The Scientist Speaks

Explainable AI for Rational Antibiotic Discovery

Researchers now employ artificial intelligence (AI) models based on deep learning to make functional predictions about big datasets. While the concepts behind these networks are well established, their inner workings are often invisible to the user. The emerging area of explainable AI (xAI) provides model interpretation techniques that empower life science researchers to uncover the underlying basis on which AI models make such predictions. 

In this month’s episode, Deanna MacNeil from The Scientist spoke with Jim Collins from Massachusetts Institute of Technology to learn how researchers are using explainable AI and artificial neural networks to gain mechanistic insights for large scale antibiotic discovery.

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Artificial Neural Networks: Learning by Doing

The Scientist Speaks is a podcast produced by The Scientist’s Creative Services Team. Our podcast is by scientists and for scientists. Once a month, we bring you the stories behind news-worthy molecular biology research.

This month's episode is sponsored by LabVantage, serving disease researchers with AI-driven scientific data management solutions that increase discovery and speed time-to-market. Learn more at LabVantage.com/analytics.

Natural Trip: Endogenous Psychedelics and Human Physiology

The field of psychedelics research has exploded in recent years, as scientists dig deeper into the neuroscience and pharmacology of hallucinogens and how their unique properties can be harnessed to understand and treat depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and neurodegenerative diseases. Remarkably, the human body produces its own endogenous psychedelics, the reasons for which have implications for understanding the ordinary and extraordinary states of human consciousness, from creativity and dreaming to near death experiences.

In this episode, Iris Kulbatski from The Scientist’s Creative Services Team spoke with Steven Barker, a professor emeritus at Louisiana State University to learn more about the human body’s ability to produce hallucinogenic compounds and their roles in physiological processes.

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https://www.the-scientist.com/features/natural-high-endogenous-psychedelics-in-the-gut-and-brain-71301

https://www.the-scientist.com/infographics/infographic-what-a-trip-71303

The Scientist Speaks is a podcast produced by The Scientist’s Creative Services Team. Our podcast is by scientists and for scientists. Once a month, we bring you the stories behind news-worthy molecular biology research.

Epigenetics in a Dish

Every cell within the human body contains the same DNA, but not all cells look and act alike. The key to cellular diversity lies in which genes the cells express or shut down. Cells convey this information to the appropriate machinery through epigenetic modifications. In this episode, Charlene Lancaster from The Scientist spoke with Jonathan Weissman from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Luke Gilbert from the University of California, San Francisco to learn about making epigenetic changes in vitro and the application of these tools in research and the clinic.

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

Virtual Laboratories for Remote Benchwork and Breakthroughs

Cloud-based systems enable remote science experiments, allowing researchers to accomplish experimental breakthroughs from virtually any location with computer access. Remote labs and cloud-connected instruments are revolutionizing the way researchers approach benchwork, improving scientific discovery and education by enabling accessible and automated workflows.

In this episode, Deanna MacNeil from The Scientist spoke with Mohammed Mostajo-Radji from the University of California, Santa Cruz; Brandon Sutherland from University of Toronto’s Accelerator Consortium; and Dana Cortade from Align to Innovate, to learn about connecting experiments to the cloud with remote research technologies.

The Scientist Speaks is a podcast produced by The Scientist’s Creative Services Team. Our podcast is by scientists and for scientists. We bring you the stories behind news-worthy molecular biology research.

The Art and Science of Synthetic Biology

Researchers apply the principles of synthetic biology to address some of the most pressing human health challenges. In what some consider a science and an artform, scientists use bacterial components in creative ways to create synthetic cells for cancer research.

In this episode, Iris Kulbatski from The Scientist’s Creative Services Team spoke with Kate Adamala, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota and a synthetic biologist working on engineering synthetic cells, to learn more about the latest advances in using synthetic biology for cancer therapy applications.

The Scientist Speaks is a podcast produced by The Scientist’s Creative Services Team. Our podcast is by scientists and for scientists. Once a month, we bring you the stories behind news-worthy molecular biology research. This month's episode is sponsored by Namocell – a Bio-Techne brand.

Smart Gateways into the Lab of the Future

As bioengineers incorporate smart technology into more aspects of the scientific process, these updates promise to digitize and automate laborious, repetitive research tasks while simultaneously transforming the laboratory into a more accessible and connected environment. This episode highlights cutting-edge smart technologies that allow scientists to take their research to the next level by streamlining common experimental workflows.

In this month’s episode, Deanna MacNeil from The Scientist’s Creative Services Team spoke with Sofie Salama and David Haussler, professors at the University of California, Santa Cruz, to learn more about the smart technology behind growing brain organoids.

 

The Scientist Speaks is a podcast produced by The Scientist’s Creative Services Team. Our podcast is by scientists and for scientists. We bring you the stories behind news-worthy molecular biology research. This month's episode is sponsored by Benchling.

Fecal Microbiota Transplants: From Gut Infections to Psychiatric Disorders

Fecal transplantation is an established procedure for controlling recurrent Clostridium difficile infection by replenishing healthy bacteria in the gut. Researchers explore novel applications of fecal transplantation for treating other conditions, including psychiatric disorders. In this episode, Iris Kulbatski from The Scientist’s Creative Services Team spoke with Ian Carroll, an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Kylie Reed, a PhD candidate in Carroll’s laboratory, to learn how the current understanding of treating infectious disease with fecal transplantation drives new applications of this therapy for psychiatric conditions such as eating disorders.

 

The Scientist Speaks is a podcast produced by The Scientist’s Creative Services Team. Our podcast is by scientists and for scientists. Once a month, we bring you the stories behind news-worthy molecular biology research.

Science Philosophy in a Flash: Starting with Human Cell Systems

Xitiz Chamling is an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. From vision research to the pursuit of multiple sclerosis treatments, his philosophy of science centers human-based systems to study the neuroprotective layer called myelin, which surrounds and insulates nerves cells.

In this episode, Deanna MacNeil from The Scientist’s Creative Services Team spoke with Chamling to learn more about his latest work combining stem cell and CRISPR-Cas9 technologies to break away from conventional high throughput drug screening platforms that rely on rodent cells.

To learn more about Chamling's research, please check out this article.

Targeting the Undruggable

Disease-relevant molecules that cannot be pharmacologically targeted are sometimes referred to as undruggable, and in cancer, a number of proteins fall into this category. With innovation and new technologies, researchers make breakthroughs that turn evasive targets into druggable ones. Recent successes in establishing therapeutics against mutant oncoproteins, such as KRAS, transform the treatment landscape for patients and clinicians. A scientist who takes a unique approach to clinical trial design demonstrates how targeted small molecules are shifting drug discovery paradigms in oncology to better treat pancreatic cancer.

In this episode, Deanna MacNeil from The Scientist’s Creative Services Team spoke with David Hong, the Dougie Johnson Endowed Professor and clinical medical director of the clinical trial research unit at MD Anderson Cancer Center, to learn more.

 

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

Science Philosophy in a Flash: Relevant Models Reflect Real-World Needs

Jie Sun is a professor in Infectious Diseases and International Medicine at University of Virginia School of Medicine and associate director for Scientific Programs at the Carter Immunology Center. His philosophy of science prioritizes physiologically relevant infection models to tackle real-world clinical needs with research. In their latest work, Sun’s research team identified genetic and pharmacologic pathways that attenuate severe flu or COVID-19 infection and reduce blood glucose levels that spike after viral pneumonia.

In this episode, Deanna MacNeil from The Scientist’s Creative Services Team spoke with Sun to learn more about his philosophy of science, which prioritizes physiologically relevant models of infection to tackle real-world clinical needs with research.

To learn more about Sun's research, check out this article.

 

Science Philosophy in a Flash is a series of mini podcasts produced by The Scientist’s Creative Services Team. With a focus on the people behind the science, this podcast highlights researchers’ unique outlook on what motivates their pursuit of science and what it means to be a scientist.