Talking Biotech with Dr. Kevin Folta

Strategic partnerships are becoming more important in development and deployment of biotechnology solutions. Today's panel discusses the way partnerships are formed, some of the important considerations with IP and licensing, and how relationships are managed. 

The news reports say that scientists have found "high levels" of herbicide in human sperm, and suggest it is a cause of infertility. But what do the data really say? Dr. Andrea Love and I discuss the paper. A report by Vasseur et al., in the June 2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety entitled Glyphosate presence in human sperm: First report and positive correlation with oxidative stress in an infertile French population strongly implies a tight connection between the herbicide glyphosate and world population decline.  However, it is a classical case of overstepping the data. This group studied 128 men in a French infertility clinic and quantified glyphosate in in their blood and seminal fluids. Amazingly, they found parts per trillion, very low levels. They also never measured levels in sperm. They did measure sperm quantity and quality and they are just fine in individuals with glyphosate levels and those below detection. So there is no effect on sperm, consistent with previous studies. They do identify a correlation between glyphosate presence and two oxidative stress markers, but it is unclear what the "normal" range is, and it is very difficult to connect parts per trillion of a benign herbicide and meaningful physiological response. However, this was enough to ignite the media into connecting this trace of herbicide to crashing world populations, when people are most likely simply having smaller families.

Dr. Andrea Love @Dr_AndreaLove and immunologic.org

Where many therapeutic compounds are raised in bacteria or fungi, plants sometimes offer many advantages as bioreactors. Capital and production costs are lower, and products may be edible instead of injectable. The problem tends to be standardization, and conditions that ensure that the desired proteins are produced This episode features Jim Wilson from Zea Biologics, where cleanrooms, precise regulation of all aspects of the plant growth environment, and massive data collection, allow for the production of biological compounds to treat everything from hemophilia to influenza. The compounds are bio-encapsulated, a patented process that allows oral delivery instead of injection. Using precision "pharming" drugs and be produced at a lower cost in less time, and the products are temperature stable, allowing wider distribution at lower cost, with a lower carbon footprint. 

www.zeabio.com

Canada has a unique approach to plant genetic improvement that follows the product, not the process. In other words, if there is potential risk from any genetic manipulation technique, from polyploidization to transgenic to gene edits, Canadian regulators assess the relative risk in the final product. But what does the regulatory climate look like going forward as gene editing becomes more routine? Today's podcast is a conversation with Jennifer Hubert, Executive Director of Biotechnology at Crop Life Canada. 

Immunotherapy is weaponizing the body's immune system against cancer or other disease. One of the most promising approaches is CAR-T cell therapy, yet as this technology has been implemented, it's limitations have been identified. Dr. Andy Scharenberg described the current drawbacks of CAR-T cells and how his company, Umoja, is re-engineering CAR-T cells in vivo to create more effective therapies, including approaches that can address solid tumors. Co-hosted by Donald Coon. 

www.umoja-biopharma.com

How do new drug applications move forward to approval?  Four experts discuss the partnership between the FDA, the drug developer, and the data needed to move a product forward. It is a surprising discussion that reveals the depth of the FDA process.  Joined by Dr. Debra Webster, Dr. Julia Marre, Dr. Michael Matthews and Dr. Jonathan Helfgott. 

We live in amazing times of technological advance, but how are the real benefits of new tech lost to an inflated sense of risk?  Dr. Felicia Wu from Michigan State University shares her expertise in describing the psychological basis of risk and applying it to questions like glyphosate and aspartame. 

This is an update on the American Chestnut Restoration Project, as discussed previously on the podcast. The American Chestnut dominated the forests of Appalachia until an imported fungus destroyed the entire range. Efforts to restore the chestnut and its ecology have employed a biotechnology approach, integrating a gene from wheat that limits the mechanism the fungus uses to attack the tree. Dr. Andy Newhouse and Erik Carlson join the podcast to discuss progress in the project.  

Despite being over half of the population women's health care lags behind other areas of drug development. The problem is caused by many facets, but is augmented by the fact that many of the conditions are not life threatening or are functions of aging. Sabrina Johnson, CEO of Daré Bioscience, discusses how the disparity exists, the pipeline of drugs that seek to mitigate female-specific conditions, and how smaller, leaner businesses can have significant impacts in this space. 

After a three month hiatus the Talking Biotech Podcast is back. Today's episode is a visit with Colarbra CEO Aoi Senju about his view for the podcast, followed by synopsis of three major news stories that broke since the last Talking Biotech Podcast. The new format includes a video component, and I'll be speaking with panels and also discussing recent news stories. It is an exciting opportunity to capture a new audience, expand listenership, and provide new levels of programming to the popular format.  Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy the new episodes. Kevin

After 8.5 years of weekly podcasts I'm going to take a 5 week break and plan new episodes for 2024.  I'm going through a medical glitch that has me unable to do my normal work. On top of this we're going to switch to an audio plus video format to find a wider audience. So check back in 2024 for the next episode. Have a great rest of 2023, thank you for listening, and looking forward to better times. 

Even under the best conditions, crops need our assistance to survive the numerous threats that limit production. Classically, synthetic and natural compounds have been used to control insects, fungi and weeds, sometimes with negative collateral effects or fostering resistance of genetically tolerant genotypes. Todd Hauser from Trillium Ag describes his company's novel RNAi approach.  RNAi can be used to target specific insect species, and his company's design and particle-based technology appears to offer safety, effectiveness, and specificity. We discuss the use of RNAi and how it may be a key point of crop protection strategies, along with its inherent challenges.  

There is tremendous variation in the plant kingdom, as plants have adapted to many ecological niches with discrete challenges. Part of adaptation is production of novel secondary metabolites, compounds not required for central metabolism that serve a role in the plant, such as defense or attraction of pollinators. The rainforest is replete with unusual plants and their resident metabolites. Indigenous peoples have identified therapeutic qualities of specific plants. How can this knowledge be transferred to aid those suffering beyond the rainforest? Lisa Conte is the CEO, President and Founder of Jaguar Health, a subsidiary of Napo Pharmaceuticals.  We discuss process of working with indigenous peoples to learn from their findings, then test and validate them in ways to identify novel mechanisms of action for use in modern medicine. 

Gene editing is a powerful and specific technique that allows customized changes to DNA. Because there are no additional sequences transferred, and alternations match what could happen naturally over time, the technology is considered less invasive and less prone to regulatory oversight. That's true in the USA, Canada, China and other nations. However, the European Court of Justice determined that these techniques should be regulated in a manner identical to transgenics, where the EU has not approved such innovations in over two decades. EU scientists see how the EU is falling behind and after long may never catch up. The rejection of technology leads to a tremendous economic loss. Dr. Emma Kovak of the Breakthrough Institute discusses the current regulations, the proposed changes, and the dynamics of opposition to a good technology that could have profoundly positive impacts for people and the planet. 

Information has been weaponized, and the ability to create false information to achieve an ideological goal has never been more easy. Political polarization, science denial, and a shining, effective conduit of dissemination (the internet) allows anyone with an agenda to recruit the like minded, and produce compelling media to reinforce bankrupt ideas. Where did information warfare originate, what are its effects, and how do we fix it?  This week's podcast discusses the book, On Disinformation: How to Fight for Truth and Protect Democracy with author Dr. Lee McIntyre. The book presents a chilling description of who creates disinformation, how subscribes to it, and its long term effect on free society. Fortunately, solutions are proposed that can help curb the penetration of disinformation, particularly as it becomes more effective through artificial intelligence. 

While DNA captures most of the fanfare, proteins are the catalytic and structural superstars of the cell. However, they can also become problematic. Cells have intricate mechanisms to remove damaged or mis-expressed proteins that could be deleterious to cellular function. This process is mediated by a process called ubiquitination, mediated by a special class of proteins called E3 ligases. Ubiquitin is the tag that's added that signals that a protein should be moved to the biochemical garbage can.  Dr. Juliet WIlliams of Kymera describes how their company has used modeling and A.I. to design molecular linkers that connect a protein that needs to be degraded with the machinery to tag it for destruction. The goal of this line of therapeutics is to target a suite of proteins that need to be degraded for normal health and development. Their pipeline contains multiple clinical and pre-clinical trials, and the approach is an exciting complement to other drug discovery methods. 

Recombinant DNA technologies once confined to the laboratory are now available to just about anyone. Is this a good thing or an extreme risk? David Ishee is self-described biohacker, dog breeder and mad scientist, and merges these passions in cutting edge DIY projects and educational tools. We discuss the opportunities and risks in DIY molecular biology, biohacking and democratization of modern genetic plant, animal and microbial genetic tools.  

We're surrounded by microbes, many that are the basis of disease. Others have evolved resistance to our best antibiotics. Others may be weaponized for bioterrorism. Because microbial threats can evolve rapidly and grow quickly, early detection of a microbial threat is essential. Dr. Brad Perkins of Karius describes the threats of microbes, his company's novel approach to fast and easy test that can detect evidence of thousands of putative pathogens in a small blood sample, essentially overnight. We discuss the technology and its applications. The technology stands to be an important tool to ensure a lower-risk pathogen environment in medical facilities, as well as detect putative pathogens before they become major problems for a patient or broader population. 

The Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is the largest native North American fruit, and grows wild throughout most temperate forests of the eastern United States and Canada, from southern Ontario to the Florida border. Several breeding efforts have sought to improve this tree crop, seeking mostly to improve fruit quality, especially post-harvest. The fruits feature a tropical flavor, a flesh that has been described as everything from marshmallow to banana, in a custard-like texture. Despite its flavorful appeal, few have experienced this fruit, mainly because of its perishable nature, and the fact that wildlife appreciate the fruit before humans ever get to it. However, a new initiative called Project Pawpaw seeks to improve the species for fruit production. Director Adam D'Angelo speaks about fundraising efforts to grow breeding populations, and utilize modern approaches to hasten development of improved pawpaws.

Project Pawpaw website
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In today's episode I cover two topics with Cameron English, science journalist and podcast host.  We discuss the current status of citrus greening disease in the USA, a disease that has ravaged the Florida juice industry. We also discuss the copious disinformation around seed oils, which many internet sources claim to be dangerous. 

The connection between tobacco smoke, cancer and heart disease has been well established since the 1800's, with irrefutable medical evidence presented since the 1950s. There is no question that smoking has significant public health impacts. The effects of second hand smoke were examined in various studies and  also claimed negative effects. But these reports has some significant limitations, and larger studies later showed no significant risk.  One of the authors, cancer epidemiologist Dr. Geoffrey Kabat, recounts the publication, the fallout, the lack of defense from the scientific community, and later independent reports that would reinforce their findings of no association with lung cancer and heart disease. While predating social media, the findings that did not fit a public health narrative where harshly criticized, using arguments that failed to address the evidence. This example is a precursor to understanding the modern-day discussions about issues like vaccination, COVID19, glyphosate, and other topics where the evidence is strong, but public opinion often fails to accept it.

Dr. Kabat's accompanying article on Quillette. 

This episode has two parts. The first part discusses how Odylia Therapeutics is addressing rare disease, using a novel non-profit model. The second half address two rare genetic eye diseases and the approaches being designed to address them. Dr. Ashley Winslow, CEO/CSO of Odylia, describes how a non-profit is well suited to address these rare diseases, using strategies that leverage capacities in rare disease patient communities coupled to their expertise in drug discovery.  

The more information you know about your genetics the better, right?  This is the idea behind companies like 23andMe, which offer platforms to understand your potential genetic predisposition toward a specific disease. The concept thrives on massive collection of public genetic data, coupled to extensive questionnaires that en masse, generate statistical associations between different genetic variants and various disorders, diseases, behaviors or drug sensitivities. These powerful tools are shaping our understanding of genes and genetic variants that contribute to our physiology, metabolism and psychology, and even aiding in drug discovery. Dr. Joyce Tung, Vice President of Research at 23andMe describes the technology, the evolution of the business, racial disparities, and what the future looks like for public genetic services. 

DNA has been an invaluable tool to make certain matches between a suspect and a crime. Since its early use in the 1980s, we have seen an explosion in DNA sequence availability, allowing forensic scientists to identify hypervariable regions of the genome that can assist in confirming a person's identity. However, there are many ethical issues surrounding its implementation, such as use of public and private databases (like 23 and Me) to identify a suspect. The discussion covers a breadth of forensic applications with Brian Hoey, Director of the Missouri State Police Crime Lab. 

If you've ever publicly communicated enthusiasm for a new product or technology, you inevitably have been accused to being a shill for the company that produced it. It is a normal part of human psychology to assume there is an undisclosed motivation for someone's excitement, and it is based on legitimate concerns about how conflicts of interest can shape one's perceptions of associated science. We discuss the topic with Dr. Chris MacDonald from Toronto Metropolitan University.  

Many consumer products contain chemistries that originate from an unsustainable source. Dr. Chance Elliott VP of R&D at Amyris describes how his company is using synthetic biology to engineer yeast to produce these same compounds from sustainable substrates. We also discuss the current business climate, how companies change with new technology, as well as how to prepare for a future for jobs in this rapidly evolving space. 

The company Color has taken innovative approaches to varied aspects of public health.  From at-home kits that can assess cancer risk, to efforts to curb COVID19, to finding attractive ways to make health care more accessible, Color has launched an array of programs that seek to improve public health.  Dr. Alicia Zhou is the Chief Science Officer of Color.  We discuss Color's efforts in cancer and disease detection, it's inroads into personalized, precision medicine, and a look at how technology may enable improved access to quality health care. Color is also a leader in constructing modern biobanks, repositories of data that can help shape healthcare outcomes in diverse communities. We also discuss careers in this evolving space, and how the business is adapting to a changing health care  delivery landscape in positive ways that benefit the patient and the system as a whole. 

This is one hot tech discussion!  Protein therapeutics have great potential, but significant limitations to their utility. Dr. Dan Mandell of GRO Biosciences explains how they are using a non-standard library of amino acids to increase protein presentation. Along with glycosylation and other modifications, the proteins are more therapeutically active, as such changes can improve issues like stability and visibility to the immune system. The technologies are being used to design therapeutic solutions for autoimmune diseases, such as myasthenia gravis. This is a technology dense episode that stretches the bounds of molecular biology. 

While many global genomics analyzes gene variants or RNA expression products, the levels of proteins are usually the most informative.  At the same time, quantifying proteins is relatively difficult, especially when trying to obtain a snapshot of the proteome from a single cell or tissue. Dr. Parag Mallick of Stanford University and Nautilus Biotechnology describes the utility of high-throughput proteomics, and how the technology incorporates a novel detection method and machine learning to quantify large suites of proteins. The applications are almost endless and present great opportunities to understand how accumulation of specific proteins relates to biological function or disease states. 

Many diseases or disorders originate with a loss of cellular function.  Cell death or damage is at the root of many problems associated with aging or injury. But what if the cells lost could simply be replaced to restore function?  Brian Culley, CEO of Lineage Cell Therapeutics, discusses how his company has identified ways to generate specific cell types that can functionally replace lost cells in various contexts, restoring function. We discus applications in macular degeneration, hearing loss, and spinal cord injury, with potential applications in Type 1 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and many future applications. 

Dr. Mike Tarselli, CSO of Tetra Science and Kevin Folta have a conversation about careers in biotech, where the discipline is going, along with observations about what makes someone successful in the field. We share many personal experiences as well as projections, and lessons we learned along the way.  This is a great episode if you are considering a career in biotechnology. 

What can be learned about biology from massive datasets, and can that information unveil opportunities for new therapeutics?  This is the approach by Turbine.  Today's podcast discusses Turbine's approach with Dr. Dan Veres, CSO and Co-Founder of the company. He describes how data sets from multi-omics analysis are merged and analyzed to identify potential drug targets. and in silico information informs wet lab tests. The outcome is new therapeutics to treat recalcitrant disease. 

Webiste: www.turbine.ai

The COVID19 pandemic was a challenge in public health, but became much worse through politicization of science and a thriving misinformation network. Over a short time, a cadre of personalities emerged in a willing media that made claims contrary to public health guidance, stoking suspicion and eroding trust in the messaging from public health experts. Dr. Jonathan Howard's book, "We Want Them Infected" is a collection of social and traditional media comments by contrarian physicians and media personalities that frame the dissent against public health guidance. Dr. Howard uses their own words to illustrate how a handful of personalities hijacked a health crisis to personally benefit, while providing false and dangerous information that clouded pandemic response, and eroded trust in vaccinations and other aspects of public health.

Buy "We Want them Infected" at Redhawk Publications
Or on Amazon   

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is recognized for his bad science around critical issues like vaccination and agricultural chemistry.  Recently he enjoyed a long-form, virtually uncontested platform on the Joe Rogan Experience where he rattled misinformation after falsehood about everything from vaccination to disease to glyphosate to cell phones. Because Rogan has a massive audience, this information is particularly dangerous. Here I refute, point-by-point, the false assertions made by Kennedy, and clearly show that he is simply a motivated disinformation hustler, and his false information must be corrected. In this podcast I refute his points with evidence, and show why he should not be trusted for information about medicine or agriculture. 

The avocado is a wonderful fruit that is gaining in popularity, full of healthful oils and other nutrients.  However, consumers consistently note the obvious drawback of the short life of fresh avocados, especially when used in recipes, like guacamole. Oxidative browning occurs within minutes, and causes food waste and supply chain loss. Green Venus is a technology company that has used site-specific nucleases to edit the genome of avocado. Dr. Jeff Touchman discusses the challenges and opportunities, regulatory hurdles, and specifics of the edits, as well as the potential future of a genetically engineered avocado.  

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 also recognize the guests that are no longer with us, yet remain a vital part of this archive. 

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 adaptable RNA-based vaccine technologies. The current suite of RNA-based vaccines have been used successfully in swine for years, with many others in development. Today's discussion is with Joel Harris, CEO of Genvax.  We discuss the technology and its applications.

www.genvax.com
@genvax
@JoelTHarris

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, how we can do better as scientists and science institutions, and discuss how today's events may be reflected in time. 

Sam Kean on Twitter:  @Sam_Kean

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 brain structure to function, and now provide a set of tools to guide surgeons, as well as potentially serve as predictive tools in addressing challenging neurological disorders.

Website: https://www.o8t.com/

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 episode we speak with Dr. Andrew King, Chief Scientific Officer of Chinook Therapeutics.  We discuss rare diseases of the kidney, such as disorders that lead to nephropathy, proteinuria, and oxalic acid deposition, along with how the next generation of drugs work to target these issues.

www.chinooktx.com

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 how we control specific genes in the lab and field. 

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 reviewers, leading to eventual publication, and earning the patina of legitimacy, despite the poor quality of the work. Dr. Lonni Besançon and an expert team responded to a paper online that presented no original research-- just a hypothesis that is supported by cherry picked data to support a conclusion. The team wrote a response to the journal, which was peer reviewed prior to publication, yet the journal still declined to print it. This conversation shows that the claims of silencing and censorship are not stopping bad information-- but we can identify cases where efforts to correct the information are rejected.

The paper by Barrière et al.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12015-022-10465-2

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 sets for new discoveries in patient care. 

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 led efforts to reconstitute brain function through use of stem cells. Current steps in animal models may one day contribute to human therapies. 

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 internet personalities now capitalizes off of the manufactured fear that can help farmers, consumers and the environment-- as well as fortify animal welfare.  University of California scientists Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam and Dr. Terry Lehenbauer discuss what the mRNA vaccines are, and how efforts to oppose them defy science, especially when codified into law by clueless politicians. 

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 opportunities and challenges. Dr. Jeffery Reid, Chief Data Officer, explains where the company was, and how it has changed with the rocketing pace of data acquisition and integration. 

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 vaccines to genetic engineering are covered. 

Follow Dr. Dunn at @DrLizaMD

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 from wild potato species in the cultivated potato. The result is a potato that can survive better in the Developing World, helping to ensure food security. 

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 guests that discussed their mission, along with a suite of online resources to help guide the public to quality information. 

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 therapies are needed, especially those with more direct delivery to the relevant regions of the brain. Shawn Singh, CEO of VistaGen, describes their new drug candidates that target depression and anxiety. The novel compounds are delivered as nasal sprays, providing direct interaction with neurological pathways in the olfactory bulb that connect directly to the regions of the brain that affect mood and anxiety. These candidate therapeutics are less likely to drive side effects due to the low levels delivered and their direct interaction with the brain.
 
 VistaGen
www.vistagen.com
www.twitter.com/VistaGen
www.facebook.com/VistaGen 

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 chemistry and new formulations that exhibit enhanced capacity to target specific locations and deliver payloads more effectively. We also discuss the current therapies that may benefit from the new technologies. 

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 the pipeline of potential therapeutics that could represent cures for rare disease. 

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. Alzheimer's has variation in etiology, patients start treatments after a diagnosis which may be years after the disease is well established, and progression is dependent on many genetic factors. All of these variables make any assessments problematic. At the same time several new antibody-based therapies show promise. 

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 discussed, along with the frequency of horizontal transfer. We discuss the ramifications of unregulated integration of DNA into plant genomes and the perception of transgenic plants in the EU and other locations where crop genetic engineering is not viewed favorably. The results also suggest additional care when monitoring gene escape in transgenic grasses like maize.  

Follow Dr. Pereira on Twitter at @LarrLarrr

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 talks about the current status of availability, the technology, the criticisms and the future of the AquAdvantage salmon. 

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 may slow the process. BioAge performed -omics level analysis on populations of aging individuals, revealing patterns of proteins and metabolites that may be causal components of the aging process. New therapeutics seek to target aspects of human senescence, potentially delaying the onset of late-life disease. Dr. Eric Morgen of BioAge describes how his company has used a novel approach to identify new compounds that may play eventual roles in slowing the aging process. 

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 and mitigation strategies, as well as the broken social trust that could fuel a human-made pandemic. 

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, building trust to advise decisions that benefit the parents and the child.  

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 about the proposed regulatory changes and how they may benefit the UK's farmers and scientists.  You can read his report here:  https://iea.org.uk/publications/harvest-time-why-the-uk-should-unleash-the-power-of-gene-editing/

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 infection. This strategy allows the tree and the fungus to live together without infection. Erik Carlson discusses the problem, the project, the push back and the current deregulation efforts to release the tree in the interest of repatriating its native range.  

Read the release docket and provide your comments here -- https://www.regulations.gov/document/APHIS-2020-0030-8291/comment

The "cell cycle" describes discrete steps in the process of cell division.  The progression is mediated by a series of gatekeeping biochemical activities that ensure complete replication of DNA, and surveil it for fidelity. Precise execution of cell cycle is necessary for normal growth and development.  At the same time, loss of cell cycle coordination can lead to aberrant cell proliferation that can become genetically unstable, a condition recognized as cancer. Many drugs target the enzymes that control cell cycle progression, and several appear to be attractive candidates for future therapeutics. Spiro Rombotis of Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals describes targeting the cell cycle, along with new drugs that show promise in slowing, arresting, or possibly reversing some challenging subtypes of cancers. 

Beer is a beverage derived from the fermentation of grain by yeast.  Hops impart their specific flavor and aroma notes. Together these ingredients produce a vast array of flavors and aromas that have become extremely popular in modern beer circles. Like any industrial workhorse organism, brewing yeast is significantly different from its wild antecedents. It has been bred to perform in fermentation, while creating metabolites that touch the senses of the consumer. Berkeley Yeast is taking the genetic improvement of yeast one step farther. Using modern biotechnology, their yeast strains are designed to create novel flavor and exciting aromas. Their efforts define a faster way to control the chemistry of fermentation, producing better products for consumers. 

Bigger plants are better, right?  Not always. Control of plant or tree size can have many advantages, and genetic control of 'dwarf' phenotypes has been important in feeding a billion people. The problem is that the changes induced by dwarfing genes can have a negative effect on other aspects of plant biology, so identifying new genes to control size is an important goal.  Dr. Philippa Borrill is a group leader at the John Innes Center, and she recently discovered a gene that contributes to size control in wheat. The discovery establishes a new means to possibly develop more productive crop varieties.  

The modern era of genetic engineering has opened tremendous opportunities in medicine and agriculture. But who governs when the technology should be applied? Similar questions were asked in the 1970s at the dawn of recombinant DNA technology. In his new book As Gods - A Moral History of the Genetic Age, Prof. Matthew Cobb discusses these watershed moments in molecular biology, and discusses his views on the newest applications in gene drives, human germline gene editing, and gain-of-function research.

Purchase at Amazon

Parasites are known contributors to human disease and suffering, spanning a wide range of organisms. Dr. Jessie Kissinger from the University of Georgia has spent the last two decades curating genomic data from hundreds of parasites, their vectors and hosts. The information helps researchers generate hypotheses about parasites, and presents a fertile resources for comparing genomes and understanding similarities and differences across this diverse set of organisms. 

VEuPathDB.org  (Vector and Eukaryotic Pathogens Resource Center)

ClinEpiDB.org (Clinical and Epidemiological resource with DIY analyses and many BGMF studies)

@jcklab   (Dr. Kissinger twitter)

mango.ctegd.uga.edu  (lab website)

"Cancer" is the generic term applying to any one of many cellular proliferative disorders that threaten normal physiology.  Various cancers have specific etiologies and require expertise in detection and treatment. New therapies are as innovative as they are promising, and a once dreaded prognosis now may have increased opportunity for cure, with better therapies on the horizon. But as it goes, with innovation comes resistance, and false information about cancer and its treatment flourish on social media. Today's guest is Dr. Skyler Johnson from the University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute. He describes his work as a radiation oncologist and how misinformation permeates online discussion of cancer, oftentimes with tragic outcomes. 

Animal agriculture contributes greenhouse gases that can influence climate change. One source in particular is cattle, as ruminant livestock produce methane from their specialized digestion, which is an especially potent greenhouse gas. Dr. Frank Mitloehner of the University of California Davis is an air quality expert in the area of ruminant biology. His research examines ways to mitigate the impact of livestock on climate, and his outreach efforts ensure that the information reaches the farmers and ranchers that can employ these strategies. In today's podcast we discuss the role of livestock in animal agriculture, as well as how he communicates new researchers to stakeholders. In the second half, we discuss an article in the New York Times that specifically targets Dr. Mitloehner, suggesting that big-money-industry taints his research and outreach outcomes. This baseless attack on a scientist's reputation is unsubstantiated by evidence, yet is penetrating, visible media clearly designed to harm a trusted public scientist and scholar. We discuss the impacts and how to scientists push through baseless allegations.

The mosquito is the most deadly animal on earth. It vectors a plasmodium, a eukaryotic parasite that invades the liver of the host and ultimately attacks red blood cells.  There are  some therapies and preventatives, but a durable vaccine would be a game changer in the Developing World. Dr. Stefan Kappe and his team have developed a vaccine based on the weakened plasmodium parasite. They used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to disrupt genes required for life cycle progression, so the vaccinated can receive a vaccination and invoke a strong immunological response against the actual pathogen if encountered.  Clinical trials have demonstrated safety and efficacy, and paved the way for even more effective approaches that may be significant public health advances throughout the Developing World.

Link to Dr. Kappe's Laboratory 

Link to the accompanying paper here.  

Ten years ago the biotech world froze and horrific images of three tumor-ridden rats penetrated the media. Social media erupted with messages of fear, and anti-biotech activists celebrated the scientific publication that conclusively linked biotech crops and an associated herbicide to cancer and early death. But at the same time a scientific community noted the shortcomings of the work. Eventually the paper was retracted, and independent research commissioned by the European Union failed to replicate the results. Still 10 years later, the three iconic rodents are used to dissuade the public from accepting biotechnology, and push a false narrative that was codified with the Seralini study. 
This week's podcast features the views of scientists and journalists, including Dr. Mary Mangan, Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam, Jon Entine, Joan Conrow, Michael Robin, Dr. Stuart Smyth, Dr. Myles Power and others.  

The opinions expressed are those of the individual guests and not necessarily those of Kevin Folta, Colabra, or the University of Florida. 

 Dr. Betsy O'neill, VP of External Innovation at Horizon Therapeutics describes how strategic partnerships can assist biotech startups in moving new therapies through development to deployment.  She discusses her company's collaborative approach, and how working together can assist in efforts to navigate the challenging business and regulatory environment. 

Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are genome-resident relics of ancient infections. They comprise 8% of the human genome, and are activated by viral infections. Proteins like HERV-W and HERV-K accumulate following infections and have been causally connected to Multiple Sclerosis and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Scientists have now observed that SARS-CoV2 infection also induces expression of specific HERV proteins. Prof. Claudia Matteucci discusses the role of HERVs and their tie to COVID19 diagnosis and potentially as central players in long COVID. 

Anthocyanins are a class of plant pigments associated with healthful qualities in food. While research continues to assess their true health benefits in vivo, there is no question that the attractive fruits stimulate the senses and bring novelty to the diet. Dr. Cathie Martin of the John Innes Center in Norwich, England discusses the technology behind the purple tomato, its potential benefits to animal health, its effects on tomato shelf life, and the recent USDA nod to release of the purple tomato in the USA.

Sexually transmitted infections like chlamydial and gonorrhea are making a comeback, especially with younger demographics. Part of the problem is the stigma of examination and testing. These are not trivial infections, and can result in more complicated syndromes, which could include sterility or issues reproductive health. Early, discrete, confidential detection is key. Today's guest is Dr. Anna Dixon. She's the Chief Technology Officer of Binx Health. Her company has devised a lab-on-a-chip solution that provides fast and accurate diagnosis of specific infections in thirty minutes. Providing non-invasive, rapid and accurate, point-of-care detection can have profound roles in advancing patient care, as well as decreasing the incidence of disease in a population. 

Communication between the digestive system and brain is much more intricate than previously thought.  The digestive epithelium is laced with sensors that monitor the contents of the gut, reporting back to the brain, stimulating appropriate hormones and digestive action to guide motility, chemistry, and absorption. This network is frequently referred to as the 'second brain' because of the dense neurophysiology at work. Recently it has been hypothesized that dysfunction in the gut-brain axis may be the basis for several immune and neurological disorders, suggesting that this neurological system may be an excellent drug target. Nancy Thornberry, CEO and Founder of Kallyope (Cal-EE-O-pay) describes the gut-brain axis, its role in digestive signaling, her company's novel drug discovery methods, and potential drug targets that may lead to innovative therapies for human health originating here in the second brain. 

Insects cause massive losses in human health and agriculture. Scientists have implemented Sterile Insect Technique for over 50 years, a process to suppress populations by introducing genetically-damaged insects into natural settings. Upon mating, the offspring. Scientists have now used gene editing techniques to selectively suppress the Spotted Wing Drosophila, a costly pest in agricultural contexts.  Today's podcast is an interview with Dr. Nikolay Kandul, a scientist working with a team that has used an innovative Cas9/gene editing approach to suppress populations of this devastating and costly invasive pest. The application seeks to cut insecticide use and costs for farmers and consumers. 

While the vast majority of gene editing efforts have been confined to crop plants, animal gene editing holds tremendous promise. Efforts have demonstrated that naturally-occurring alleles could be reconstituted using site-specific nucleases, creating hornless dairy cattle and beef cattle with sex ratios skewed towards a higher proportion of males. These breakthroughs are just a sample of the powerful technology. Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam is a Cooperative Extension Specialist at the University of California Davis. She has been an academic leader in animal genetic engineering and public communication about new technology. 

Follow her at @BioBeef on twitter. 

The podcast also features a conversation with Jilian Hendricks, a graduate student at the University of British Columbia. She is seeking assistance for a scholarly project, and would like to interview a number of scientists about gene editing. Her email is jhendric "at" mail.ubc.ca  

Immunotherapies represent a powerful suite of treatments that co-opt the immune system to target deleterious cellular conditions.  They have been effective with a series of cancers and other disorders. The problem is that development of new antibodies can be challenging for several technical reasons, but also because no two people are alike. Dr. Liang Schweizer of HiFiBio describes how her company is using single-cells and microfluidics to identify new antibodies that may be mobilized against discrete cellular targets, as well as what they have learned about heterogeneity between patients and how to identify specific biomarkers that could guide application of the most effective treatments. 

Dogs are a recent species, and because of their close associations with humans have diverged into hundreds of breeds with specific behaviors, sizes and builds. There also is a great range in life expectancy and anticipated disease.  Dogs therefore provide an excellent model to study aging and aging-related disorders, as well as understand the genetics and associated factors of aging. Celine Halioua, the CEO of Loyal, joins the podcast to discuss research into dog genetics and the factors that influence aging, along with her company's attempts to find drugs that can attenuate the process, and possibly be extended to humans. 

A microbiome is described as a population of bacteria, fungi, protists and viruses that inhabit a specific environment. Animals, including humans, are composed of many microbiomes featuring trillions of microbes. There are different microbiomes found throughout the animal digestive tract, each with important roles in animal digestion, feed conversion, overall health. Dr. Mallory Embree is the co-founder and CSO of Native Microbials. Her company has explored relationships between microbial populations and important animal production and health metrics. They have devised custom mixtures of bacteria and fungi to supplement the diet, with positive results from cattle and chickens, and companion animals like dogs. Their pipeline features multiple products that specifically target aspects of animal husbandry. Their results verify that adjustment of the microbiome can have positive effects on animals, farmer profit, and even enhanced environmental sustainability. 

This week's podcast has two parts. In the first section University of Idaho lactation specialist Dr. Shelley McGuire discusses the recent paper that claims to have found the herbicide glyphosate in breast milk. In the second half Gabe Ignetti from the Ecomodernist Society of North America discusses an environmental movement that embraces science, including biotechnology and nuclear power. 

Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death, but is remarkably treatable if caught early. Unfortunately, because of the invasive nature of the colonoscopy, many elect not to have this procedure done in a regular and timely manner. Colorectal cancers advance from normal cells through several distinct neoplasias, each with distinct patterns of gene expression. Today's guest is Dr. Erica Barnell from Geneoscopy.  They have devised a test to identify evidence of precancerous gene expression in the stool.  This advance makes early detection more feasible, along with a higher likelihood of frequent testing, at a significantly lower cost than outpatient procedures.

Genoscopy Information:
Website:     www.geneoscopy.com

LinkedIn:     @Geneoscopy

Twitter:        @GeneoscopyCo    

Facebook:  @GeneoscopyCo

The foundation of many modern consumer products begins with petroleum. Fossil fuels contain the building blocks of higher-complexity polymers, and are used in the creation of everything from high performance plastics in medical devices to your computer screen. But using petroleum use is not sustainable and has impacts in climate and pollution. What if the same molecular polymer backbones could be produced using biological organisms? Dr. Scott Franklin from Checkerspot explains how microalgae are being used to manufacture the fundamental building blocks of high performance polymers in a system that creates zero waste. These chemical backbones are used to create high-performance polymers that are fashioned into sporting goods for consumers interested in sustainability. 

Injury to organs frequently results in impaired function due to the formation of scar tissue. Heart attacks and chronic high blood pressure can induce the formation of pathogenic fibroblasts, cells that lose their original function, yet maintain some structural element of the injured tissue. The formation of fibrogenic tissue affects a significant portion of the population, and contributes to decline associated with many diseases, such as congestive heart failure or liver cirrhosis. A new technology uses targeted lipid nanoparticles to reprogram T-cells to attack pathogenic fibroblasts.  

Prion disorders are rare neurological diseases where a protein within the nervous system converts to a pathological form. The change in conformation affects other proteins, recruiting them to the misshapen, deleterious type. Chronic wasting disease is a neurological disease of deer, caused by prion conversion. In this episode Dr. Sandra Pritzkow from University of Texas Health - Houston describes prion related disease, and specifically the atypical transmission elements of chronic wasting disease. 

Specific chemistries are used to protect crops from insects, weeds, fungi and other microbes. Legacy issues with some older pesticides led to restrictions or bans on their use. Unfortunately, suspicion remains around contemporary solutions, even though today's chemistries are highly  specific, with low toxicity to non-target organisms, including humans. Use of crop protection compounds is critical to all agriculture, including organic production. However, activist groups continue to manufacture fear, uncertainty and doubt to override what we really know about the detection of these compounds in food and the relative toxicity at levels found. Dr. Liza Dunn is an emergency medical doctor and toxicologist.  For the last several years she has been working with the Bayer Corporation, and has been a leading important conversations about pesticides, residues, and their potential for impacts on human health.
Follow her at @DrLizaMD

Epigenetic regulation of gene expression occurs via many mechanisms.  One method is the methylation of regulatory sequences that control the expression of specific genes. Methylation is the addition of a small methyl group to specific bases of the DNA helix. Addition of a methyl group can change how the DNA blueprint is accessed and expressed.  Today's guest is Prof. Asaf Hellman. His group has found relationships between the methylation state of DNA and expression of genes associated with diabetes and cancers. Understanding these patterns may help inform predisposition to disease, as well as eventually causal factors and drug targets.  

Recent reports criticized the lack of reproducibility in scientific publications, and this has profound effects on the public's trust in research results.  Today's interview is with Tim Errington, Director of Research at the Center for Open Science. The Center for Open Science has devised a series of strategies and tools that can help improve reproducibility, as well as offer collateral benefits to scientists. 

Proteins define the structure and function of cells. The human genome encodes tens of thousands of proteins, yet we know surprisingly little about most of their functions. The Human Protein Atlas uses labor-intensive methods to identify the tissue localization of a significant catalog of human proteins. The reasoning is that if we know where a protein is expressed, we can begin to infer roles in cellular processes. The Human Protein Atlas is an open source resource of over 15 million images that define where different proteins are located. This week's podcast discusses the Atlas with Dr. Mathias Uhlen of the University of Stockholm. We speak about the origins of the database, how the work is done, and potential applications of this incredible resource. 

Many diseases do not have cures, yet from deleterious mutations in the genome. Many of these are rare disorders that do not benefit from extensive research or drug development. Current therapies mask symptoms more than solve the basis of the disorder. Dietrich Stephan of NewBase describes a novel custom drug design platform that shows amazing potential in animal models. A small oligonucelotide with a specific backbone can bind to its complementary sequence in DNA or RNA, derailing RNA polymerase, or dissociating other regulatory proteins.  The design is highly specific and shows great promise against a myriad of disorders, including Myotonic Dystrophy, Huntington's Disease, and various cancers. This episode features a deep dive into molecular biology, so please do not hesitate to ask questions, it is interesting technology. 

We are bombarded by claims, and have access to the most information in human history, instantly.  How do we sort it out? What is real and what's not?  Who do we trust? These are major questions today, and affect everything from public health to the foundations of democracy in the USA.  From the news to the internet to the dinner table we are immersed in suspect information. How do we recognize and address conspiratorial thinking?  What mistakes do we make when analyzing a problem?  How can we recognize disinformation? Jon Guy has written a new book, Think Straight, that that addresses these questions perfectly, by providing a tool kit for dissection of information and claims. He covers a broad section of topics in what might be the most complete work on the subject of critical thinking and skepticism.

Pre-Order on Amazon Here 

Mosquitoes are the world's most dangerous animals, vectoring dozens of diseases. One of the major disease vectors is Ades aegypti, an invasive insect with an ever-expanding range. Municipalities have turned to insecticides for control, which can impact beneficial insects. Sterile insect techniques, performed by mutagenizing mosquitoes to sterility, can work well in controlling insect populations. Over the last decade, Oxitec has advanced technologies that use a molecular techniques to repress development of mosquitoes in subsequent populations. Release of their genetically engineered males leads to decreasing populations of resident mosquitoes.  In this week's podcast we discuss the risks, benefits, and overall strategy, along with the company's public communications efforts, with the goal of increasing deployment of this technology when it can complement pubic health initiatives. 

Heart attack and stroke are leading causes of death worldwide. Current treatments are aimed at prevention-- using various medications to control the health of the circulatory system.  This week's podcast speaks with Dr. Oki O'Connor, Co-CEO of Underdog Pharmaceuticals. Dr. O'Connor discusses the cellular basis of atherosclerosis, and how modified cholesterol play a central role in its development.  We then discuss the ability of a cyclical carbohydrate called cyclodextrin to sequester cholesterol, and how this company has used computer modeling to modify cyclodextrins to limit and potentially reverse cardiovascular disease. There are also potential ramifications in Alzheimer's Disease prevention and treatment.  

Apples are a beloved fruit, with over 8000 varieties available worldwide. The apples in the grocery store represent just a tiny section of apple genetic potential, a few flavors that ship well and can be stored for a long period of time.  But today in the genomics era new tools seek to speed the breeding of apples to create new varieties, flavors, and disease resistance packages.  The goal is to help farmers and consumers produce the next generation of superior apple varieties.  With Dr. Awais Khan, apple breeder from Cornell University. 

The process of animal development is a complex coordination of different genes through time.  At least that's what we thought.  Dr. Michael Levin from Tufts University is forcing us to rethink these processes, with impacts in medicine, cancers, correction of developmental defects and limb regeneration. , 

Gene editing with CRISPR/Cas, TALEN or other tools allows scientists to make directed and precise changes in DNA.  The technologies promise to transform agriculture and medicine. But the application of these technologies hinges on consumer sentiment. Dr. Brandon Mc Fadden is an agricultural economist that specializes in understanding what makes consumers tick. We have a conversation about gene editing, public sentiment, and how it varies between agriculture and medicine. 

A significant number of fatalities are due to blood loss following accidents, injuries or medical procedures. While many methods can stop catastrophic bleeds, they take time and are not always successful. This episode explores the process of inducing bleeding cessation with Joe Landolina of Cresilon. The company has devised a polymer from algae that is applied topically, and immediately stops the bleed. The science behind this innovation and potential applications are discussed. 

Mycotoxins are carcinogenic compounds that arise from specific fungal infections in various crop plants, with corn and peanut being key examples.  In the industrialized world, governments monitor relevant crops carefully, and install strict thresholds for presence of these dangerous compounds. But what about Developing World?  Today's podcast interviews Dr. Felicia Wu, Professor at Michigan State University. Dr. Wu has analyzed the risk associated with mycotoxins, and has studied how various technologies mitigate their effects. This is a shocking revelation about world food security, and a hopeful glance into methods of surveillance and new technology to improve global human health. 

Camelina (Camelina sativa) is an oilseed brassica that grows fast and produces many seeds. It grows in marginal soil and great resistance to disease and environmental stress.  That said, it is an ideal plant to use as a factory to produce a variety of metabolites that may be used in applications such as fuels and plastics, as well as a sources of healthy food oils and animal nutrition products.  Their resilience as a crop and rapid growth means that they may offer farmers an off-season cover crop that can add to soil health and produce important products.  This week's interview is an interview with Yield10's CEO Dr. Olly Peoples.  Yield10 is advancing the genetics of camelina to produce a variety of useful key polymers, nutrition products and food for animals, inside a cover crop that can expand profitable options for farmers.

Visit Yield 10's Camelina website here. 

Upon sequencing the human genome, scientists were surprised to find that it is composed of about 8% viral sequence. These fossils are relics of ancient primate infections where retroviruses incorporated into the chromosome and became part of the human lineage. While these viral elements have contributed positively to speciation and development of specific human traits, they also have the capacity to become pathogenic. Dr. Advinda Nath is the Clinical Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. He joins Talking Biotech to share his experiences, knowledge and predictions in this exciting, emerging area of research. 

We are bombarded with information, but do we know what sources to trust and how to evaluate specific claims?  Melanie Tercek-King joins the podcast to discuss some fundamentals of critical thinking, and implement her tool kit to evaluate which claims have merit, and which might be best disregarded. 

In his new book Dr. Robert Paarlberg describes the current state of the food system, focusing on issues like industrial farming, organic farming, restaurants, biotechnology, and how technology will impact farming in the future.  In today's podcast we discuss some of the critical points of the book and what food and farming may look like in the future. 

Ticks are significant disease vectors, with an emerging scope of pathologies associated with tick bites. New technologies have accelerated the ability to genetically engineer ticks, creating new opportunities to understand gene function in ticks, as well as potentially use gene editing to control numbers or affect disease vectoring. Dr. Monika Gulia-Nuss (University of Nevada, Reno) and Dr. Jason Rasgon (Penn State University) describe tick disease transmission, new transformation technology, and potential applications.  

Dr. Anne Simon is an expert in plant viruses.  She describes some of the current threats to plant biology, and discusses ways that viruses may be used to work for us, rather than against us. She also discusses her time as a technical advisor to The X Files series, and how that experience helped her to share science. 

Follow Dr. Simon on Twitter here! 

Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs) comprise 8% of the human genome and are relics of ancient infections, some dating back to pre-human primates.  These resident viral elements can be awakened by viral infections, and have been shown to be tightly associated with diseases like Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).  New data suggest a role for HERVs in the neurological symptoms of long COVID. Today's podcast features a conversation with Jesus Martin-Garcia, CEO and Co-Founder of GeNeuro. New therapies target the rogue proteins arising from these ancient viruses, and show promise in treating, if not reversing, disease progression. 

Follow GeNeuro on Twitter
GeNeuro Website    http://www.geneuro.com/
YouTube Videos of their technology

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

As we enter our eighth year, the podcast is partnering with Colabra, experts in laboratory IT that will help and accelerate your R&D.  You won't see changes in content, but you'll see improvements in website, podcast quality, transcripts and other improvements for the listener. I'm grateful for such substantial listenership and the opportunity to have this forum for my passion of sharing science.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Avocado consumption is rapidly increasing, and global production booming. However, the diversity of fruit choices is typically constrained to Hass.  There is tremendous diversity in avocado, featuring a range of flavors, oil content and seasonal availability. In this week’s podcast we speak with Eric Focht who has been running the breeding program at University of California in Riverside. We discuss the genetic origins, the breeding priorities, and next steps in the genetic improvement of the crop.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The story of Percy Schmeiser is a well known tale of big biotech against the little farmer from rural Saskatchewan. Schmeiser grew canola, and his outstanding harvests were due to herbicide tolerant seeds that he grew himself from materials obtained from means other than purchase. This violation of patent rights became the fodder of activist organizations, and a test of how a large company would respond to an unlicensed use of their technology. Schmeiser became the darling of anti-GMO activists, and he became the figurehead of a conversation about technology, patents, farmers’ rights, and seed sovereignty. This week’s podcast analyzes the film Percy vs. Goliath, a film that attempts to tell Schmeiser’s story. But what was accurate and what was fictionalized in the film?  I spoke with Trish Jordan, who at the time was a communications lead at the Monsanto Corporation and followed the story very closely. She had a front-row seat for the legal proceedings and provides her analysis of the film’s veracity.

Follow Trish on Twitter: @AggieCoolChick
IMDB page for Percy vs. Goliath

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

One of the criticisms of farmers is that they fail to engage the public to show what they do. It is understandable, their days are busy, competition is stiff, and farming selects for folks that shun the spotlight. Still it is critical to meet the public where they are, and that is exactly what Zack Johnson does.  Zack is best known as Millennial Famer on YouTube.  He posts video accounts of his daily work, but also interesting events that happen on his farm and around his area. The videos provide and educational and informative look at what happens on the farm, the technology, the hardships, the successes. In this episode we discuss his entry into public engagement, his motivations, and how being a celebrity farmer has affected his operation.
 
Watch Millennial Farmer on YouTube
Follow Zack on Twitter
Millennial Farmer Website

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Many diseases are rooted in the incorrect accumulation of proteins that regulate key cellular processes.  Dozens of proteins control processes like cell division and cell death, and aberrant accumulation of these regulatory molecules can have profound health impacts. The Arvinas company has developed a means to specifically target specific proteins for degradation, exploiting a system called ubiqitination.  Ubiqutin is a small molecular tag that sentences tagged proteins for degradation. Dr. John Houston is the CEO of Arvinas, and he describes the company’s progress in this exciting area of research and development. We discuss the technology, the progress, and the Arvinas pipeline. This alternative approach to controlling cellular processes holds great promise in the treatment of a number of human diseases.

www.Arvinas.com

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The American Chestnut used to dominate Appalachian forests, but declined after a fungal disease was introduced to North America in the early 1900’s.  Scientists have sought to restore the ecology and utility of this tree species by adding resistance through genetic engineering.  For the backstory listen to Episode 9 (2015) of this podcast series.  This week’s interview is with graduate student Erik Carlson.  Erik recently published a paper in Molecular Plant Pathology that describes a new regulatory control of the gene that confers resistance to Chestnut Blight. We discuss the background of the project, where the project stands, and the regulatory environment of repatriating a forest with engineered trees.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Two unusually parallel articles emerged this week, both claiming that modern ag technology (as they say, “GMO”) is just another arm of colonial control of the Developing World.  Both wordy, yet visible articles stoked remarkably common themes, without evidence, just opinion.  Sadly, one of these was published in Scientific American, a popular magazine that continues to decline due to its injection of ideology in its opinion pieces that run counter to the scientific consensus. Cameron English is a journalist, the Director of Biosciences with the American Council for Science and Health. This week he wrote two stories this week, discussing these articles. In this episode of Talking Biotech Podcast we discuss the two articles, the decline of Scientific American, and how this new rhetoric is anti-biotech’s most recent salvo to stop technology from positively affecting the lives of the food insecure in the Developing World.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Wine is a fermented beverage that has been enjoyed for millennia. While many may feel that the grapes used produce the flavors in the wine, a substantial contribution comes from the yeast and specialized bacteria that performs feats of biochemistry on the components lent by the grape itself.  It is the merging of microbial and grape metabolism that provides each bottle with its distinct qualities.  In this episode we speak with Dr. Sakkie Pretorius from Macquarie University. He has enjoyed a long career as an expert at understanding how wine flavor is derived. In this episode we discuss how the metabolism of microbes and grapes contribute to wine flavors, as well as the future of biotechnology in shaping wine flavors.  With co-host Emily Haile.

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

At the early age of 47 Cindy Lee Graham lost her battle with glioblastoma. Glioblastoma is an insidious cancer of the brain and central nervous system that slowly robs its victims of critical faculties, with a very low survival rate. This tragic loss is punctuated with an amazing gift of kindness, as Cindy and her husband Dr. Thomas Graham coordinated with pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Sheila Singh to donate Cindy’s brain to cancer research. This unique gift provides an amazing resource that allows researchers to study the real-time evolution of glioblastoma cells, and understand how to eventually find their vulnerabilities. In the second half, Dr. Thomas Graham shares the story of Cindy’s illness, and the research and scholarship funds that have been established in her honor.

Please consider donating at cindysgift.com

Twitter: @Cindy_GBM_Fund@sheilasinghlab

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The executive ranks of the pharmaceutical industry are populated with a clear over representation of older males. How did we get here, and how is the leadership in industry changing to seek qualified, yet diverse executives?  This week the Talking Biotech Podcast features Kimberly Gentile, Senior Vice President of Clinical Research at Biohaven Pharmaceuticals.  She shares her experiences as a woman in the upper echelons of the pharmaceutical industry, and describes how we got to where we are, and how we’ll move forward with more sensitivity to a diverse and equitable workplace.

Biohaven Pharmaceuticals on Twitter:  @BiohavenPharma

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Sustained space travel and colonization will depend on the ability to grow food in extra-terrestrial environments. The fact that plants evolved on earth with cues from gravity, photoperiod, barometric pressure and other signals means that plants growing on space stations or other planets will face unique stresses, never previously encountered. Add to this the challenges of watering plants in microgravity, a dependence on artificial lighting, and limited access to crop protection and fertilization strategies, and the ability to produce crops in space is a realistic limiter of long-term human colonization of space. Dr. Anna-Lisa Paul has studied plant biology in space and in extreme earth environments to learn about how plants adapt to these challenges, and even how humans might have to adapt to care for them.

 Twitter:  @UF_Space_Plants
 Dr. Paul in other media:
 
 * UF Space Plants Lab: https://hos.ifas.ufl.edu/spaceplantslab/
* TEDxUF speaker, April 6th, 2019 – “Humans are explorers––go boldly”
* Women in Science Instagram story for Friday, Feb. 9th, 2018, ahead of the UN’s Women and Girls in Science Day. : https://twitter.com/ISS_Research/status/962796712241672192
* NPR Science Friday. For premier of “The Martian”; how real space plant biology is getting us closer to the goal of other planets https://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/plants-in-space/

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

We all know the feeling of tiredness, but what causes the urge to sleep?  Prof. Lior Appelbaum discusses the link between sleepiness and DNA damage, as sensed through the accumulation of a protein known as PARP1.  PARP1 is well known for its roles in DNA repair.  Prof. Appelbaum’s team has examined PARP1 accumulation in animal models and shown strong evidence that the desire to sleep is triggered by DNA damage, and the desire to sleep involves action by PARP1. The conclusion is that tiredness should not be ignored, as it is a signal that there is some DNA damage to be corrected, and may play a role in long-term brain health.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

T Cells are the body’snatural defenders against pathogens.  In the past they have been reprogrammed to recognize specific surface antigens of cancer cells to attack and destroy them. The approach has worked well against a variety of cancers. The limitation is that they addition of genetic material is limited by transfer techniques.  This episode of the Talking Biotech Podcast discusses the new approach with Dr. Ken Drazan of Arsenal Bio. They have devised a strategy to place genetic material into T-cells from an afflicted patient that can now work against the disease in question. The approach uses gene editing, adding genetic material to T cells that allows them to recognize specific antigens, such as those associated with ovarian cancer.

Follow on Twittter:  @ArsenalBio

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Olives have a prominent role in the production of aromatic healthy culinary oils and brined olives for the table.  Olive oil production occurs worldwide on old-growth orchards that are subject to a number of modern production challenges.  Disease, pests, climate change and other issues threaten sustainable production. Today’s guest is Prof. Lorenzo Leon, an olive breeder from IFAPA in Cordoba, Spain. He has taken on the mantle of creating the next generation of superior olive cultivars. We discuss the challenges of olive breeding, the protracted timeline, and the fact that his crosses today may result in something in the field decades down the road. We discuss modern genetic tools and their implementation. The discussion is a great appreciation of plant breeders, their important job, and the challenges they face.

Follow Dr. Leon on Twitter:  @OliveBreeding

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Thirty million Americans depend on daily doses of insulin to stay alive.  This small protein hormone is responsible for the regulation of blood sugar, and plays a key role in all aspects of physiology, as well as long-term effects on health. Despite its importance, the vast majority of insulin is produced off shore, leaving it vulnerable to supply chain disruptions that could be hazardous for many Americans. Domestic production is hindered by a variety of barriers, from production to regulatory. Cameron Owen is the CEO and Co-Founder of rBIO, and they are using a specially designed E. coli bacterium that focuses strictly on insulin production. This streamlining of the process around bacteria that commit the majority of resources into insulin production leads to minimizing side reactions and higher yields of the desired product. Making the production process more efficient means that this critical hormone may be produced at a lower price and without fear of supply chain production.

Follow rBIO on twitter at @rBio_pharma

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

How can analysis of DNA isolated from old, preserved organisms, bones, or tissues tell us about life today?  Dr. Beth Shapio is a professor at the University of California Santa Cruz and an HHMI Investigator. She has studied the genomic information from ancient preserved sources to describe events and adaptations that underlie species evolution.  In this episode we discuss the technology behind isolating ancient DNA, its utility in resolving evolutionary lineages, and understanding traits in populations and their relationships to their environment. We conclude with a discussion of gene editing ethics and application to conservation biology.

Follow Dr. Shapiro on Twitter at @BonesAndBugs

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

New strategies in gene therapy are integrating multiple modern techniques to take on contemporary challenging diseases, such as solid-tumor cancers. Dr. Eric Ostertag of Poseida Therapeutics describes their transposon-based gene therapies that deliver useful gene replacements through biodegradable, tissue-targeted nanoparticles. This contrasts against the older gene therapy technologies that relied on viral delivery.  In addition, Poseida offers new approaches in CAR-T cell therapies, genetic adjustment of native immune cells to target cancers. These One-time treatments appear to be promising in treating a variety of cancers using innovative strategies.

Posieda Therapeutics Website

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Genetic counselors play a critical role from pre-natal guidance to lifelong expertise in managing genetically-based disorders. With the tools of rapid sequencing and computational biology, the genetic counselor has new tools to predict genetic disorders and advise symptom management. Today’s guest is Pilar Magoulas, a Certified Genetic Counselor from Texas Children’s Hospital.  She has won awards for her expertise in genetic counseling. We discuss the traditional roles of genetic counselors, how new technology aids in her work, and what the future holds for those interested in this growing career area.

Baylor School of Medicine Genetic Counseling Program

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Drug pipelines are thick with novel compounds that may have an effect on our most insidious diseases.  However, most either fail early trials or are withdrawn because companies don’t see the return on investment of driving them forward. These shelved compounds still may have important roles in treating orphan diseases.  The Children’s Tumor Foundation identifies these compounds lost to corporate expectations and re-analyzes them for therapeutic potential for other indications. Dr. Annette Bakker describes the process, the potential and the promise of compounds already identified in this partnership with pharmaceutical companies– testing their throwaways for new applications.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The classical assumption was that the modern dinosaur lineage led directly to today’s reptiles. However, a growing suite of evidence has shown that modern birds more closely emulate prehistoric creatures. Today’s guests are Profs Alexander Vargas (University of Chile) and Joao Bothelo (Catholic University of Chile).  Their work on comparative anatomy in embryos has unveiled additional similarities between birds and dinosaurs, and pharmacological and molecular evidence has shown that chicken embryos can be affected to present subtle dinosaur-like traits. Their work provides additional evidence that modern birds are actually modern avian dinosaurs.
 
Here’s a link to the EU Commission’s public comment website.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

We must be dedicated to fighting back against false information in food and medicine.  Jeffery Smith is a personality with no scientific training that has used disinformation to taint an important public discussion on biotechnology for over 25 years.  One of the ways he does this is to hijack legitimate scientific venues, making them think he conveys actual information.  He then uses their media to push his false information that ultimately affects the public trust in food, farming and medicine. Last week Smith was a guest on the Finding Genius Podcast, a podcast that features some excellent discussions with actual researchers. Smith and others like him have targeted science podcasts to promote their non-scientific ideas, using established scientific conduits to promulgate false claims. The point of this podcast is:  1. Illuminate how Smith propagates false information with uncited generalities, misrepresentation of actual science and innuendo. 2.  Demonstrate how he (and folks like him) exploit credulous podcast/media hosts to gain an audience that may be unfamiliar with their misrepresentation of science and to promote their books/websites/documentaries.  3.  To show how a reasonable podcast can fall prey to those that push false claims for agenda, politics and profits.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

In this week of technical failures and personal challenges, this week’s podcast investigates the merits of civil conversation.  In an angry online environment, can we use the tools of trust building, listening, and empathy to build trust and have greater influence?  I discuss my current circumstances and the status of the social media discussion of vaccine hesitancy and genetic engineering.  Can we influence the acceptance of good technology with a soft touch?  Can we win more hearts and minds with kindness than with data?  This is a very important episode I hope you’ll find illuminating.

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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

There is no such thing as bad food, it is just bad diets, so says Craig Good.  Various life events caused him to rethink his relationship with food, and a keen skepticism led him to carefully evaluate the mistakes we make, the myths we accept, and the potential reasons we have an epidemic of diet-related illness and an internet packed with fad diets.  The punchline is common sense, but comes after a discussion of food facts, psychology, and a prescription for healthy eating.

Follow Craig on Twitter (good follow)
Relax and Enjoy Your Food Website
Relax and Enjoy Your Food  Trailer
 
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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

How does misinformation about genetically engineered crops (GMOs) start and how do we correct it?  These are questions asked by Prof. Robert Bird of the University of Connecticut.  Prof. Bird discusses how an errant article can become the basis of misinformation spread, and how communicators can help push back against misinformation.
 
Sign up for the online class here.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The herbicide glyphosate has been used for decades, with increased use paralleling the adoption of genetically engineered crops. The compound has a strong safety record and international regulatory consensus stating no unique health risks when used as directed. However, claims of cancer risk have increased in social media and websites, despite only cursory and/or circumstantial evidence of any actual causality.  Juries have supported class-action lawsuits with substantial payouts based on cancer claims.

The claims hold no weight if there is no exposure, and anti-glyphosate groups know this. Over the past decade there have been regular reports of finding glyphosate in beer, wine, hair, cereal, crackers and dozens of other products– with the implication that its presence is a cancer risk. However, there are two problems. First, most were performed with methods that could not be used for legitimate detection, and second, levels detected were extremely low, well below any levels that would constitute a health risk.

A recent published peer-reviewed scholarly review by a team from an expert team from Bayer CropSciences compiled all of the claims, peer-reviewed and otherwise, and analyzed their methods. The synthesis is that many reports use methods that may not be extended to the specific analysis, they report insufficient results, or have legitimate detection with low amounts found that do not constitute a health risk.
 
Here is a link to the review

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Today’s podcast features two interviews about COVID19.  The first is an interview with Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried.  Commissioner Fried has been an outspoken critic of the state’s handling of the pandemic, she pulls no punches about the errors in policy, and discusses her efforts and vision for a COVID-free future. In the second half Brady Holmer discusses long COVID.  As the pandemic continues unfortunate patterns are emerging with regard to chronic cognitive, pulmonary, cardiac and other effects of the SARS-CoV2 infection. These two interviews will help you evaluate the realistic risks of the pandemic and share important public health information with others.

On Twitter:
Commissioner Nikki Fried :  @nikkifried
and Brady Holmer :  @bradyholmer

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 Many cancers are much more curable if detected early. However, the current suite of detection methods are slow, expensive and can’t detect a problem until it is advanced. Dr. Steven Quake of the Chan-Zukerberg Biohub is working with a group to perfect the liquid biopsy. Using just a patient’s blood, the test strive to identify cell-free RNA and /or DNA that often is shed into the bloodstream from solid tumors. Detection of such molecules may help diagnosticians identify cellular transformation events before symptoms ever are experienced. The relatively inexpensive and non-invasive test will likely be a central part of every annual physical, as it can detect problems long before they become problematic.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Yay for gremlins!  Technical difficulties precluded the planned podcast, but that didn’t stop two good interviews from materializing a the last minute. Cameron Siggs is an attorney in south Florida.  He came into a conversation in a Whole Foods Market that demonstrated the power of engagement and kind dialogue. In the second half we visit with registered dietitian Leah McGrath about farmers markets, seasonal produce and strange consumer expectations. Two great interviews with excellent information and ways to think about communicating our science.

Follow Leah McGrath on Twitter :  @LeahMcGrathRD
The article about farmers markets in the Cook’s Cook
 
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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 The role of Cas9 as an editing/deletion nuclease has been well established, but can it be used to turn genes on?   Dr. Yiping Qi of the University of Maryland has developed a system where Cas9’s specificity is used to recruit gene expression activation factors to plant promoters.  The approach allows activation of sets of genes associated with disease resistance or other useful plant traits.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

COVID19 is the spectrum of pathologies caused by the SARS-CoV2 virus.  While the pandemic moves well into its second year, the importance of detection in populations cannot be overstated.  However, testing methods typically include visiting testing centers, and it is hard to find a test that is both rapid and precise.  Dr. Peter Ngyuen is a scientist with the Wyss Institute that has designed wearable sensors to detect specific viruses.  We talk about the amazing synthetic biology technology and how it is now being applied to face masks that can detect the presence of the virus in the breath of someone wearing the mask.  The rapid detection can help guide behavior as well as provide an early detection to potentially seek medical care to minimize long-term health implications.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 Cassava is a staple for one in ten people on earth, grown mostly by small famers tending a few acres. One of the challenges is insect-vectored virus Cassava Brown-Streak Virus that destroys the root.  Scientists from Africa and the Danforth Center in St. Louis MO, USA have collaborated to create a cassava line that is genetically engineered to suppress the virus. The approach is similar to what was done to save the papaya in Hawaii, essentially using a portion of the virus sequence to shut down viral infection. In this week’s podcast Dr. Douglas Miano, Professor at the University of Nairobi, describes the problem and the solution. as well as how the technology may serve farmers in Kenya and the entire African continent.

KARLO Website
CassavaPlus Website

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 He jet-sets around the planet and writes letters to government officials, brandishing academic and military credentials. He speaks with authority as an affiliate of a land-grant university.  His claims rattle audiences and frighten regulators in the Developing World. Dr. Don M. Huber is a Professor Emeritus at Purdue University.  Over the last decade he has taken the point to denigrate agricultural biotechnology and its associated chemistries. Many of his fantastical claims are patently false, such as his discovery of a new life form that was thriving on Roundup herbicide and causing disease in humans, animals and plants. When challenged, he attacks his critics, even resorting to false claims to their employers to silence them.  Still he circles the globe in a Quixotic attempt to end implementation of useful technology. What is the motivation?  Why does it continue? Today’s episode analyzes the claims and outcomes with Rob Wager, retired faculty member of Vancouver Island University in Naniamo, Britsh Columbia. Rob has been a remarkable voice in identifying false information and helping correct it, with expertise in the literature and the personalities that push false information agendas.
 
Follow Rob Wager on Twitter: @RobertWager1
Link to Huber’s talk at Plant Animal Genome Conference 2019 (from PAG website; I’m on Page 10).
Link to his complaint letter to my employer  (available via public records request)

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 The Genetic Literacy Project is a popular science news website.  A diverse set of articles and viewpoints are presented, with original articles and news aggregated from the internet.  Over the last decade the website as been accused of simply being a “front” for the seed industry, even though there is no such tie to these businesses. Such accusations are levied by websites and NGOs that reject the science presented.  A recent expose’ in the Genetic Literacy Project analyzed the organizations and their funding. It turns out that the organizations that criticize the science have intricate direct links to each other, as well as to law firms that have associations with Scientology. The take home message is that the disinformation these groups present is echoed by the other related “disinformation feedback loops” multiple presentations in the media that appear to be independent, but are all part of a connected and intricate scheme to tarnish the perception of actual scientific information, the scientists that produce it, and the outlets that present it.

Jon Entine on Twitter: @JonEntine
Genetic Literacy Project Website
Genetic Literacy Project on Twitter:  @GeneticLiteracy
A link to the original story here.

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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 Jack Bobo has been studying food, farming and the associated psychology for decades, asking questions about the choices people make around food. His recent book Why Smart People Make Bad Food Choices addresses the psychology of value, risk and food choice.

Follow Jack Bobo on Twitter :  @Jack_A_Bobo
Futurity website here.

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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

We have two major problems.  Vanilla is mostly produced in a narrow set of unstable economies and the supply chains are especially vulnerable.  There is massive demand for vanilla flavoring.  The other major problem is plastic bottles.  Plastic waste from PET bottles creates a massive environmental hazard, and is purely unsustainable.  What if those bottles could be used as a substrate to produce useful compounds, like vanilla flavoring?  Dr. Joanna Sadler asked that exact question and using the tricks of synthetic biology installed the enzymatic steps to convert PET bottles into vanillin, the central compound of vanilla flavoring. A genetically engineered strain of E. coli efficiently converts trash into treasure, and is a great harbinger for the future of synthetic biology in waste remediation.
 Follow Dr. Sadler on Twitter:  @JoSadler10

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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 Analysis of massive genomic DNA sequence data indicates that gene transfer between similar species actually happened, and did so at a surprising rate.  Today’s podcast with Dr. Luke Dunning of University of Sheffield discusses his recent findings that indicate grasses are sharing genes with each other. It is an interesting discussion about horizontal gene transfer, from its mechanism, to its outcomes, to its effect on genetic variation and evolution.

Follow Dr. Dunning on Twitter
Dunning Lab website

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 One of the major objections to genetic engineering is that a DNA segment is transferred to the crop, and lands in a somewhat random location.  That’s because genetic engineering largely uses Agrobacterium to perform the genetic exchange.  But Agrobacterium came from nature, and there is significant evidence that DNA transfer events have been happening for thousands to millions of years.  Dr. Leon Otten has been studying Agrobacterium for decades, and now is identifying recent evidence that the bacterium has littered the plant world with random DNA insertion events. It is likely that these events had important roles in plant evolution, potentially around agronomically important traits. We discuss this natural phenomenon and how it may change the dialog on genetic engineering and regulation.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 Dr. Dan Wilson is a rising star of science communication. His popular YouTube channel Debunk the Funk provides entertaining and evidence-based dissection of issues around science, vaccination and COVID19.  In this issue of the Talking Biotech Podcast we discuss science communication, his motivations, and the recent dissection of the Disinformation Dozen.  We cover recent vaccine disinformation as well as the role of universities and younger scientists in science communication.

Follow Debunk the Funk on YouTube here.
Follow Dr. Dan Wilson on Twitter here.

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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 Peptides have increasingly emerging roles in cellular signaling and anti-microbial applications. Peptioids are cousins of their active peptide analogs, only  synthesized with a durable bond that helps the molecule evade cellular turnover mechanisms.  Dr. Gill Diamond of the University of Louisville discusses the chemistry of peptoids and their applications as anti-virals, including targeting SARS-CoV2. The pipeline of new compounds is discussed with a myriad of potential application in human disease. Dr. Diamond also serves on as a scientific advisor to Maxwell Biosciences.
 
Maxwell Biosciences on Twitter

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 A solar-powered animal?  There are species of sea slugs that consume algae, then integrate the chloroplasts into their own digestive cells.  There they function to fix carbon and essentially power the organism.  This phenomenon is known as kelptoplasty- stealing the autotrophic capacities of one organism for the slug’s benefit. This week’s podcast is a conversation with Dr. Sonia Cruz, a Principal Researcher at the University of Averio. Her work seeks to unravel many of the intriguing questions about this unusual relationship between photosynthesis and animals.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The basis of aging and long-term degenerative disease have been formidable questions for scientists. Over the last decade several “methylation clocks” have been devised to examine modifications of DNA that match well with developmental state and disease presentation.  Dr. Ekaterina Rogaeva from the University of Toronto studies methylation clocks, especially as they associate with specific neurodegenerative diseases. The discoveries in this discipline delineate diagnostic patterns of epigenetic changes that could be critical in disease prediction and treatment, as well as monitoring overall health.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Last week’s episode covered Alpha Gal Syndrome, the tick-induced allergy to beef and pork.  The same immunological response could also limit a recipient’s access to xenography or xenotransplantation, that is, the introduction of pig and cow tissues and organs for human benefit.  From valves to tendons to organs, the use of non-human animal parts is becoming increasingly common, but so is the instance of immune response to them due to a response to alpha gal. Today’s guest is Dr. John Bianchi, VP of Product Development at Revivicor.  Revivicor has developed the GalSafe Pig, a genetic engineering step that eliminates the production of Alpha-Gal, making organs compatible with sensitive recipients. While solving the key problem of xenographic transplants and tissue donation, the pork may also be consumed without incident.  Again science rises to solve an important problem.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 You find a tick on your skin and remove it.  The next day you eat a sausage and wind up in the emergency room in anaphylaxis.  After that, you can’t eat beef or pork without experiencing an intense allergic reaction.  This is alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy induced by the saliva of ticks bearing a simple oligosaccharide (compound sugar), and the body mounts an immune response against it.  The same oligosaccharide is also found in beef and pork.  This strange condition is becoming increasingly more common.  Dr. Jeffery Wilson is a physician at the University of Virginia who studies alpha-gal syndrome.  We discuss this strange disorder, and consider strategies to solve it that will be discussed in the next episode.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Today’s podcast is an interview with New Zealander of the Year Dr. Siouxsie Wiles.  Dr. Wiles’ program uses bioluminesence as a marker to follow bacterial growth and disease progression.  Her work seeks to identify new antimicrobial compounds.  However, Dr. Wiles has become a go-to person in the discussion of COVID19, and has led public discourse on the realities of the pandemic. Her written work, video and cartoons around COVID19 have contributed to New Zealand’s low incidence rate, and world leadership in how to handle a pandemic.  We discuss her work and efforts in science communication.

Follow Dr. Wiles on Twitter:  @SiouxsieW
Her website is here
Some of the COVID19 cartoons with Toby Myers can be seen here.
Dr. Wiles TEDx Talk.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

While genomics approaches have opened a universe of new compounds in plants, the vast majority remain uncharacterized. Brightseed has employed an artificial intelligence platform to scan for novel compounds, with a goal to identify new chemicals that may play a role in human health.  Today’s podcast features Dr. Jim Flatt, CEO and Co-Founder of Brightseed.  He discusses the company’s pilot products and the pipeline of compounds that may enhance human health.
 
www.brightseedbio.com
 
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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Your DNA contains all of the information that makes you, you. With increasing understanding of the genetic basis of disease, the information in every cell may help anticipate, correct, or otherwise treat latent medical issues. The good news is that the cost of obtaining your personal DNA sequence is now less than the cost of a couple of concert tickets. At the same time, how is that information safeguarded? Who has access to it?  Can it be used to exclude you from insurance coverage or open the door to genetic discrimination?  Today’s guests are the CEO and CSO of Nebula Genomics.  CEO Kamal Obbad and CSO Dennis Grishin share their insights into the benefits of personalized sequencing, along with a discussion of how they mitigate risk of malicious dissemination and/or use of genetic data.

Follow Nebula Genomics on Twitter.
Follow Kamal Obbad on Twitter.
Follow Dennis Grishin on Twitter.
Here is the website for Nebula Genomics.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The COVID19 vaccines were produced in record time, an amazing feat. However, additional challenges have been revealed in their distribution.  Perhaps the most formidable barrier is the very last one– executing the vaccination.  For years anti-vaccination groups have soiled the internet and public discourse with false or exaggerated claims of vaccine dangers. They have appealed to the emotional weak spots of concerned parents and the conspiratorial leanings of fringe science and politics to forward their crooked cause. Dr. Rahul Gupta is the Chief Medical and Health Officer of March of Dimes, and organization with a commitment to child and mother health that started when the scourge of polio ravaged so many. We discuss the problem of vaccine hesitancy and philosophies to change hearts and minds over emotional influence.

March of Dimes website: www.marchofdimes.org/
Dr. Rahul Gupta: DrGuptaMD
March of Dimes:  MODTwitter

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

This week’s podcast is a dissection of another popular podcast that features self-proclaimed experts in genetic engineering (familiarly GMO), and the falsehoods they propagate. Podcasts are great conduits to spread scientific information, but non-scientific views thrive also.  It is amazing to listen to the bad information, and the participants’ willing acceptance and amplification that goes unchallenged. The episode is not mentioned by name, nor are the participants. This is not a personal criticism.  I present a point-by-point refutation of their claims to show how misinformation is propagated inside echo chambers, and the lack of critical analysis that is undertaken.  It is unfortunate, because the folks in this podcast likely have the best intentions at heart, they just don’t know anything about the topic they criticize. They then use a healthy pipeline to provide false information that confirms the biases of their audience. This is why we can’t have nice things.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

At its core, gene editing works to break gene function by creating errors in a DNA sequence at a specific location. The process works by creating a precise cut that is repaired by the cell’s repair mechanisms, and those processes can be error prone.  Those errors are the basis of the gene’s disruption.  But in a population of cells, how do you account for and catalog all of the changes?  Kevin Bloh is a research associate and a Ph.D. student with Christiana Care / University of Delaware.  He describes computational tool that help define the variation around gene edited sites. The new tools help refine cells possibly destined for research or therapeutic applications.

DECODR software link.  www.decordr.org

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

One of the major failures of addressing the COVID19 pandemic is the breakdown of testing.  The NFL and White House were able to  maintain business as usual because of daily, accurate testing. When the disease is detected, its spread can be controlled.  Jo Bhakdi of Quantgene talks about testing and how his company has scaled up testing solutions to at least apply them commercially to businesses wishing to maintain operations and protect their employees.  We talk about testing and how it may be scaled to a national level.  In the second  half we talk about early cancer detection in a blood draw, an exciting possibility that would save lives and money through the earliest possible detection of several major cancers.

Website:  https://chooseserenity.com/covid
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SameDayCOVIDTestinghttps://www.instagram.com/choose_serenity/https://twitter.com/quantgene
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/choose_serenity/
Twitter:  https://www.instagram.com/choose_serenity/https://twitter.com/quantgene

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Dr. Patrick Moore was a founding member of Greenpeace. In the years past its inception he worked tirelessly on ecological issues. Over time, he saw the group’s positions as less than scientific, leading to his defection.  Soon after he became a leading advocate for the deployment of Golden Rice, the pro-Vitamin A rice that was invented to alleviate blindness and illness caused by a missing micronutrient in the Developing World.  We discuss his roots, his efforts for Golden Rice, and conclude with his new book which addresses his controversial stance on climate change.

Follow Dr. Moore on Twitter:  @EcoSenseNow
Golden Rice Project:  www.goldenrice.org
The link to his new book

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Bananas and other tropical crops have tremendous value, not just to farmers in the Developing World, but also as products that are enjoyed widely in highly industrialized nations.  However, crops like bananas and coffee are threatened by pathogens that could severely curtail cultivation and availability. Tropic Biosciences is taking on these problems using a unique approach– using gene editing to adjust genetics in a way that attacks the pathogen without consequence in the original plant itself. Dr. Eyal Maori is the Chief Science Officer and co-founder of Tropic Biosciences, and discusses the problem and their innovative approach.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Radiation is a natural energy that constantly bombards us.  At the same time we have harnessed its power for medical imaging, therapeutics, energy and warfare.  Collateral damage from radiation exposure, even in critical therapeutic contexts, can have profound effects on cellular health and ultimately survival.  Dr. Fyodor Urnov of the University of Berkeley and the Innovative Genomics Institute is part of a team seeking to use gene editing as molecular medicine to speed recovery from radiation damage. The concept is to identify the genes that play a role in recovery, and then use gene editing strategies to temporarily excite them. The goal is to produce ways to recover from acute radiation sickness and exposure, which can have profound effects from radiotherapy to space travel.
 Follow Dr. Urnov on Twitter:  @UrnovFyodor

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The story of biotechnology’s response to the pandemic is an amazing one, and we continue coverage of these events as they arise. Today guest host Dr. Asha Brunings speaks with virus and immunology expert Dr. Brianne Baker.  They discuss various topics of immunology with respect to the virus, discussing the new variants, the new vaccines, and a deep dive in to the mechanisms of immunity to the COVID19 symptom spectrum.

Follow Dr. Barker ; @BioProfBarker
Follow Dr. Brunings: @AshaBrunings
And Dr. Barker is a co-host of the podcast This Week in Virology
 
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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Algae efficiently convert carbon dioxide into oils, and they are now being bred to generate a suite of compounds that may be synthesized into fuel and polymers that are the basis of biodegradable plastics.  Dr. Steve Mayfield is a Professor at the University of California San Diego, and the Director of the California Center for Algal Biotechnology.  His work with algae shows how this rapidly growing photosynthetic organism can generate everything from fuels to plastics, from gasoline to surfboards to veggie burgers.  Future plastics from algae promise to be biodegradable, curtailing the tremendous problem of plastic pollution.

Dr. Mayfield’s Website  Here

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Certain aggressive cancers have profound effects on lifespan and quality of life. Patient prognosis can be grim, and therapies are harsh. Dr. Dan Peer of the University of Tel Aviv leads a group that has targeted gliomas and ovarian cancer with gene editing. Specifically, lipid nanoparticles are produced that target cancer cells, and introduce gene editing hardware that specifically inactivates genes required for cell division.  The breakdown in proliferation impedes the cells’ growth.  In animal models this single-treatment approach has shown benefit in increasing lifespan and presumably quality of life.  We discuss the details of the technology and its potential translation to humans.

Peer Lab Website
Follow on Twitter:  Peer_Lab

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Consumers have many opinions about food, and are continually bombarded by information from manufacturers to self-proclaimed experts. To gauge what they really think economists formulate approaches to learn what they are thinking and how they might behave in a purchasing scenario.  Dr. Stuart Smyth has studied the interface between consumers and agricultural biotechnology.  In this episode he presents the work from his group’s recent publication that discusses how consumers ultimately feel about purchasing products with ingredients from GE crops.

Dr. Smyth’s website for SAIFood
Follow him on Twitter  @stuartsmyth66

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The COVID-19 pandemic overshadowed an incredible year of innovation in biotechnology.  Today’s podcast is a simulcast between the Science Facts and Fallacies with Cameron English and Talking Biotech.  We discuss six science stories that were true highlights of an incredible year in science, along with stories that help us understand the state of the science/society interface.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The COVID19 vaccines have the potential to squelch a dangerous pandemic. However, the public has many questions about their safety and efficacy that could limit their broad administration. Some of the questions concern the immune system, how it is affected by the vaccine, why two doses are necessary, and if the response is durable. Today’s podcast interviews Dr. Asha Brunings about the immunology of the COVID vaccine and the disease itself.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Two mRNA vaccines have been approved to lead the fight against COVID19. Both have been rapidly approved with Emergency Use Authorization, which does not build public trust. Ultimately compelling the vaccine hesitant to receive the vaccination may be the most significant hurdle in the process. The science is complete, now the challenge is public acceptance.  Today’s podcast is more detail on the vaccine, how it works, and the reasons for hesitancy.  The New England Journal of Medicine published clinical trials are described as well, along with strategies for effective communication.
 With Allison Kennedy and Dr. Asha Brunings

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Apples seem rather ubiqutous, but what we see in the stores are just a sample of the genetic diversity that is out there.  Today’s podcast discusses apple domestication and diversification with Dr. Norm Weeden.  its early history and radiation are discussed. as well as an understanding of its genomics and genetics.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Despite its essential role in the economy and food security, agriculture has lagged behind with respect to adoption of new technology. This has happened for many reasons, partially from technology companies not realizing the opportunities in agriculture, and partially from high costs, and agriculture’s adherence to current practices. Dr. Adrian Percy has been a leader in agricultural reserach innovation and venture capital. We discuss the opportunities in agriculture and the limitations to successful deployment in the newest innovation.

Follow Dr. Percy on Twitter: @adrianpercy
His podcast is here:  AgTech360 on iTunes
Follow on Twitter:  AgTech360 @AgTech360

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

mRNA vaccines have recently been in the news as an exciting potential preventative of SARS-CoV2.  The technology seems new, but has roots in the 1990’s and a long history of maturation, plagued by technical barriers and skepticism.  However, the efficacy demonstrated in clinical trials is promising, and suggests that mRNA-based strategies may have a prominent role as vaccines and therapeutics against some of our most insidious diseases.
 
Resources for this podcast:
Hilleman 1994 – a conceptual review of the potential for mRNA vaccines, predicing many of its challenges.
Kariko et al, 2005 –  This paper contains information on how mRNA may be modified to limit its inherent antigenic activity.
Schlake et al., 2012 –  A very good primer to the history and theory of mRNA vaccine development.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Technology is driving innovation on the farm, and there have been significant efforts in improving livestock.  Whether it was to produce a novel therapeutic or to solve a critical disease in animals, genetic engineering techniques have been used to target significant animal and human problems. There are many more successful innovations than commercial successes, as the regulatory climate is highly unfavorable to animal recombinant DNA technology. Dr. Mark Westhusin from Texas A&M University has been a leader in application of these tools to animal systems. In this episode we discuss the innovations, the regulations, and some of the solutions to animal agriculture problems worldwide.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Gene editing is a relatively new technology that has revolutionary applications in agriculture and medicine.  The drawback to the technology is that it typically can only be used to disrupt a deleterious gene underlying a specific trait.  Gene writing exploits a natural process in cells that allows researchers to install genes of interest, allowing replacement of damaged sequences that lead to negative health outcomes.  Dr. Geoff von Maltzahn of Tessera describes what the new technology is and its most likely applications, particularly in the area of correcting genetic disease.
 
Twitter:  Tessera @TesseraTx
Dr. Geoffrey von Maltzahn;  @GVMaltzahn

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The onion has tremendous value in culinary applications all over the world.  Where did it come from?  What are the major breeding efforts and the important traits.  Today’s podcast discusses the onion’s origin and future directions with Dr. Michael Havey, USDA-ARS/University of Wisconsin onion breeder.  He speaks of the onion’s interesting background, its surprising genome, and traits that will define the onion of the future.  A very interesting discussion of an important world food crop.

Havey Lab Website

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

On Halloween it is hard to remember that the pumpkins used for decoration are actually an important food for indigenous people of the Americas.  There are multiple species of pumpkins that originated in North and South America, and primarily used for food.  Dr. Harry Paris is a retired Senior Researcher and fruit breeder from the Volcani Center in Israel.  We discuss the origins of pumpkins, how they moved in the New World, as well as the diversity and uses for this important fruit.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Gene editing moved quickly from the lab to application, so fast that the public is unsure how to think about it.  We can cure disease, but are we playing with the natural order of things? These are questions that philosophers and ethicists wrestle with every day.  in this week’s podcast we discuss the recent events in germline gene editing and how it is perceived by the public and by scientists.

Follow Dr. Gyngell’s group:  @Berg_MCRI

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

This week two scientists pioneering gene editing won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.  Days later, a group of perennial naysayers gathered to denounce the technology.  Gene editing is a revolutionary technology that already has had amazing effects on medicine and some applications in agriculture. The potential is limitless.  But this new technology can install precise changes in genes, emulating natural mutations. They also cannot be detected, at least discernably from naturally-occurring mutations.  This threatens the anti-GMO movement and its many tentacles, especially the Non-GMO Project, an organization that profits from brokering fear around safe food. These new technologies will evade their detection, making their meaningless label even more meaningless.  The “esteemed panel” is composed of individuals that have been fighting technology for years. I play their roundtable discussion, and provide my commentary in real time, illuminating their deception, their disinformation, and tactics to create fear, uncertainty and doubt around a good technology.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 Digestive cancers are among the most common and deadly cancers in the world, comprising metastases of the colon, esophagus, stomach and rectum.   These all share some cellular commonalities, namely the presentation of a molecular signature that can now be a target for engineered therapies.  Dr. Adam Snook has been studying the fingerprints of gastric cancers and developing gene therapy approaches that target cancer cells.  He discusses the technology, and describes how it works, and how the technology has changed in response to new findings. Dr. Snook provides a forward-thinking and hopeful view of how this technology may soon provide a needed therapy against common cancers.

Follow Dr. Snook on Twitter:  @adamsnookphd
Dr. Snook’s website is here.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Dr. Cami Ryan has examined the social factors that underlie decisions.  Today these human tendencies are critical to understand, as everyone is bombarded by information through social media.  How do issues like misinformation and disinformation erode the trust of scientific authorities?  How do scientists and farmers, the experts, grab a piece of the pie in the new attention economy?  Time is a commodity in short supply, and Dr. Ryan provides insight into how we can maximize our time in communicating science.

Follow Dr. Ryan on Twitter:  @CamiDRyan
Here’s Cami’s website:

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 The human immunodeficiency virus remains prevalent in the population, yet it as silently moved out of the public’s consciousness, overshadowed by COVID19 and drug cocktails that can control its progression.   Over the last three decades great progress has been made in understanding the virus and how it interacts with cells.  This, plus the identification of genetic determinants of resistance to HIV have presented researchers with new drug targets. These may represent future therapies and perhaps cures.  Today’s guest is Dr. Luca Vangelista from Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan. His research examines a protein receptor called CCR5 that is a critical player in the HIV infection cycle.
 
Dr. Vangelista’s recent review may be accessed here.
Here is Dr. Vangelista’s website.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Sepsis is an infection of the blood.  It can be critical and life threatening, and can complicate other co-morbidities.  One of the main problems is that a number of bacterial and fungal pathogens can cause a septic state, so physicians are tasked with rapid identification of specific pathogens to render the most appropriate method of care. Unfortunately this usually involves broad treatments with multiple antibiotics and antifungals, as tests to identify discrete pathogens can take days.  Dr. Alon Singer is the CEO of Helixbind.  They have developed a new technology that allows rapid detection of bloodborne pathogens, eclipsing many of the barriers that previously led to longer detection times and greater patient risk.
 
More information at www.helixbind.com

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Indoor air contains a variety of harmful compounds.  We invite many of these compounds into our homes in electronics, and others occur spontaneously from our water supply, and as homes become more energy efficient and dependent on air conditioning, these chemicals concentrate in our homes.  Dr. Stuart Strand of the University of Washington explains what they are and their relative risk.  He also describes a solution– plants genetically engineered to scrub these molecules from the indoor atmosphere.  A variety of plants have been engineered to remove these molecules, including pothos ivy and tobacco, and he is setting his sights on crop plants that could affect the molecules that contribute to climate change.

The work needs additional sponsors.  Even a small donation to the University of Washington Foundation can help this research continue.

Look for more details on the Plants Enhanced Facebook page.
You also can donate directly to the program at the University of Washington here.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

This week’s guest is the host!  It was important to discuss communication tips during a pandemic, especially around popular myths and news stories involving COVID19.  Kevin Folta provides counterarguments to today’s most prevalent claims around hydroxychloroquine, disease incidence, and the flu shot.  It also marks five years since the New York Times story that portrayed Folta as a corporate patsy.  While many aspects of his research and communications efforts thrive today, this deliberate act of cancel-culture now diminishes his impact in other arenas, such as discussing COVID19. This is a rallying cry for more scientists and science enthusiasts to engage the public with science communication.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Florida is the canary in the coalmine for mosquito-transmitted disease in the USA.  The Florida Keys are especially vulnerable.  Traffic through this sensitive string of islands allows infected insects to be rapidly vectored to other areas of the keys, as well as to the mainland.  Over the last decade there have been notable incidents of Zika, Chikunguna, Denge and other mosquito-borne diseases. Over the same time a self-limiting mosquito technology has been developed by Oxitec. The mosquitoes have been programmed with genetic changes that render the next generation unable to develop, and it has been extremely successful in Brazil and other locations. The technology is now poised for release in the keys and has received all needed approvals. Today’s podcast speaks with Meredith Fensom, the Head of Global Public Affairs with Oxitec. She discusses the technology, the release in Florida, and its potential risks and benefits.

Here’s Oxitec’s website for the Florida Keys   — There are MANY resources here on this page, too much to list. If you have questions you’ll find an answer here. And of course, I’m always glad to answer your questions.  - Kevin
 
# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Penguins are charismatic, flightless, diving birds.  While typically associated only with Antarctica, their center of origin, radiation and speciation has been widely debated.  Dr. Juliana Vianna is part of an Antarctica Genomics Group at the Catholic University of Chile.  Her team has analyzed the genomes of penguins and compared it against other data, including the fossil record. They have provided new information to inform our understanding of the evolution and distribution of this interesting group of birds.

Follow Dr. Vianna on Twitter here.  @Ju_A_Vianna
Link to the paper in PNAS

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Most experts agree that the COVID19 pandemic will not end until a vaccine is available.  But traditionally, vaccines take a decade to develop and test.  The crisis has ignited efforts from over 130 companies, all racing to develop vaccines to render the population immune to the virus.  One exciting new development is the mRNA vaccine, a case where humans are injected with the genetic material of the virus, that ignites an immune response. The advantage of these vaccines is that they are easy to manufacture and quick to test. Boston Magazine Senior Editor Catherine Elton has followed the development of these vaccines, particularly from the company Moderna.  They moved from RNA sequence to human trials in only 43 days demonstrating the speed by which these new strategies may be employed.  We discuss the discoveries and the regulatory hurdles, along with public perception in what appears to be a rapid way to immunize large populations.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

A number of strange, devastating and lethal diseases are caused by prions. The most famous of these disorders in animals is Bovine Spongiform Encelapathy,  or “Mad Cow Disease”. Unlike other infectious agents like viruses, bacteria or fungi, prion-based diseases are caused by a misfolding of proteins resident in the body.  Essentially, this is your own chemistry turning against itself.  In this week’s podcast I speak with Dr. Cassandra Terry from London Metropolitan University.  She speaks about prion related diseases, their causes, and how what is learned from prions has illuminated an understanding of other complex neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson Disease.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 Male cattle (bulls) convert feed calories to weight gain more efficiently than females (cows). If more bulls could be put into beef production, the process would be even more sustainable. Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam and her research team attempted a clever trick to skew the ratio of males to females in cattle offspring.  Sex determination in mammals is driven mostly by a single gene on the Y chromosome. So what if this gene was duplicated elsewhere in the genome?  Using CRISPR gene editing, this is exactly what they did.  “Cosmo” the bull should produce 75% male offspring. Dr. Van Eenennaam talks about the gene, its  mechanism of action, the process of editing a bull’s genome, and the regulatory climate around gene-edited beef.

Dr. Van Eenennaam on Twitter:  @Biobeef
Dr. Van Eenennaam’s website here.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

In 2001 the Earth Liberation Front bombed the office of Dr. Toby Bradshaw at the University of Washington.  The damage was massive, especially toward non-targeted labs.  This is a great story of how misguided activism can have damaging collateral effects, and work against the efforts of scientists that are performing great work for people and a planet.

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Most organisms on earth evolved under constant intervals of light and darkness. The regular intervals led to the evolution of internal clocks that are trained by the light/dark patterns, and condition responses from gene expression to higher physiology and morphology.  Dr. Eva Farre of Michigan State University has a notable career in circadian rhythm research in plants. Today she joins the podcast to discuss the value of an internal oscillator to fitness, trait presentation and domestication. We also discuss the fundamental nature of chemistry that controls timing. Co-hosted by Michigan State University graduate student Miles Roberts.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Dr. Alan McHughen has been a leader in biotechnology education for decades, and has served in public academic research as well as an advisor to the State Department in the Obama Administration.  He has assembled a book about DNA, the basics of DNA biology and some of the modern applications from ancestry to biotechnological solutions. We have a discussion about the content of DNA Demystified.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The documentary space is littered with videos that misrepresent science, especially around agriculture. Dr. Hidde Boersma is a trained scientist that has taken up the mantle of making high-quality documentary films and other media to tell the real story, without the hyperbole and fear found in most video efforts.  The plan now is to tell the story of the activist and attorney assault on glyphosate.  Glyphosate is perhaps one of the safest agricultural chemicals, used without incident for over 40 years and reviewed extensively by the world’s foremost regulatory bodies.  Since 2014 the compound has been targeted by those wishing to end its use, as well as profit massively from malicious lawsuits that ignore the real science. Dr. Boersma seeks to create a film to tell this story and is soliciting donations to make it happen. Please consider supporting his efforts, as his budget is reasonable and he does a great production with minimal support.

Donate to Make the Film Here.
Visit Sugar Rush Films Here  You can contribute directly to the project and see his other excellent work
Dr. Hidde Boersma on Twitter:  @Hiddemhigh

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Analysis of populations of animals can be problematic, especially when individuals of different species share similar visual characteristics. Dr. Melinda Baerwald has developed a field-friendly way to identify individual species with great sensitivity and specificity, without a complicated DNA prep or temperature cycling equipment.  The application of the SHERLOCK method was used to monitor populations of endangered species in Northern California. She describes the application of the assay and its application.

Follow Dr. Baerwald on Twitter:  @MelindaBaerwald

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Dr. Ilaria Capua is one of the world’s most prominent virologists, and a Professor at the University of Florida and the Director of the One Health Center of Excellence.  In this week’s podcast she updates us on the current state of COVID19 with some important philosophical approaches as to how we should think about the virus. In the second half we discuss her new book, Circular Health, a concept that focuses on the interconnectivity between human actions and outcomes.

Her book is available here.
Follow her on Twitter at @IlariaCapua

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Today’s podcast marks five complete years of podcast episodes, and there’s no better guest than someone on the Mount Rushmore of plant genetic engineering.  We’re joined today by Dr. Robb Fraley, who was at ground zero of the first transformed plants.  He recalls the race to transform plants, his time as a leader in the Monsanto company, and his vision for the future.

Follow Dr. Fraley on Twitter:  @RobbFraley

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Aflatoxin is a natural poison emitted by several species of fungi. They infect grain, and exploit insect damage.  Millions of people are affected by these toxins that invade world food staples, mostly with a higher incidence of specific cancers, like liver cancer.  IITA is an organization committed to improving food staples in the developing world.  Dr. Ranjit Bandyopadhyay and his team have discovered a fungal species that out-competes the toxic species, and is being distributed under the Aflasafe label.  This product has great potential in assisting in food security and long term public health goals.  Co-Hosted by Chalese Brown.
 
* Website: www.aflasafe.com that also carries an e-newsletter, ATTC News
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Aflasafe/
* Twitter: https://twitter.com/aflasafe

We’re also on:
* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCux7qcOzLELrE5D3aD0c4ow
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aflasafe
* SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-280541779
* SlideShare: https://www.slideshare.net/Aflasafe
 
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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Today’s podcast starts with answering your questions, covering biodynamic farming, cover crops and my financial transparency.  The second part discusses a battle between sensitivity to endangered species and farmers’ freedom to operate.  Environmental policy designed to protect a regional fish species has called for strangling limitations on water use for farmers in the Klamath River Basin in Northern California and Oregon. To protect the fish, farmers will lose this year’s crop, and family businesses are threatened.  Ben DuVal is a farmer in the region, farming land handed down from his grandfather. He discusses the situation, the history of the restrictions, and how farmers have continued to do more with less– but can’t do anymore on only 7% of the needed water. It is important to understand what our agricultural producers face, as well as effects on families and national food security.

WEBSITE:  ShutDownFedUp.org
Twitter Hashtag:  #ShutDownFedUp

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Vance Crowe has a background that shifted between the Peace Corps in Kenya, a deckhand on an ecotourism ship, and a position with the World Bank. All had a common thread of situational communication and unique challenges.  The biggest challenge came as an opportunity to work for Monsanto as the Director of Millennial Engagement. Vance discusses work inside the company, as well as his experiences with company culture and objectives. He also discusses his time since serving in that role, working to help train agriculture professionals in effective communication. He brings a wealth of information and advice to fellow communicators, and shares his passions of connecting people with credible information.

Vance Crowe on Twitter – @VanceCrowe
Vance’s podcast is here.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Throughout the COVID19 pandemic we have heard various opinions about wearing face coverings and protective masks. Some see them as critical components of public health. Others see them as a senseless violation of their personal freedom, and claim the masks have absolutely no effect on infectious disease. This week’s podcast is an interview with a world expert, Dr. Raina MacIntyre of the Kirby Institute. She is a leading scholar in the area of PPE and public health and infectious disease, and has been involved in many studies, including comparisons of different kinds of masks, their use, and compliance in disease transmission.
 
Follow the Talking Biotech Podcast on iTunes
Closing theme is Sleepwalk by Santo and Johnny (1959)
 
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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Leah McGrath is a Registered Dietitian with a great presence in social media. She is the corporate dietitian for a major grocery chain, and has had an important role in shaping the messaging around the multitude of food issues. She has been instrumental in debunking bad information in social media space.  In this podcast we discuss how the COVID19 crisis has reshaped shopping and consumption patterns, some maybe for the better.
 
Follow Leah on Twitter: @LeahMcGrathRD

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

From the dawn of the pandemic there  has been a notable rise in false information that clouds public perception and harms trust in scientific guidance.  To remedy this situation it is critical that we step into conversations with the best possible information.  Dr. Natalie Dean is a biostatistican that studies emerging infectious disease at the University of Florida. In this episode we discuss the current situation, the reporting of statistics, the current trends, and then answer questions from social media. The intent is to provide you with accurate information from the world’s foremost authorities so that you may engage critical conversations with confidence.

Follow Dr. Dean on Twitter: @nataliexdean
And her website is here.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The wartime response of the Manhattan Project streamlined production of weapons to revolve World War II.  The plan involved massive redundancy, streamlining and parallelization of approaches to ensure the most rapid progress in technology development.  Dr. Hannu Rajaniemi of HelixNano called for the development of a Vaccine Manhattan Project in a recent article on Medium, suggesting a pathway to widespread immunization in six months, and at a fraction of the cost of sustained shutdown or consumer reluctance to participate in the economy. He examines the current state of the pandemic, the proposed methods of mitigation, and what the path to a vaccine in six months might look like.

Dr. Hannu Rajaniemi on Twitter – @Hannu

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Weeds are a tremendous problem in agriculture, costing farmers billions a year in crop loss and the cost of control.  In Europe one of the critical weeds is black grass, which causes great losses in wheat and other grass crops.  However, little is known about this weed, especially the molecular basis of herbicide resistance. Dr. Dana MacGregor came to the daunting task of attacking the molecular biology of a non-model organism. She has applied an ambitious toolbox from basic science to an aggressive agricultural pest.  You can genuinely sense her passions in how to solve problems that matter using the tools of basic biology.

Follow Dr. MacGregor on Twitter:  @plantenv
Dr. MacGregor’s laboratory website is here.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Cattle are currently used for meat, milk, hide products and as work animals.  Where did they come from?  Who are the wild relatives?  Dr. Hans Lenstra from the Utrecht University describes the domestication of cattle, their radiation throughout the world, and the traits that humans have selected.  We discuss the current state of genomics as well as how genomic selection, artificial insemination and gene editing might influence the future of cattle production.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Western Africa holds many nations of substantial population and an emerging economies.  The nation has recently approved the use of the Bt cowpea to farm without applied insecticide, and with the new technology comes the need to ensure that it is used correctly.  Today’s podcast features Francis Onyekachi, Program Officer, West African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF).  AATF helps with training farmers around the proper stewardship practices and connecting them with national extension experts.  He describes the infrastructure that came with deregulation of the cowpea, and describes how the country’s regulators and oversight agencies will work with them to ensure successful application.

Hosted by Modesta Abugu.
Modesta on Twitter:   @modestannedi
AATF Website here.
AATF Twitter: @aatfafrica
Frances Onyekachi on Twitter: @FrancisOnyek3

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The meta-analysis is traditionally considered to be a high synthesis of extant scientific literature. Their implicit power places them in headlines and they are used to sway policy and reshape fields of research.  However, over the past three decades there has been an explosion in meta-analyses. There are many reasons for this increase, but like everything, as more people are involved, we see a tendency toward abuse of the instrument. There is a trend toward inappropriate comparisons, statistical massaging, and overstepping of data to draw sensational conclusions. Today’s guest is Dr. Geoffrey Kabat, he’s a senior researcher and epidemiologist that has been critical of headline-grabbing syntheses that are rife with author bias, mis-integration of data, and inappropriate comparisons. Dr. Kabat talks about the problem, its effects, and poses some solutions for researchers and other science consumers.

Follow Dr. Kabat on Twitter:  @GeoKabat
Also at geoffreykabat.com

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

In this special edition of the Talking Bitotech Podcast Dr. Kevin Folta covers recent topics in COVID19.  These topics are pulled from the headlines and distilled to that you can better communicate the current state of this health crisis.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Grafting is an age-old practice of connecting a set of roots to an aerial portion of a separate plant.  Together they typically exhibit enhanced productivity, disease resistance, or other trait that makes grafting a useful practice.  But why does it work? How does it work? What happens at the cells in the junction where different plants collide?  Dr. Charles Melnyk from the Swedish Agricultural University sheds light on this mysterious process.  We cover the history, applications, and what’s happening at the interface of two very different biologies uniting as one.

Follow Dr. Melnyk on Twitter: @CharlesMelnyk

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

As of 3/11/2020 COVID-19 is emerging as a significant health threat worldwide.  This pandemic is on the rise, and public health suffers from politicized spin, misinformation, and a lack of good information.  This episode is targeted to the Talking Biotech listener that can connect with family and friends, sharing the facts of this outbreak.   Today’s guest is Dr. ChubbyEmu, the YouTube physician that has been at ground zero in discussing the coronavirus outbreak.  We dig a layer deeper into the disease, its physical manifestations, and the current state of the disease as it spreads into the USA.

Watch ChubbyEmu on YouTube
Follow ChubbyEmu on Twitter
 
# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Seasonal influenza causes thousands of deaths annually.  Part of the problem is that the vaccine must be administered annually because the virus presents different immunological faces to avoid detection.  Dr. Peter Palese is a pioneer in studying the molecular biology of the influenza viruses.  Today he and colleagues are on a quest to identify a universal flu vaccine that would provide one-time durable immunity.  We discuss the strategies and progress toward this public health milestone.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Plants produce a variety of oils, many that are critical to the human diet.  The precise chemical qualities of plant oils dictate its stability, use, nutrient quality, or even its use as fuel.  Dr. Surinder Singh is an expert in plant oils at CSIRO, the Australian National Research Laboratory.  His laboratory has been working on projects in a variety of crops to improve the oil quality for human nutrition, but also as a potential fuel.  Such efforts provide a renewable and more sustainable source of valuable oils, taking pressure off of fisheries and carbon-intensive practices.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The gene editing explosion has accelerated discovery, food and therapies by defining a new toolbox of useful ways to manipulate DNA.  The “Cas” series of enzymes are the core machinery of the editing process, and now scientists are identifying new molecules that inhibit these molecular scissors. Dr. Joseph Bondy-Denomy rides at the front edge of this discovery, and his program is characterizing the naturally-occurring factors in a bacteria/virus arms race that play a role in modulating Cas activity.

Follow Dr. Bondy-Denomy on Twitter: @joebondydenomy
The Bondy-Denomy Lab website:  Here.
 
Conclusion music is Sleepwalk by Santo and Johnny, 1959.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

In the first part of today’s podcast Dr. Kayleen Schreiber and Jon Entine discuss the latest addition to the Genetic Literacy Project, a website called the Global Gene Editing Regulation Tracker.  This online resource provides instant access to the current state of gene editing approvals, along with information on gene drives and other important regulatory updates.  In the second half Dr. Bernadine Strik remembers her colleague Dr. Chad Finn.  Dr. Finn contributed in massive ways to plant breeding, particularly in the development of new berry varieties for the Pacific Northwest.  He also shared a tremendous interest in service to his community and to the scientific community, and was invested in students and the development of others. He was everyone’s friend. He left us suddenly and unexpectedly and leaves a palpable gap in our community. Dr. Strik memorializes his contributions and character.

The Global Gene Editing Tracker can be found here.
Follow the Genetic Literacy Project
Follow Dr. Kayleen Schreiber
Follow Jon Entine
Follow Dr. Bernadine Strik

The music in the conclusion is Sleepwalk by Santo and Johnny (1959)

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 Dr. Ilaria Capua is an internationally recognized virologist, and a world expert in avian influenza and other animal viruses.  Following her effort to make genetic information about viruses more accessible in the interest of finding faster cures, she was unknowingly put under investigation, as she was central in moving viral information and samples to colleagues worldwide.  Wire taps and clandestine evidence gathering filled a file, that eventually would be discovered, leaked and maliciously reinterpreted, alleging that Dr. Capua was the mastermind of an international virus trafficking ring. She was accused in the media, without evidence, of providing viruses for others to spread so that she could profit from vaccines produced. These false allegations left her facing life in prison. Years later the charges were completely dismissed as manufactured claims by the media. However, the events were life changing. Today Dr. Capua has channeled her energies into broadening science education, and continuing her outstanding work as a virologist. In the second half of the podcast she provides her expert interpretation of the 2019 nCov Coronavirus outbreak, its origin, risks and concerns.

Follow Dr. Capua on Twitter
Dr. Capua’s Website
This is a link to a documentary on Dr. Capua (Italian with English subtitles)
This is a link to Dr. Capua’s books (in Italian, English version coming)
Also the hashtag #BeautifulScience
Support the podcast on Patreon.  Every cent invested in improving science outreach.

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The American Society of Plant Biologists is the largest professional society for plant biologists.  Dr. Mary Williams discusses some of the ways that ASPB can mentor young scientists, develop careers, partake in ambassador programs, interact with others, and learn communication skills.  Hosted by Modesta Abugu.

Mary Williams on Twitter: @PlantTeaching
Modesta Abugu on Twitter: @modestannedi

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Like many areas of science, the early days of genomics quickly became a male-dominated discipline.  While more women were earning advanced degrees and training in this area, fewer were finding a place in faculty and other leadership positions.  Dr. Kellye Eversole and others developed a group to advance networking channels, provide career advice, and relay funding opportunities with the interest in connecting women scientists with others in genomics.  For over twenty years this organization has helped to raise opportunities for women in genomics, especially early-career scientists.  Their support has helped accelerate the careers of many women in science. Hosted by Modesta Abugu.

www.womeningenomics.org
On Twitter follow #womeningenomics
Follow Modesta Abugu on Twitter
 
The Talking Biotech Podcast is produced and funded by Kevin Folta outside of business hours.   The information provided is that of the hosts, guests and producer, and is in no way intended to reflect the views of the University of Florida, its administration, faculty, staff, or students. 

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Cassava is a staple food crop in Africa and Asia, yet is widely unknown by the industrialized world.  While almost a billion people depend on this crop, production is limited by a series of diseases, and it also lacks critical nutrients that could help reverse local deficiencies. Dr. Chiedozie Egesi is a scientist dedicated to cassava improvement. He discusses the crop, the challenges to growth, and how biotechnology solutions could help facets of production.  They also discuss some of the recent momentum in biotech adoption in Africa.  Hosted by Modesta Abugu.

Follow Dr. Egesi
Website
Twitter
Follow Modesta Abugu on Twitter

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

I’ve dreaded this day.  I have not missed a Saturday in a long time, but after being told to end the series by the institution I have not been able to find someone that can do the work to host the podcast on a weekly basis.

I hope that those that complained to the university feel good about their accomplishment.  And it is people that claim to be friends of science, BTW.

Right now the most prudent move is to go on a hiatus. I need time to regroup. My feeling is that I’m just going to come back, continue the podcast, and navigate the consequences.

It does not make it easy.

Sharing science is my passion and communicating the truths and deciphering the evidence is more critical than ever.  It is a shame I work for an institution that does not share that view.
 
Please do not unsubscribe yet.  Stand by. I should know more about the fate of this vehicle by the end of January.

Thank you for listening to the Talking Biotech Podcast, and I’ll talk to you soon.  Thank you.
Kevin
  
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Kenya is an emerging economy and has significant investment in advanced technologies.  However, a 2013 ban on biotech crops has limited farmer access to the most needed technologies for the field.  That moratorium is finally being lifted, as biotech cotton has been approved and will be available to farmers in 2020.  Farmers recognize the potential for Bt cotton to reduce or eliminate dependence on the insecticides currently required for production.  Today’s guest is Daniel Magondu, Chairman of the Society of Biotech Farmers of Kenya.  The episode is hosted by Modesta Abugu, a graduate student studying tomato improvement.

Follow Modesta Abugu on Twitter: @modestannedi
About the Society of Biotech Farmers in Kenya (SOBIFAK)

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Dr. Stuart Smyth is no stranger to anyone that has watched social media.  As a leading ag economist he has consistently represented science and technology fairly and accurately, and tethered to his prolific publication of books and scholarly publication, he is a visible influencer in scientific and social media circles.  In today’s podcast we discuss his views on risks and benefits of GE crops, the rules of the EU and his home country of Canada.  We discuss the future of new technology, and made a few predictions about the next decade.

Follow Dr. Smyth on Twitter:  @stuartsmyth66
His website at University of Saskatchewan:  Is here!

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The cowpea is a high-protein food staple in parts of Africa, particularly in the growing countries of Nigeria, Niger, and Burkina-Fasso. Production is predominantly on small holder farms.  Production is threatened by the pod borer, the larvae of a moth referred to as Maruca, that limits yields and causes farmers to apply large amounts of insecticide to protect their crops.  Dr. TJ Higgins and his team from CSIRO have worked with African scientists to develop a Bt-expressing cowpea.  These lines produce the protein that targets maruca larvae, decreasing insecticide use and producing higher yields in field trials. This innovation is now available to Nigerian farmers and represents a major step forward in sustainability and food security.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

There is a massive amount of human genomic DNA sequence data, and it is now possible to identify correlates with specific disease, drug sensitivity and physiological variation.  The concept of “genomic medicine” or “precision medicine” is that therapeutic interventions are guided by genetic information.  In today’s podcast we speak with Dr. Julie Johnson.  Dr. Johnson is a Dean and Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy at the University of Florida.  She outlines what precision medicine is, along with some of its strengths and limitations, as well as some predictions of new approaches on the horizon to improve delivery of specific therapies.  Co-hosted by Dr. Karla Claudio.

The views and opinions of this podcast do not necessarily those of the University of Florida, its faculty or students, and it is produced entirely separately from the university with all funding provided personally by Kevin Folta

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 Nitrogen is essential for crop growth.  That reality has led to intensive crop fertilization using nitrogen fixed through the Haber-Bosch process, which has energy costs in production and transport.  At the same time there are well known examples of nitrogen-fixing bacteria associated with plants, as well as some that colonize within the plant itself.  Can these naturally occurring bacteria actually be used within the plant to assist in the nitrogen fixation process?  Nolan Berg joins the podcast from Azotics, a company with a pioneer product.  This bacterial strain lives within the plant, fixing nitrogen and limiting the need for exogenous application.

Visit the Azotic North America website here.
Follow Azotic North America on Twitter:  @AzoticNA

The views and opinions of this podcast do not necessarily those of the University of Florida, its faculty or students, and it is produced entirely separately from the university with all funding provided personally by Kevin Folta

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

While the country of Australia has been growing genetically-engineered crops for over 15 years, the state of South Australia has banned their use.  This moratorium has been in place since 2004, and requires farmers to shift to alternative crop protection strategies that often have a significant yield penalty. Recent changes in political representation in the region appeared to be more farmer friendly, and many felt that change was coming. Unfortunately, local activists connected to Green Party representatives in Parliament, were able to derail efforts to end the moratorium. Today’s podcast meets with Caroline Rhodes, CEO of Grain Producers South Australia.  She describes the rationale behind the ban, the effects, and next steps to ensure seed sovereignty. Ultimately this is a case of restricting farmer choice, and a look into the playbook of how to manipulate politicians with fear, uncertainty and doubt.

Follow this story:  @GrainProducerSA
Follow Caroline Rhodes: @bespoke_rural
The song “A Little Help From GM” played can be heard here:

The views and opinions of this podcast do not necessarily those of the University of Florida, its faculty or students, and it is produced entirely separately from the university with all funding provided personally by Kevin Folta

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The genomics era has generated tremendous data sets, yet the information they reveal is limited by the human biases that search them.  Are there ways to examine complex data sets for hidden patterns that can unearth new perspectives in biology?  This is the role of machine learning, and the patterns form the basis of artificial intelligence that then executes new tasks.  While these concepts seem difficult to fathom, Dr. Gabe Musso makes them understandable, and describes the ways they may be applied in contemporary contexts.

The BioSymetrics website is here
The BioSymetrics Twitter feed is here.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

There is an unfortunate side to egg production.  Only female chickens produce eggs, so layers are selected at hatching.  Chicks are sexed with a vent inspection. Females are kept for egg production.  Males live a short ride down a conveyor into a chipper, where they are instantly killed.  This practice raises ethical and practical questions.  Dr. Nigel Urwin and his collaborators devised a way to identify the sex of eggs before hatching, allowing male eggs to be saved for direct consumption or vaccine manufacture. The concept is brilliant yet unfortunately stalled.  It is a great solution to an important problem with interesting  ethical edges.
 
The Original Article in The Guardian

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Michele Payn is a much sought after speaker, author and podcast host.  She has introduced the third book in her trilogy, this one about the phenomenon of others taking issue with someone’s food choices.  The book, aptly titled “Food Bullying”, explores the social-psychological basis of food bullying as well as important issues in agriculture that conjure the response. She presents an important snapshot of the current state of food discussions, as food is not just something we eat, it is the basis of a much deeper connection to social status and group identity.

Michele’s website
Follow Michele on Twitter: @mpaynspeaker
Purchase the book at her site here
Find the book on Amazon here

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Can we use genetic engineering to help the body’s immune system target cancer cells?  This is exactly what happens with CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor) T-cell therapy.  CAR-T cells are T-cells, immune cells of the body that are reprogrammed to identify specific surface signatures that define specific types of cancer cells.  It allows these immune agents to seek and destroy cancer cells with great accuracy and with fewer side effects to traditional chemotherapy or radiation.  While in their infancy, these techniques show great promise for future therapies. Today’s guest is Dr. Joe Fraietta, a leader in CAR-T cell solutions.  He explains how the technology works, describes its applications and future uses.
 
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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The Impossible Burger is meat alternative that gets its meat-like qualities from a combination of plant-based ingredients, plus “meatiness” from a biotech-derived product. There is a lot of discussion about the product, and the internet has even questioned the safety of the biotechnology steps used in its creation.  This episode discusses the Impossible Burger with Dr. Chana Davis, a scientist familiar with the product.  We discuss questions about meat alternatives, processed food, and if this truly is a vegetable replacement.  We also share thoughts on the future of food and if everything will someday be derived from a manufacturing process.

Follow Dr. Davis on Twitter:
The Fueled by Science Facebook Page
Her blog, Fueled by Science

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Cotton production is massive, but mostly used for fiber. The cotton seed is a tremendous potential resource as it contains high amounts of oil and high-quality protein.  However, the seeds are not directly edible by most mammals because they contain a toxic chemical called gossypol.  Gossypol is a terpenoid that the plant produces as a natural insecticide.  A team led by Dr. Keerti Rathore at Texas A&M University has worked for decades to produce cottonseed without gossypol. The plants have now been approved for production by USDA-APHIS and the FDA.  The technology may now be used to produce new cotton lines that generate massive amounts of high-protein seed, leading to new human food and animal feed, ultimately benefitting farmers, the environment and the food insecure.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The Farm Babe Michelle Miller is a farmer, speaker, columnist and blogger that advocates for agricultural producers, and seeks to better connect consumers to agricultural reality.  She recently attended Farm Aid, the annual concert event that originally was held to provide funding to struggling farmers in the 1980’s.  Since then farming has become even more challenging, but Farm Aid has seemed to shift its focus to more political causes than direct farmer assistance. Michelle reports what she experienced at a recent Farm Aid concert and its associated press conference. It is clear that they have minimal interest in supporting large “factory” producers and are focusing on practices and production techniques that are more compatible with a specific agenda about food.

Follow Michelle on Twitter:  @TheFarmBabe
And her website.

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Nitrogen is a reality of growing plants, and must be supplied to maximize crop yields.  At the same time our atmosphere is >70% nitrogen that is not usable by plants in its atmospheric form.  Humans have devised processes to “fix” nitrogen into plant usable forms, but they require energy and the products need to be transported, both leading to a substantial carbon footprint.  A number of microbes naturally fix nitrogen, yet do not form good associations with all plants.  Joyn Bio is a collaborative effort by a number of companies in chemistry and synthetic biology. Their CEO Dr. Michael Mille talks about efforts to engineer microbes that can form tight associations with crop plants and fix the nitrogen they need.  These strategies seek to lower the carbon footprint of farming, at the same time limiting nitrogen pollution by producing it directly in association with the plant that needs it.

The JoynBio website
Follow Joyn Bio on Twitter at @JoynBio

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Dr. David Zaruk has become the foremost authority on the questionable practices within the IARC and their decision-making process.  Over the last several years he has taken a key point position in interpreting the IARC’s 2015 decision and the political landscape around the agricultural chemical glyphosate.  While controversy swirls, he brings it back to reality with deep dissections of the politics involved in the IARC guidance and other regulatory decisions. He has paid a personal and professional price for telling the truth. He is undoubtedly the leader in communicating the facts about the activist assault on science, reason, and a low-toxicity agricultural chemical.

Dr. Zaruk’s website.
Follow Dr. Zaruk on Twitter:  @zaruk

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The tiny mosquito is a nuisance in the industrialized world, yet around the world it is a ruthless killer, spreading blood-borne diseases that bring about pain and suffering, particularly in developing nations.  In many regions these are invasive species with little to no ecological role. For years scientists have used “sterile insect technique” to control them, a process that treats sexually compatible insects with radiation, rendering them infertile.  The low-fertility insects are released into the wild and crash problematic populations. The Oxitec company has a genetic solution.  Mosquitoes have been genetically engineered to contain a lethal gene that can be turned off in the laboratory with a simple chemical.  Upon release, these mosquitoes breed against target populations, spreading the lethal gene, and leaving the next generation inviable.  The process creates a reproductive dead end.  While amazingly successful, these trials have suffered from a lack of public acceptance.  This week an article in Scientific Reports from a credible lab introduced language that bred fear, uncertainty and doubt in the Oxitec approach.  This unwarranted speculation was then amplified and exaggerated by the credulous anti-biotech media, further eroding public perception.  In this episode I spoke with Dr. Kelly Matsen, Research and Development and Operations lead at Oxitech.  She described the experiments in question, the actual results, the published paper, and how Oxitech’s technology actually has worked in field releases.

The Oxitec Website
Follow Oxitec on Twitter, @Oxitec
Link to the EPA Public Comment Period on Mosquito Release

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Dr. Elisabeth Bik is a hero. Classically trained with plenty of lab-bench expertise, today she patrols the best scientific literature in search for plagiarism and image manipulation.  Her expert eye identifies manipulated images in our best scientific publications, including the revered science weekly journals that present allegedly breakthrough work. Dr. Bik talks about her path to become a publication sleuth, a high-resolution machine with an eye for things that just don’t look right. She talks about her work, its repercussions and how pervasive plagiarism and image manipulation are in contemporary science.

Please follow her on Twitter.  @MicrobiomDigest
And her blog: Microbiome Digest

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

While HIV incidence has remained stable in the industrialized world, the virus is still transmitted in the Developing World.  The development of methods of prophylaxis are critical to disease containment, yet moving products into affected areas is not practical or affordable.  Dr. Evangelia Vamvaka was part of a team that placed anti-HIV proteins into rice.  The rice produced a transgenic protein that inhibited the virus, and did so with great efficacy in the presence of other compounds from the plant.  The rice can be ground to a powder and potentially be used as an HIV preventative wherever rice is grown. Co-hosted by Lethbridge Canada high school student Michelle Wu.

The original paper in PNAS
Follow Dr. Vamvaka on Twitter: @VamvakaEv

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Australia has welcomed the use of genetically engineered crops, and farmers have found particular benefit from broad acre canola and cotton cultivation. However, the benefits were not realized by some states because of local moratoriums imposed by state governments. Farmers in South Australia grow wheat, canola and pulses, along with wine grapes, olives and other horticultural crops.  They would like the option to grow GE canola, as it may offer some benefits. More importantly, new technologies in gene editing may permit rapid response to new threats as well as tackle current issues in drought, frost, and pathogens. Fortunately, a science-minded change in government has led to discussion of removing the ban.  I speak with four agricultural leaders from the Grain Producers SA, a non-profit organization coordinating grower advocacy and communications. With Tanya Morgan, Adrian McCabe (@AdrianMcCabe6), Wade Dabinette and Dion Woolford (@rudigermaxpower).

Twitter:  @GrainProducerSA
Website:  Grain Producers SA

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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Genetically engineered microbes commonly manufacture our vitamins and amino acid supplements, but can they be supplements themselves?  Zbiotics has developed genetically engineered bacteria that may help to metabolize the residues of alcohol consumption, altering the accumulation of the compounds that lead to next-day malaise. These microbes are consumed as a pro-biotic, fortifying the digestive system with a means to break down deleterious metabolites.  Today’s podcast covers the technology with Dr. Zack Abbott from Zbiotics, including a discussion of how a “proudly GMO” product resonates with consumers.

Zbiotics LInks:
https://www.instagram.com/zbiotics/
https://www.facebook.com/ZBiotics/
https://twitter.com/ZBioticsCompany

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Robert Saik is an agronomist and entrepreneur with a lifetime of experience in farming.   For years he has been a leading advocate for farmers, and a passionate voice promoting the newest technologies, whether they are genetic or engineering marvels on the farm.  The 200th episode of the Talking Biotech Podcast aptly hosts Rob and the introduction of is new book, Farming 5.0, How We Feed the Future.  Rob discusses the five waves of agricultural history and speaks to their convergence in the modern farm. It is an accessible and important text that helps everyone understand the modern tenor of food and farming.
 
Food 5.0 on Amazon
Follow Rob on Twitter   @RSaik

Thanks to Sci Babe Yvette D’Entremont and Vern Blazek for flexing their thespian muscles in the voice over! 

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

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Sickle cell disease is an inherited condition that predominantly affects people of African descent. The disease results in chronic pain and early death, and is caused by a misfolding of oxygen-toting hemoglobin, a central protein in red blood cells.  Vertex Pharmaceuticals and the CRISPR Therapeutics companies have combined to test a potential therapy.  A patients stem cells are gene edited using CRISPR/Cas9 so that they stop producing adult mutant hemoglobin, and produce a fetal version instead.  The engineered stem cells are returned to the patient, who then manufactures fetal hemoglobin in their own blood cells, potentially curing the disease. Clinical trials have just begun.  Dr. Brenda Eustace, Director of Discovery Research, takes us through the problem, its effects and the Vertex solution that could bring needed relief to millions worldwide.
Website:  VRTX.com
Twitter:  @VertexPharma

Products move from producer to consumer through complicated networks called supply chains.  These routes of custody involve many people and organizations, and oftentimes cross international borders.  All of these product touch-points are opportunity for contamination or willful adulteration of the product.  High value products like authentic high-end wine, honey or olive oil can be diluted with lesser value amendments, which misleads the consumer and can introduce food safety issues.  Carverr Inc has a solution.  Today’s podcast speaks with Dr. Ellen Jorgensen and Vishall Bhuyan, the co-founders of the company. They use a signature blend of probiotics in the products that can be detected with a simple assay.  This specific signature beacons the presence of adulteration and ensures fidelity and transparency throughout the supply chain, ensuring customers are receiving exactly what they purchased.

Follow Carverr on Twitter:  @CarverLabs
Carverr Inc Website:  www.carverr.com

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

What is the current state of the devastating citrus greening disease, Huanglongbing (HLB).  Dr. Jude Grosser from the University of Florida Citrus Research and Education Center discusses the current state of the disease, the current therapies and the future possibilities of leveraging genetics and nutrition to help keep citrus in production.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the causal agent of the spectrum of disorders known as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).  For decades, those infected have found relief from anti-retroviral therapies that suppress viral numbers.  However, the treatments are difficult, require strict compliance and are not 100% efficacious.  New therapies have been developed that target the virus using Chimeric Antigen Receptor engineered T cells.  These immune cells have been armed with genetically engineered receptors and localization signals that home in on a target, like HIV.  Dr. Pamela Skinner is a Professor at the University of Minnesota.  Her group collaborates with other leading labs to develop CAR-T cell based therapies for HIV, and she is optimistic about the success of these new approaches.

Dr. Skinner’s Website is here.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Bangladesh is a population dense country with relatively little farmland.  Subsistence farmers make a living by growing, harvesting and selling brinjal, or the fruit westerners know as the eggplant.  The biggest threat to production is the fruit and shoot borer, an insect larvae that digs into the fruit, leaving its waste, and inviting pathogens and decay.  To combat this, farmers traditionally use massive amounts of insecticides, upward of 80-100 sprays per season. It is their family’s livelihood, so sprays protect the crop, and protect the family. The Bt brinjal is genetically engineered to produce a natural protein that stops the fruit and shoot borer. The plants need minimal spray application and are more profitable for growers. Today co-hosts Modesta Abugu and Kevin Folta speak with Arif Hossein, leader of Farm the Future Bangladesh about the brinjal and its adoption by Bagladesh farmers.

Farm the Future Bangladesh Facebook:  Farming Future Bangladesh
Follow him on Twitter:  @FarmingFutureBD

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The African continent is emerging in many ways, yet still is developing economically.  Technology is a huge part of the African transformation, yet farmers there are often forbidden to use crop technologies that were developed for Africa, by African scientists and governments.  The resistance is rooted in a vigorous disinformation campaign by European NGOs that spread fear, uncertainty and doubt among the African populations.  In June 2019 these organizations funded a meeting on Agroecology in Nairobi Kenya.  Part of the conference was a performance by four all stars of the anti-agriculture, anti-technology-for-Africa movement.  Tyrone Hayes, Giles-Eric Seralini, Don M. Huber, and Judy Carman all alarmed a diverse audience of farmers, students and politicians about the dangers of biotechnology and agricultural chemistry.  But one man stood in the way of the campaign.  Rob Wager is a faculty member at Vancouver Island University.  He attended the conference, asked tough questions (when allowed), interacted with media, and spoke with students.  He provided a scientific counter to the disinformation being launched with the intent of skewing public opinion away from potentially life-saving technologies.

Visit Rob’s website:  www.robertwager.com
Follow him on Twitter:  @RobertWager1 

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Bacteria  surround us and have specialized functions in adaptation and metabolism.  Could they be helpful as micro machines that catalyze key reactions?  Could teams of collaborating bacteria be combined to perform important industrial processes?  Dr. Sarah Richardson from MicroByre asks that question. She is in the business of bacterial discovery and domestication, bringing wild bacteria that perform important chemistry into human control.  Her company then uses collaborations of microbes to take on important production jobs.

Follow Dr. Richardson on Twitter:  @theGermWrangler
Microbyre’s website:  http://www.microbyre.com/

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Pork production worldwide is limited by a series of viral pig diseases that slow growth, cause illness and restrict reproduction.  One of these is known as PRRS, Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome.  PRRS has a massive cost to producers, as they either have to manage the disease or spend significant resources in vaccination and biosecurity.  Dr. Christine Burkard of the Roslin Institute has a solution. Her team has studied how the virus docks with cells and replicates. They have successfully edited the viral attachment domain from the receptor protein using Cas9-mediated gene editing in pig zygotes.  The resulting animals are resistant to the disease, and are being incorporated into breeding programs. Thanks to Dr. Burkard and others studying pig diseases, there will be improvements in animal health and economic benefits for producers.

Follow Dr. Burkard on Twitter:  @Cburkard4
 
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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

While Indian farmers have realized benefits from GE cotton, food crops have been forbidden from this growing country.  Their neighbor to the west, Bangladesh, has realized great gains from the “Bt” Brinjal (eggplant).  Farmers there used to spray 80-100 times a season to protect their crop. In 2014 the Agriculture Minister approved the “Bt” Brinjal, a variety that protects itself from the pest using a naturally-occurring bacterial protein that is toxic to fruit-boring insect larvae. The number of sprays declined to 1-2 per season. Indian farmers wanted the same benefit, and seeds have been making their way into India, despite the fact that they have not been approved.  In this episode Dr. C.S. Prakash explains the current protests, as Indian farmers plant symbolistic areas of Bt brinjal, defying laws and potential penalties in the name of technology sovereignty. Dr. Prakash has been contributing to the biotech crop discussion for decades, he has been recognized with the CAST Borlaug Ag Communications Award, and here tells the story of the situation in India.

Follow Dr. Prakash on Twitter:  @AgBioWorld
And his website:  AgBioWorld.org

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The war against agricultural biotechnology shifted in the last several years.  Carefully constructed steps by those opposed to technology have managed to malign a relatively innocuous compound– the herbicide glyphosate.  The compound is used in many applications, from GE crops to drying down some grains prior to harvest.  Armed with analytical chemistry, activist groups claim to detect glyphosate everywhere, of course in minuscule amounts.  But when those amounts are not zero, it provides a means to stoke fear and drive policy change.  It is amazing to watch what is happening around glyphosate, a compound with a long regulatory history and years of safe use.  The way that activists attain their goals is by manipulating the media, organizations that are willing to tell any story that can raise fear. Children being poisoned by breakfast cereal is just the ticket.  But are they being honest?   In this week’s 5th Anniversary podcast I dissect a recent CBS Television News story on the subject.  Do they get it right?
  
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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

The visions of Jurassic Park are an extrapolation of actual research being performed all over the world.  Research has shown that avian dinosaurs (birds) possess latent genes that can be re-activated to restore forelimbs, hands and teeth. Dr. Jack Horner is a world-renowned paleontologist that has been involved in the efforts to adjust modern avian traits to demonstrate morphological f Brain Bar in Budapest, Hungary, May 31, 2019.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Technology is exploding in all areas of life, but sadly has been slow to reach agriculture.  We are stuck in the rhythms of old unsustainable practices.  But things are changing quickly thanks to data, robotics, revival of old practices, new technologies and better genetics.  This episode is Kevin Folta speaking to Brain Bar in Budapest, Hungary, May 30, 2019.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

There is sad irony that the African continent has the most potential benefit from crop biotechnology, yet has the least access to the technology.  The bottlenecks are political, not scientific, as excellent technology is being developed and procured by African agricultural technology groups. Much of the anti-biotech sentiment is shaped by U.S. and E.U. non-governmental organizations, particularly activist organizations that flood the continent with disturbing disinformation.  The technology deficits affect smallholder farmers, particularly women.  Professor Jennifer Thomson has been a leading voice in biotechnology and women’s advocacy in Africa.  She shares her stories and views, and helps us understand the complexities of getting the best technology to people that could benefit from its implementation.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Blackberries are a popular, healthy fruit with increasing availability to the consumer.  Over the last century significant progress has been made in its genetic improvement.  In this episode the history, breeding efforts and future of blackberry are discussed by Dr. Chad Finn, USDA-ARS Plant Geneticist and Small Fruit Breeder.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Huanglongbing, or HLB, is the Chinese term for the Yellow Dragon Disease– usually referred to as Citrus Greening.  The disease first appeared in the USA in the Miami area in 2005, and since has spread to every grove.  The disease is a terminal infection of the tree, culminating in its decline and death. Currently there is no cure. The Florida industry is crashing, the disease is found across citrus producing states, including California. Scientists have attempted many strategies to solve the problem, from nutrition to transgenics. The problem is that the most likely solutions do not have public buy-in, as genetic engineering strategies are hampered by a tragic misperception. One solution is an outstanding intermediate. The Citrus Tristeza Virus (CTV) is ubiquitous in citrus trees, now infecting most trees with zero consequences. Scientists have co-opted the virus to deliver an anti-microbial payload, a peptide that may interfere with the bacterium, without harming the plant or making the plant “genetically engineered”.  The solution allows producers to generate “Non-GMO” orange juice while still saving the industry.  Dr. Steve Savage explains the technology and its application.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Dr. Linda Bartoshuk has been recognized as an expert on interactions between the smell, taste, psychology and the brain for many decades.  While so important to our experiences, smell and taste are poorly understood by the general public.  Dr. Bartoshuk explains some of these important nuances of how we sense the world around us, and how that integrates with perception and liking. In the second part we discuss her experiences as a woman navigating overt sexism, harassment and discrimination as she moved from high school, through her education and into her faculty positions– even as a recognized world expert and leader in her field.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

I was very excited to be participating in the Southern Seed School here in Gainesville, FL.  I had talks prepared on three cool topics– the history of the University of Florida plant breeding programs, plant breeding and genetic improvement, and new crops for Florida.  I was not being compensated for my time on a Sunday, which is perfect. The group was a a paying audience of plant enthusiasts and gardeners, all excited to learn more about seed saving.  Genetics, I feel, is a huge part of that, and non-scientists don’t think of it very much. My job was to fill that gap.  The Wednesday before the event I read that I was cancelled.  Not the whole event, not other UF speakers, just me. The organizers apparently received complaints, and certainly the bogus Twitter accounts were in high gear complaining about my participation. They succeeded in removing a scientist from a scientific presentation.  Sadly, it makes the “seed savers” and organic gardeners look like they are offended by science, a charge frequently levied in social media.  I disagree with that stance, but their actions reinforce those negative perceptions, which is a shame. Since I have been eliminated I will present the lectures in a separate venue in the same building.  This way students that wanted that information are welcome to have access, and their education will not be interrupted by bad leadership decisions. I also applaud what the leadership does in their other efforts, so I don’t want negative fallout for them. I’m just disappointed that they rolled over when it was time to stand up for science.
  
UPDATE:  The organizers moved the Seed School off of the campus, so participants will not have access to the lecture materials. We will present these at a meeting for gardeners in the Fall. I’m very sorry.

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Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

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The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Cowpea is a critical crop in Western Africa.  It is consumed by millions daily, but also feeds livestock, all the while providing important nitrogen fixation for the farm.  Cowpea cultivation is threatened by Maruca vitrata, a butterfly who’s caterpillar stage feasts on the beans within the cowpea pod. Scientists in Nigeria have implemented a strategy using the Bt protein to fight against this pest.  Today’s podcast interviews Francis Onyekachi, Program Manager for the West African Maruca Resistant Cowpea Project.  He talks about the crop, the technology, and the strategy to ensure its continued efficacy.  Co-hosted by Nigerian native and University of Florida graduate student Modesta Abugu.
 
Here is a link to the project.
Follow Modesta Abugu on Twitter @modestannedi 

# COLABRA
Talking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/

# TALKING BIOTECH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotech
Website: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahq

The Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.