EBRC In Translation

In this episode, we chat with Niko McCarty—a scientist turned writer who is the founding editor of Asimov Press and head of creative at Asimov. Niko takes us through his unexpected journey from biochemistry research to science journalism. He shares insights on transitioning from the lab to the press, crafting deep-dive narratives, and even pioneering projects like a book encoded in DNA. Whether you're a scientist looking to sharpen your writing or simply curious about the art of storytelling in biotech, Niko's advice and experiences offer plenty of food for thought.Note:During the episode, Niko mentions a blog post from Jason Crawford about positive science fiction. It was not posted at the time but has since been posted. You can read it here.For more information about EBRC: Visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today! Transcription:Episode transcripts are the unedited output from Whisper and likely contain errors.

In this episode, we're joined by Prof. Jef Boeke, a pioneer in synthetic genomics. Jef shares his journey from uncovering retrotransposons in yeast to leading the ambitious Sc2.0 project, an international collaboration to design and build the world's first fully synthetic Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome. Along the way, we delve into the groundbreaking science, the collaborative spirit of synthetic biology, and what it takes to push the boundaries of genomics.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!Episode transcripts are the unedited output from Whisper and likely contain errors.

In this episode, we speak with Daniel Goodwin and Paul Reginato, the co-founders of Homeworld Collective, a non-profit working to support the social, intellectual, and funding infrastructure needed for climate biotech. Dan and Paul discuss the challenges in climate biotech, action-oriented optimism, their fast-grants program for climate research, how writing is a superpower, and so much more.Later this year, Homeworld Collective will open a Garden Grants call for proposals on research in biotech and greenhouse gas removal. You can also learn about the latest in climate biotech by tuning into their podcast, the Climate Biotech Podcast, or by signing up for their newsletter through their website.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!Episode transcripts are the unedited output from Whisper and likely contain errors.

In this episode, we speak with Janice Chen, co-founder and CTO of Mammoth Biosciences. From her PhD work in Jennifer Doudna's lab to co-founding a biotech startup, Dr. Chen discusses her journey of translating scientific discoveries into real-world applications. Learn about the development of CRISPR-based diagnostics, including a rapid COVID-19 test, and gain insights into the evolving landscape of gene editing therapeutics. Dr. Chen also offers valuable advice for scientists looking to bridge the gap between academia and industry.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!Episode transcripts are the unedited output from Whisper and likely contain errors.

In this episode, we talk to Sebastian Cocioba, a self-taught, independent researcher who designs flowers and develops tools that lower the entry barrier for others to do biology research. We talk with Sebastian about his unique path to Engineering Biology, his experience with DIY biology, the importance of open science, the role of citizen scientists in engineering biology, and much more!During the episode, Sebastian mentions that he recently started a YouTube channel, which you can find here.https://www.youtube.com/@ATinyGreenCellFor more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!Episode transcripts are the unedited output from Whisper and likely contain errors.

In this episode, we interview Dr. Prachee Avasthi, Co-founder and CSO of Arcadia Science and previous Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology at Dartmouth. We talk with Prachee about her many layers of experiments, from mining new biological tools to building new organizational structures for open science. We also talk with her about non-canonical career paths, science publishing models, and much more!For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!Episode transcripts are the unedited output from Whisper and likely contain errors.

In this episode, we interview Drew Endy, a professor in the Department of Biological Engineering at Stanford University. We talk to Drew about making the engineering of living systems routine, how biology is the perfect technology to interface with joules, bits, and atoms, the concept of synbiophobia-phobia, teaching biological literacy via the “Labrary”, the new discipline of Awestronomy, and so much more.In this episode, Drew mentions several interesting reads:The Genesis of a Curriculum on Biological EngineeringThe Morals of MeasurementHomo LudensFor more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!Episode transcripts are the unedited output from Whisper and likely contain errors.

In this episode, we interview Geoffrey Otim, founder and CEO of SynBio Africa and founder of iGEM Makarere, the first iGEM team in East Africa. We discuss the unique health, agricultural, climate, biosecurity, and energy challenges being tackled by the emerging engineering biology community in Africa. We also talk about his policy advocacy, African Union-led initiatives, and the cultural, political, and funding headwinds faced by African scientists.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!Episode transcripts are the unedited output from Whisper and likely contain errors.

In this episode, we interview Dr. John Inglis and Dr. Richard Sever, the executive director and assistant director respectively of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. John and Richard also co-founded both bioRxiv and medRxiv, the primary preprint servers for biological and medical research. We discuss what makes the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press unique, how they founded bioRxiv and medRxiv, how preprinting allows us to do experiments on the publication system itself, and much more!In the episode, John recommends a book on career options for biomedical scientists.Note from the editor: Unfortunately, there were some minor issues with Richard's source audio which resulted in some occasional skipping. Our apologies for this!For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!Episode transcripts are the unedited output from Whisper and likely contain errors.

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Sean Simpson, strategic advisor and former CSO of LanzaTech. We talk with Sean about using biology to convert greenhouse gases into ethanol, how to scale up and sell a novel biological process, and the economic and policy requirements of engineering biology for global challenges.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!Episode transcripts are the unedited output from Whisper and likely contain errors.

In this episode, we interview Dr. Tony Kulesa, a Principal at the VC firm Pillar. We talk to Tony about his work to open source the biotech company creation process, overrated and underrated investment theses, reading and writing to all the different scales of biology and more!To learn more about founder-led biotech, check out some of Tony's writing on the topic here.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!Episode transcripts are the unedited output from Whisper and likely contain errors.

In this episode, we speak with Melissa Takahashi, an Assistant Professor at California State University Northridge in the Department of Biology. We talk with Melissa about her research on the biological principles behind RNA gene regulation in bacteria, being a professor at a primarily undergraduate institution, helping students realize they can be scientists, and more!For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!Episode transcripts are the unedited output from Whisper and likely contain errors.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Mustafa Khammash, Professor of Control Theory and Systems Biology in the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering at ETH-Zurich. We talk with Mustafa about integrating control theory into synthetic biology, designing computer/biology interfaces, starting a wet lab as a tenured computational professor, the need for new theoretical frameworks for biological design, and more!Notes:During the episode, Dr. Khammash references two different papers from his lab, linked below.Cybergenetics: Theory and Applications of Genetic Control SystemsUniversal structural requirements for maximal robust perfect adaptation in biomolecular networksFor more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!Episode transcripts are the unedited output from Whisper and likely contain errors.

In this episode we're joined by Eldora Ellison, PhD, director at law firm Sterne Kessler and lead patent strategist for the CVC group in the MIT-Berkeley CRISPR patent litigation. We discuss the long and winding road of filing and defending patents, what it's like to go from PhD scientist to law firm partner, how biotechnology advances are challenging the world of patents, and more!Links related to the episode:Careers at Sterne Kessler U.S. Biotechnology Patent Law by Jorge GoldsteinFor more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!Episode transcripts are the unedited output from Whisper and likely contain errors.

In this episode, we interview Vineeta Agarwala, MD, PhD, a general partner at Andreesen Horowitz (a16z) where she leads investments in the group's bio + health fund. We talk to Vineeta about investing in synthetic biology startup companies, a day in the life of a VC, following the good people, and more!Disclosures:The views expressed here are those of the individual AH Capital Management, L.L.C. (“a16z”) personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by a16z. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, a16z has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation. In addition, this content may include third-party advertisements; a16z has not reviewed such advertisements and does not endorse any advertising content contained therein.This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by a16z. (An offering to invest in an a16z fund will be made only by the private placement memorandum, subscription agreement, and other relevant documentation of any such fund and should be read in their entirety.) Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described are not representative of all investments in vehicles managed by a16z, and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by funds managed by Andreessen Horowitz (excluding investments for which the issuer has not provided permission for a16z to disclose publicly as well as unannounced investments in publicly traded digital assets) is available at https://a16z.com/investments/.Charts and graphs provided within are for informational purposes solely and should not be relied upon when making any investment decision. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The content speaks only as of the date indicated. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects, and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by others. Please see https://a16z.com/disclosures for additional important information.

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

In this episode, we interview Dr. Doug Friedman, CEO of the BioIndustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem (BioMADE) and President of the Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC). We talk about how to build and grow community-driven organizations, what it takes to be an expert in DC, visions for the future of the bioeconomy, and more!For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!

In this episode, we interview Dr. Hana El-Samad, a Professor at UCSF, editor-in-chief of GEN biotechnology, and a founding PI at Altos labs, whose research focuses on controlling mammalian cell behavior with genetic circuits. We talk with Dr. El-Samad about her work on controlling mammalian cell behavior, her role at and transition to Altos labs, committing to equity in STEM, the mission of GEN biotechnology, and more!For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!Notes and links:Fund Black ScientistsDirector Lander, the time is now

In this episode, we interview Dr. Ross Cloney, a Senior Editor at Nature Communications, focusing on the areas of synthetic biology, genome engineering, and therapeutic biotechnology. We talk with Ross about: how a manuscript becomes a publication; what it's like to be an editor; how to make scientific publishing more diverse, equitable, and inclusive; what the future of scientific journals looks like; and more!For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!

In this episode, we interview Dr. Doug Densmore, a professor at Boston University and co-founder of Lattice Automation, Asimov. and Biosens8. We talk to Doug about developing laboratory workflows as a service for engineering biology, finding your own management style, and treating automation and algorithms as first-class scientific citizens.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!Links and notes for the episode:Lynn Doucette-Stamm Runs the BU COVID testing facilityProgramming BiologyStem PathwaysAsimovLatticebiosens8International Workshop on Bio-Design AutomationEBRC SPA Mentorship Program

In this episode, we interview Dr. Tobias Erb, a member of the Max Planck Society and Director of the Max Planck Institute for terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, Germany. We talk to Tobias about building synthetic carbon dioxide fixation pathways, similarities and differences between science in the US and Europe, and the superiority of German bread and beer.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!

In this episode, we interview Dr. David Baker, a professor at the University of Washington and the director of the Institute for Protein Design. We talk to David about the practical and philosophical sides of protein design, the impact of machine learning on protein structure prediction and design, and how video games can be used for science.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!

In this episode, we interview Dr. Emily Leproust, CEO and co-founder of Twist Bioscience, a leading and rapidly growing synthetic biology and genomics company that is well-known for its disruptive DNA synthesis platform. We talk to Dr. Leproust about the future of DNA synthesis, making cloning obsolete, and eating challenges for breakfast.This episode was recorded in September 2021. During the interview, Emily mentions the publication of an article "last week" that happened in September of 2021. You can find this article here.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!

In this episode, we interview Dr. Kate Adamala, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota and a leader in Build-a-Cell, an international community of scientists and policymakers working on building synthetic cells. We talk to Dr. Adamala about building cells from the ground up, life beyond planet Earth, and the definition of life.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!

In this episode, we interview Dr. Jake Becraft, co-founder of Strand Therapeutics. We talk to Dr. Becraft about running an RNA therapeutics company during the pandemic, the future of synthetic biology and RNA, and advice on converting your graduate school research into a start-up.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!

In this episode, we interview Dr. Larisa Rudenko, a research affiliate at the Program on Emerging Technologies at MIT and a co-founder of BioPolicy Solutions LLC. We talk to Dr. Rudenko about her career developing regulatory guidance for genetically engineered organisms for the FDA, public perception of genetically engineered products, and tips for engineering biology trainees interested in science policy careers.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!

In this episode, we interview Dr. Natalie Kuldell, Instructor in the MIT Department of Biological Engineering and the Founder and Executive Director of the BioBuilder Educational Foundation. We talk to Dr. Kuldell about her path to becoming an engineering biology educator, the value of adding engineering to life sciences curricula, and the democratization of teaching tools.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!

In this episode, we interview Dr. Christina Agapakis, the Creative Director at Ginkgo Bioworks. We talk to Dr. Agapakis about her career working at the intersection of art and science and about the importance of creativity in synthetic biology. Along the way, we talk about resurrecting the scent of extinct flowers, starting the magazine Grow by Gingko, and only a little bit of Jurassic Park.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!

In this episode, we interview Dr. Laurie Zoloth, the Margaret E. Burton Professor at the University of Chicago Divinity School and EBRC Council Member. We ask Dr. Zoloth how moral philosophy can address ethical dilemmas in an uncertain world. Along the way, we delve into issues like gene drives and germline editing, and we speak about the importance of integrity, fidelity, and solidarity for scientists.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!

In this episode, we interview Dr. Kristala Prather, the Arthur D. Little Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT. We talk to Dr. Prather about her career spanning both industry and academia and segue into her lab's current efforts and challenges at the intersection of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. Along the way, we talk about leadership, mentorship, inclusivity, and why mass transport might not be as important as everybody says it is.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!

In this episode, we interview Dr. Jeffrey Barrick, an Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. We talk to Dr. Barrick about the famous long-term evolution experiment in the Lenski lab, evolutionary failure in synthetic biology, tools for engineering the bee gut microbiome, and more. Along the way, we talk about cricket farming, how a bad memory can be good for open science, and some career advice for young scientists.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!

In this episode, we interview Dr. Sri Kosuri, an Associate Professor at UCLA and the founder and CEO of Octant Bio. We talk to Dr. Kosuri about his career trajectory, starting in the earliest days of synthetic biology up to the present, where his team is using next-generation DNA synthesis and sequencing technologies to accelerate the discovery of new drugs for the treatment of complex diseases. Along the way we talk about wikis before Wikipedia, engineering vegetables that are arbitrary shapes, and questioning our most basic scientific assumptions.For more information about EBRC, visit our website at ebrc.org. If you are interested in getting involved with the EBRC Student and Postdoc Association, fill out a membership application for graduate students and postdocs or for undergraduates and join today!