, and curing diseases. However, the quest to generate insights from human genetics and -omics research has been full of twists, turns, and roadblocks. In DNA UNLOCKED, Ray Deshaies, senior vice president of Global Research at Amgen, explores the ever-evolving perception of human biology and disease processes thanks to a growing mountain of genetics and omics data. Through discussions with colleagues and other leading research experts, Deshaies unpacks how drug developers decode human genetics to solve some of the most challenging diseases.

 

Sequencing the human genome has unlocked large volumes of data that hold the keys to understanding our complex biology. But identifying the most promising targets for disease treatment is like finding a needle in a haystack.

In this episode, Ray Deshaies talks to Richard Scheller, chairman of research and development at BridgeBio, a biotech company creating a bridge between genetic research and medicines. Scheller used the emerging recombinant DNA technology to identify, clone, and manipulate genes to understand how they work and what they do. Over the years, his focus has shifted to developing medicines using the latest genetic techniques. Together, they explore why scientists are so enamored with genetics, and the challenges and potential of using genetics in target and drug discovery.

To dive further into this topic, please join Amgen scientists at the DNA Unlocked Q&A webinar discussion on September 1, 2021. Register for this event here: DNA Unlocked Q&A 1

Understanding Microglial Response in Alzheimer’s Disease

A diverse population of microglial cells resides in the brain. Similar to immune cells, microglial cells respond to minute changes in their environment. Sometimes this response is beneficial and other times detrimental. Scientists are working to tease apart the dynamic role of microglial response in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.

In this episode, Tiffany Garbutt from The Scientist’s Creative Services team spoke with Samuel Marsh, a postdoctoral research fellow in the laboratory of Beth Stevens at Boston’s Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, about how he uses single cell technology and spatial transcriptomics to better understand the role of microglia in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis.

LabTalk is a special edition podcast produced by The Scientist Creative Services Team, where we explore topics at the leading edge of innovative research. This episode is brought to you by 10x Genomics, which builds solutions for interrogating biological systems at a resolution and scale that matches the complexity of biology. Their rapidly expanding suite of products, which includes instruments, consumables, and software, enables fundamental discoveries across multiple research areas, including cancer, immunology, and neuroscience.

The Promise of Spatial Transcriptomics in Exploring Chronic Liver Disease

The liver performs approximately 500 separate functions in the human body. With liver disease on the rise, scientists are developing treatments to save this irreplaceable organ.

In this episode, Niki Spahich from The Scientist’s Creative Services team spoke with Prakash Ramachandran, a clinician scientist at the Centre for Inflammation Research at the University of Edinburgh, about mechanisms of scarring that lead to chronic liver disease and what he hopes to learn from biobanked patient liver samples.

The Scientist Speaks is a podcast produced by The Scientist’s Creative Services team. Our podcast is by scientists and for scientists. Once a month, we bring you the stories behind news-worthy molecular biology research. This month's episode is sponsored by 10x Genomics.

Discovering the Secrets of Motor Neurons with Single Cell Sequencing

Motor neurons originating in the spine control both voluntary and involuntary movements. Even though they have an essential function, they are notoriously difficult to study.

In this episode, Niki Spahich from The Scientist’s Creative Services team spoke with Jacob Blum, a graduate student in Aaron Gitler’s laboratory at Stanford University, about his work understanding the diversity of spinal motor neurons using single cell transcriptomics.

The Scientist Speaks is a podcast produced by The Scientist’s Creative Services team. Our podcast is by scientists and for scientists. Once a month, we bring you the stories behind news-worthy molecular biology research. This month's episode is sponsored by 10x Genomics.

A Modern Trojan Horse: Delivering Combination Immunotherapies to Solid Tumors

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapies hold great promise for cancer treatment, but they are not very effective against solid tumors. Niki Spahich from The Scientist’s Creative Services team spoke with Katie McKenna, postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Malcolm Brenner at the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine, about her work developing a combination CAR T cell immunotherapy and oncolytic virotherapy to treat solid tumors.

LabTalk is a special edition podcast produced by The Scientist’s Creative Services Team, where we explore topics at the leading edge of innovative research. This episode was sponsored by IsoPlexis.

Bugs with Drugs: Repurposing a Pathogenic Bacteria’s Weapon

LabTalk is a special edition podcast produced by The Scientist’s Creative Services Team, where we explore topics at the leading edge of innovative research.

This episode is brought to you by Keystone Symposia. Don’t miss their upcoming virtual eSymposia Synthetic Biology: At the Crossroads of Genetic Engineering and Human Therapeutics on May 3-4, 2021.

One of the eSymposium’s speakers is Cammie Lesser, an associate professor at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Niki Spahich from The Scientist’s Creative Services team spoke with Lesser about her research developing designer probiotics to deliver protein-based therapeutics to the gut.

Predicting the Immune Response with Single-Cell Analysis: Autoimmunity, Vaccination, and COVID-19

The human immune system is highly complex and variable. Some people mount robust responses to infection, vaccination, or immunotherapy, while others fail to react appropriately. These differences have obvious implications for health and disease, and they have been especially appreciated during the COVID-19 pandemic as some individuals show no symptoms after contracting SARS-CoV-2 while others experience severe, life-threatening disease.

In this episode, Niki Spahich from The Scientist’s Creative Services team spoke with John Tsang, co-director of the National Institutes of Health Center for Human Immunology about how he uses innovative single-cell technology to discover early predictors of an individual’s immune response to stresses such as vaccination, autoimmunity, and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Notably, his team identified signatures of severe COVID-19 connected to a late wave of inflammation.

John Tsang expresses his own opinions in this episode, and they do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the NIH.

LabTalk is a special edition podcast produced by The Scientist’s Creative Services Team, where we explore topics at the leading edge of innovative research. To keep up to date with this podcast, follow The Scientist on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to our podcast channel wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was sponsored by 10x Genomics.

The Past, Present, and Future of Gene Therapy: How to Scale-up Successfully

The Scientist’s LabTalk is a special edition podcast produced by The Scientist’s Creative Services Team where we explore topics at the leading edge of innovative research.

In this episode, Niki Spahich from The Scientist’s Creative Services team spoke with Josh Snow, Director of Business Development and Marketing Strategy at Mirus Bio, about the past, present, and future of gene therapy, with a focus on how researchers can transition their successful therapies to clinical trials and the market, and the costs involved.

This episode is brought to you by Mirus Bio. Mirus Bio pioneered scientific breakthroughs in non-viral gene delivery and continues to produce world-class transfection reagents. Now as a global leader in transfection technology, Mirus Bio provides life scientists with the most advanced tools for gene expression, biotherapeutic protein production, virus manufacturing and genome editing.