Minor Tweak, Major Impact

This episode is the last one before the podcast will go into a break, but we can’t wait to be back with more stories and exciting guests later this year. In this episode we speak with Dr. Laura Volpicelli-Daley who is part of the Neurodegeneration Challenge Network. Laura is an Associate Professor in the Neurology department at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She earned her PhD in Neuroscience in the lab of Dr. Allan Levey at Emory University where she studied how neuronal protein trafficking is disrupted in Alzheimer’s Disease. She then trained in the fundamentals of neuron cell biology at Yale University, followed by Neurodegenerative Disease training at the University of Pennsylvania. In this episode we speak with Laura about her work, her involvement with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Neurodegeneration Challenge Network, challenges with methods for neurodegeneration and more. Links:Volpicelli-Daley Lab - https://www.volpicellidaleylab.org/Generation and Sonication of α-synuclein Fibrils Protocol - dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.bhhrj356

This episode is the last one before the podcast will go into a break, but we can't wait to be back with more stories and exciting guests later this year. In this episode we speak with Dr. Laura Volpicelli-Daley who is part of the Neurodegeneration Challenge Network. Laura is an Associate Professor in the Neurology department at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She earned her PhD in Neuroscience in the lab of Dr. Allan Levey at Emory University where she studied how neuronal protein trafficking is disrupted in Alzheimer's Disease. She then trained in the fundamentals of neuron cell biology at Yale University, followed by Neurodegenerative Disease training at the University of Pennsylvania. In this episode we speak with Laura about her work, her involvement with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Neurodegeneration Challenge Network, challenges with methods for neurodegeneration and more. Links: Volpicelli-Daley Lab - https://www.volpicellidaleylab.org/ Generation and Sonication of α-synuclein Fibrils Protocol - dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.bhhrj356

In this show, we had the pleasure of speaking with Steve Henikoff who studies chromosomes, chromatin dynamics and epigenetics and develops genomics and computational tools to facilitate this research. He received a BS from the University of Chicago and a PhD from Harvard University and did post-doctoral work at the University of Washington. He has been a faculty member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center since 1981. He is also an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, an affiliate professor of Genome Sciences at the University of Washington, a member of the National Academy of Sciences and co-Editor-in-Chief of the open access journal Epigenetics & Chromatin. In this episode we’re talking with Steve about his work, his approach to method development and refinement, and more.Links:Steven Henikoff protocols.io publications - https://www.protocols.io/researchers/steven-henikoff/protocolsHuman Cell Atlas - https://www.humancellatlas.org/CUT&Tag@home was recently chosen by the The Scientist as one of the top 5 technical advances of 2020 - https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/top-technical-advances-of-2020-68297CUT&Tag@home - https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.bmbfk2jneLife article ‘Efficient chromatin accessibility mapping in situ by nucleosome-tethered tagmentation‘ - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.63274Jim Watson’s book “Molecular Biology of the Gene” - https://www.amazon.com/Molecular-Biology-Fifth-James-Watson/dp/080534635XNIH ENCODE Project - https://www.genome.gov/Funded-Programs-Projects/ENCODE-Project-ENCyclopedia-Of-DNA-Elements

In this show, we had the pleasure of speaking with Steve Henikoff who studies chromosomes, chromatin dynamics and epigenetics and develops genomics and computational tools to facilitate this research. He received a BS from the University of Chicago and a PhD from Harvard University and did post-doctoral work at the University of Washington. He has been a faculty member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center since 1981. He is also an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, an affiliate professor of Genome Sciences at the University of Washington, a member of the National Academy of Sciences and co-Editor-in-Chief of the open access journal Epigenetics & Chromatin. In this episode we're talking with Steve about his work, his approach to method development and refinement, and more. Links: Steven Henikoff protocols.io publications - https://www.protocols.io/researchers/steven-henikoff/protocols Human Cell Atlas - https://www.humancellatlas.org/ CUT&Tag@home was recently chosen by the The Scientist as one of the top 5 technical advances of 2020 - https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/top-technical-advances-of-2020-68297 CUT&Tag@home - https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.bmbfk2jn eLife article ‘Efficient chromatin accessibility mapping in situ by nucleosome-tethered tagmentation‘ - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.63274 Jim Watson's book “Molecular Biology of the Gene” - https://www.amazon.com/Molecular-Biology-Fifth-James-Watson/dp/080534635X NIH ENCODE Project - https://www.genome.gov/Funded-Programs-Projects/ENCODE-Project-ENCyclopedia-Of-DNA-Elements

In this first episode of 2021, we had the pleasure of speaking with Chelsea Connor, who is a herpetologist, science communicator and artist from the Commonwealth of Dominica. Her love for animals started a long time ago and she always knew she wanted to work with animals. Never having seen someone who looked like occupying the spaces she is now and hopes to expand to, she hopes to inspire and pave the way for many other Black naturalists and nature lovers. In this episode, we’re talking with Chelsea about her work, herpetology, lizards, anoles, science communications and more.Links:DewPops stickers - https://www.redbubble.com/people/chelseaherps/shop?asc=uChelsea Connor Twitter - https://twitter.com/ChelseaHerpsChelsea Connor Website - https://chelseaconnor.carrd.co/#DidYouAnole SciComm Game - https://twitter.com/search?q=%23DidYouAnole&src=hashtag_click&f=liveAnole Annals - https://www.anoleannals.org/iNaturalist - https://www.inaturalist.org/

In this first episode of 2021, we had the pleasure of speaking with Chelsea Connor, who is a herpetologist, science communicator and artist from the Commonwealth of Dominica. Her love for animals started a long time ago and she always knew she wanted to work with animals. Never having seen someone who looked like occupying the spaces she is now and hopes to expand to, she hopes to inspire and pave the way for many other Black naturalists and nature lovers. In this episode, we're talking with Chelsea about her work, herpetology, lizards, anoles, science communications and more. Links: DewPops stickers - https://www.redbubble.com/people/chelseaherps/shop?asc=u Chelsea Connor Twitter - https://twitter.com/ChelseaHerps Chelsea Connor Website - https://chelseaconnor.carrd.co/ #DidYouAnole SciComm Game - https://twitter.com/search?q=%23DidYouAnole&src=hashtag_click&f=live Anole Annals - https://www.anoleannals.org/ iNaturalist - https://www.inaturalist.org/

This is last episode for 2020 of the Minor Tweak, Major Impact podcast but don’t worry, we will be back in 2021 with more episodes and exciting guests. In this episode we are speaking with Andrew Bertera who is the Executive Director of Marketing & Sales at New England Biolabs, Inc. Andy joined New England Biolabs in 2009, having previously worked in a variety of R&D, marketing and senior management positions at Amersham, GE and Promega. As Executive Director of Marketing and Sales at NEB, Andy is responsible for the development and implementation of NEB’s marketing strategies and tactics across its entire product portfolio. Andy also oversees its US Sales and Customer Service activities and organizations. His role at NEB involves the direct management of the customer service, marketing, and sales professionals, covering the disciplines of market research, product management, channel and order management, US sales, digital marketing, and scientific and marketing communications. Andy is also the NEB representative at the Analytical, Life Science & Diagnostics Association (ALDA) Executive Management Meetings and a Board member of the Sales And Marketing Professionals in Science (SAMPS). In this episode, we are talking with Andy about his career path from the bench to the commercial side of science, challenges for NEB during the COVID-19 pandemic, protocols for vendors, and more.Links:New England Biolabs - https://www.neb.com/NEB protocols workspace - https://www.protocols.io/workspaces/new-england-biolabs-nebmyNEB™ - https://www.amazon.com/New-England-BioLabs-Biolabs/dp/B07R65WJF2

This is last episode for 2020 of the Minor Tweak, Major Impact podcast but don't worry, we will be back in 2021 with more episodes and exciting guests. In this episode we are speaking with Andrew Bertera who is the Executive Director of Marketing & Sales at New England Biolabs, Inc. Andy joined New England Biolabs in 2009, having previously worked in a variety of R&D, marketing and senior management positions at Amersham, GE and Promega. As Executive Director of Marketing and Sales at NEB, Andy is responsible for the development and implementation of NEB's marketing strategies and tactics across its entire product portfolio. Andy also oversees its US Sales and Customer Service activities and organizations. His role at NEB involves the direct management of the customer service, marketing, and sales professionals, covering the disciplines of market research, product management, channel and order management, US sales, digital marketing, and scientific and marketing communications. Andy is also the NEB representative at the Analytical, Life Science & Diagnostics Association (ALDA) Executive Management Meetings and a Board member of the Sales And Marketing Professionals in Science (SAMPS). In this episode, we are talking with Andy about his career path from the bench to the commercial side of science, challenges for NEB during the COVID-19 pandemic, protocols for vendors, and more. Links: New England Biolabs - https://www.neb.com/ NEB protocols workspace - https://www.protocols.io/workspaces/new-england-biolabs-neb myNEB™ - https://www.amazon.com/New-England-BioLabs-Biolabs/dp/B07R65WJF2

In this episode we had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Véronique Kiermer, who is the Chief Scientific Officer at PLOS, the Public Library of Science, where she oversees the Editorial department and initiatives to promote open science. She trained as a molecular biologist at the University of Brussels and the University of California, San Francisco, and she also worked in the biotech industry in the Bay Area. Veronique started her career in publishing as the founding Chief Editor of Nature Methods, and held several roles at Nature Publishing Group, including the Publisher for Nature Protocols, and executive editor for the Nature journals before moving to PLOS in 2015. We’re talking with Veronique about her experience with initiatives that encourage researchers to report method details, code, data, etc. as part of their research output. And you will also get a sneak preview of a new exciting initiative of PLOS in partnership with protocols.io that will be launched in early 2021.Links:Materials Design Analysis Reporting (MDAR) checklist - https://doi.org/10.31222/osf.io/9sm4xPLOS ONE - https://journals.plos.org/plosone/

In this episode we had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Véronique Kiermer, who is the Chief Scientific Officer at PLOS, the Public Library of Science, where she oversees the Editorial Department and initiatives to promote open science. She trained as a molecular biologist at the University of Brussels and the University of California, San Francisco, and she also worked in the biotech industry in the Bay Area. Veronique started her career in publishing as the founding Chief Editor of Nature Methods, and held several roles at Nature Publishing Group, including the Publisher for Nature Protocols, and executive editor for the Nature journals before moving to PLOS in 2015. We're talking with Veronique about her experience with initiatives that encourage researchers to report method details, code, data, etc. as part of their research output. And you will also get a sneak preview of a new exciting initiative of PLOS in partnership with protocols.io that will be launched in early 2021. Links: Materials Design Analysis Reporting (MDAR) checklist - https://doi.org/10.31222/osf.io/9sm4x PLOS ONE - https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ Show your work. Peer-Reviewed Protocols - https://theplosblog.plos.org/2020/12/show-your-work-peer-reviewed-protocols/

This is the fourth episode of our Plant Science Series and in this episode we are talking to Dr. Gioia Massa. On November 2nd, 2020 we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the International Space Station (ISS) and we had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Gioia Massa who is a NASA scientist at Kennedy Space Center in Florida working on food production for the International Space Station and future exploration endeavors. Gioia is researching ways to grow fresh food for astronauts and there is a lot to learn about in this episode about plant science, challenges with crop production for space and more. Links:Growing Plants in Space - https://www.nasa.gov/content/growing-plants-in-spaceNASA’s International Space Station 20th Anniversary page - https://www.nasa.gov/station20

This is the fourth episode of our Plant Science Series and in this episode we are talking to Dr. Gioia Massa. On November 2nd, 2020 we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the International Space Station (ISS) and we had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Gioia Massa who is a NASA scientist at Kennedy Space Center in Florida working on food production for the International Space Station and future exploration endeavors. Gioia is researching ways to grow fresh food for astronauts and there is a lot to learn about in this episode about plant science, challenges with crop production for space and more. Links: Growing Plants in Space - https://www.nasa.gov/content/growing-plants-in-space NASA's International Space Station 20th Anniversary page - https://www.nasa.gov/station20

This is the third episode of our Plant Science Series and in this episode we are talking to Dr. Elena Hilario. Elena Hilario was born in Mexico City where she studied Biology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and later a masters in Biochemistry at the same university. Five years later, The University of Connecticut awarded her a PhD in Molecular and Cell biology under the guidance of Dr. Peter Gogarten where she studied how the vacuolar ATPase of the protist Giardia lamblia is a good model for the study of the evolution of early eukaryotes. A postdoc on the effect of horizontal gene transfer on the evolution of Pseudomonas species brought her to New Zealand in 1998 working at Landcare Research, followed by a permanent position as scientist at Plant and Food Research working on physical mapping and genome sequencing of several plants and lately fish and insects. In this episode we’re talking with Elena about her research, challenges, her experience of training others and more.Links:Genomics Aotearoa - https://www.genomics-aotearoa.org.nz/projects/high-quality-genomesPlant and Food Research - https://www.plantandfood.co.nz/Dr. Elena Hilario’s protocols - https://www.protocols.io/researchers/elena-hilario/protocols

This is the third episode of our Plant Science Series and in this episode we are talking to Dr. Elena Hilario. Elena Hilario was born in Mexico City where she studied Biology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and later a masters in Biochemistry at the same university. Five years later, The University of Connecticut awarded her a PhD in Molecular and Cell biology under the guidance of Dr. Peter Gogarten where she studied how the vacuolar ATPase of the protist Giardia lamblia is a good model for the study of the evolution of early eukaryotes. A postdoc on the effect of horizontal gene transfer on the evolution of Pseudomonas species brought her to New Zealand in 1998 working at Landcare Research, followed by a permanent position as scientist at Plant and Food Research working on physical mapping and genome sequencing of several plants and lately fish and insects. In this episode we're talking with Elena about her research, challenges, her experience of training others and more. Links: Genomics Aotearoa - https://www.genomics-aotearoa.org.nz/projects/high-quality-genomes Plant and Food Research - https://www.plantandfood.co.nz/ Dr. Elena Hilario's protocols - https://www.protocols.io/researchers/elena-hilario/protocols

This is the second episode of our Plant Science Series and we had the pleasure of speaking with Melissa Molho who is a Ph.D. candidate in the Plant Pathology Department at the University of Kentucky where she studies virus-host interactions in plants. She likes doing outreach activities to promote plant health and advocating for diversity and inclusion in science. Melissa is originally from Mexico City and she loves learning about different cultures. She also enjoys reading suspense books and historical novels. In this episode we talked with Melissa about her work, minor tweaks in plant pathology methods, challenges for international students, her work as an International Student Advocate and more. Links:International Student Concerns Committee - https://www.uky.edu/gsc/international-student-concerns-committee

This is the second episode of our Plant Science Series and we had the pleasure of speaking with Melissa Molho who is a Ph.D. candidate in the Plant Pathology Department at the University of Kentucky where she studies virus-host interactions in plants. She likes doing outreach activities to promote plant health and advocating for diversity and inclusion in science. Melissa is originally from Mexico City and she loves learning about different cultures. She also enjoys reading suspense books and historical novels. In this episode we talked with Melissa about her work, minor tweaks in plant pathology methods, challenges for international students, her work as an International Student Advocate and more. Links: International Student Concerns Committee - https://www.uky.edu/gsc/international-student-concerns-committee

This is the first episode of our Plant Science series and we are excited to have Dr. Robb Shirazi as a guest for this episode. Dr. Shirazi received his Ph.D. in Horticulture from Oregon State University and he then worked as a Post-doctoral Research Associate at Oregon State University first in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, then in the Department of Horticulture on a project for Quality assessment for nursery crop production. Since 2007, he has been working as a Research Horticulturist at his own Horticulture Research Group based in Hollister, California. In this episode, we are talking with Robb about his Ph.D. and postdoc projects, challenges in method development for horticulture, how minor tweaks in methods can have a major impact on the outcome, and more. Links:Horticulture Research Group - http://hortrg.com

This is the first episode of our Plant Science series and we are excited to have Dr. Robb Shirazi as a guest for this episode. Dr. Shirazi received his Ph.D. in Horticulture from Oregon State University and he then worked as a Post-doctoral Research Associate at Oregon State University first in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, then in the Department of Horticulture on a project for Quality assessment for nursery crop production. Since 2007, he has been working as a Research Horticulturist at his own Horticulture Research Group based in Hollister, California. In this episode, we are talking with Robb about his Ph.D. and postdoc projects, challenges in method development for horticulture, how minor tweaks in methods can have a major impact on the outcome, and more. Links: Horticulture Research Group - http://hortrg.com

This is a special episode, as this is our first episode with two guests. We had the pleasure of speaking with Kali Mahrer and Dr. Kaelyn Sumigray from Yale University. Kali is currently a MS student post-graduate associate in the Sumigray Lab at Yale School of Medicine. The lab, and her own project, focuses on the small intestine, with crypt morphogenesis being a major area of interest-particularly when it comes to the role of cell shape changes in developing crypts. In her spare time, she likes to talk to others about accessibility in STEM fields.Kaelyn is Kali's PI and she is originally from upstate New York but spent the majority of her adult life in North Carolina, where she earned a PhD in Cell Biology from Duke University, followed by two postdoctoral positions at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, then Duke University. At Duke, she worked in the lab of Dr. Terry Lechler studying intestinal crypt morphogenesis. She started her own lab in the Department of Genetics at Yale University a year ago, which is the lab that Kali is working in. This conversation with Kali and Kaelyn was very eye opening and inspiring as they both do an incredible job of working together towards and communicating the importance of accessibility in STEM which is too often ignored and overlooked. Links: Kali Mahrer Twitter - https://twitter.com/DeathCab4Callie

This is a special episode, as this is our first episode with two guests. We had the pleasure of speaking with Kali Mahrer and Dr. Kaelyn Sumigray from Yale University. Kali is currently a MS student post-graduate associate in the Sumigray Lab at Yale School of Medicine. The lab, and her own project, focuses on the small intestine, with crypt morphogenesis being a major area of interest-particularly when it comes to the role of cell shape changes in developing crypts. In her spare time, she likes to talk to others about accessibility in STEM fields.Kaelyn is Kali’s PI and she is originally from upstate New York but spent the majority of her adult life in North Carolina, where she earned a PhD in Cell Biology from Duke University, followed by two postdoctoral positions at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, then Duke University. At Duke, she worked in the lab of Dr. Terry Lechler studying intestinal crypt morphogenesis. She started her own lab in the Department of Genetics at Yale University a year ago, which is the lab that Kali is working in. This conversation with Kali and Kaelyn was very eye opening and inspiring as they both do an incredible job of working together towards and communicating the importance of accessibility in STEM which is too often ignored and overlooked.Links:Kali Mahrer Twitter - https://twitter.com/DeathCab4Callie

Cori Bargmann is a neuroscientist and geneticist. She received a BS in biochemistry from the University of Georgia and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cori has studied the relationships between genes, circuits, and behaviors in the genetically tractable nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans as a faculty member at the University of California, San Francisco (1991-2004) and at the Rockefeller University as the Torsten N. Wiesel Professor and Head of the Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior (2004-present). Cori’s work has been recognized by scientific honors including a 2012 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience, the 2013 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, and she also co-chaired the NIH working group to the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director for President Obama’s Brain Initiative. In 2016, Cori joined the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative as its first Head of Science. CZI Science has the mission of supporting the science and technology that will make it possible to cure, prevent, or manage all diseases by the end of the century.Referenced Links:HCA Method Development Community - https://www.protocols.io/workspaces/hcaCOVID-19 Cell Atlas - https://www.covid19cellatlas.org/CZI Science - https://chanzuckerberg.com/science/

Cori Bargmann is a neuroscientist and geneticist. She received a BS in biochemistry from the University of Georgia and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cori has studied the relationships between genes, circuits, and behaviors in the genetically tractable nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans as a faculty member at the University of California, San Francisco (1991-2004) and at the Rockefeller University as the Torsten N. Wiesel Professor and Head of the Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior (2004-present). Cori's work has been recognized by scientific honors including a 2012 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience, the 2013 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, and she also co-chaired the NIH working group to the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director for President Obama's Brain Initiative. In 2016, Cori joined the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative as its first Head of Science. CZI Science has the mission of supporting the science and technology that will make it possible to cure, prevent, or manage all diseases by the end of the century. Referenced Links: HCA Method Development Community - https://www.protocols.io/workspaces/hca COVID-19 Cell Atlas - https://www.covid19cellatlas.org/ CZI Science - https://chanzuckerberg.com/science/

Ross has recently completed his PhD at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology. Ross has worked on modern tools for fine-tuned regulation of gene expression in bacteria, with a focus on applying statistical modelling techniques and QbD and Design of Experiments to rapidly engineer and optimise genetic toolkits. Ross is currently working at the University of Manchester as a postdoctoral research associate in the lab of Dr. Neil Dixon, but will shortly be starting a new position at Syngenta as an Automation Scientist. In this episode we’re talking with Ross about his work, Design of Experiments, Computer-Aided Biology, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and more.Referenced LinksSurvey and CAB website:https://www.computeraidedbiology.com/cab-surveyhttps://www.computeraidedbiology.comPaper explaining why we need DoE:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26505134Synthace articles on DoE:https://synthace.com/blog/2020/6/4/heres-why-you-should-stop-doing-science-like-you-were-taught-in-high-school-part-1https://synthace.com/blog/2020/6/29/heres-why-you-should-stop-doing-science-like-you-were-taught-in-high-school-part-2

Ross has recently completed his PhD at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology. Ross has worked on modern tools for fine-tuned regulation of gene expression in bacteria, with a focus on applying statistical modelling techniques and QbD and Design of Experiments to rapidly engineer and optimise genetic toolkits. Ross is currently working at the University of Manchester as a postdoctoral research associate in the lab of Dr. Neil Dixon, but will shortly be starting a new position at Syngenta as an Automation Scientist. In this episode we're talking with Ross about his work, Design of Experiments, Computer-Aided Biology, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and more. Referenced Links Survey and CAB website: https://www.computeraidedbiology.com/cab-survey https://www.computeraidedbiology.com Paper explaining why we need DoE: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26505134 Synthace articles on DoE: https://synthace.com/blog/2020/6/4/heres-why-you-should-stop-doing-science-like-you-were-taught-in-high-school-part-1 https://synthace.com/blog/2020/6/29/heres-why-you-should-stop-doing-science-like-you-were-taught-in-high-school-part-2

Richard Harris has been a science correspondent at National Public Radio since 1986. He took a break from that to write Rigor Mortis – a book about rigor and reproducibility in biomedical research, which was published in 2017. Rigor Mortis was a finalist for the 2018 National Academies Communication Award. In this episode we’re talking to Richard about his experience as a science writer, the Rigor Mortis book and Minor Tweak Major Impact stories that it covers, as well as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.Referenced Links:Book “Rigor Mortis: How Sloppy Science Creates Worthless Cures, Crushes Hope, and Wastes Billions”https://www.amazon.com/Rigor-Mortis-Science-Worthless-Billions/dp/0465097901

Richard Harris has been a science correspondent at National Public Radio since 1986. He took a break from that to write Rigor Mortis – a book about rigor and reproducibility in biomedical research, which was published in 2017. Rigor Mortis was a finalist for the 2018 National Academies Communication Award. In this episode we're talking to Richard about his experience as a science writer, the Rigor Mortis book and Minor Tweak Major Impact stories that it covers, as well as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Referenced Links: Book “Rigor Mortis: How Sloppy Science Creates Worthless Cures, Crushes Hope, and Wastes Billions” https://www.amazon.com/Rigor-Mortis-Science-Worthless-Billions/dp/0465097901

Juita Martinez is a wildlife conservationist and a 3rd year BOR-SREB doctoral fellow at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. For her dissertation research she is studying the effects of barrier & bay island restoration on Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) demography and reproductive ecology in coastal Louisiana. She focuses on utilizing non-invasive techniques to gain a better understanding of how organisms utilize their natural habitats. Juita’s work aims to aid in the conservation of her study organisms and communicate ways to inspire generations after her to do the same.Referenced Links:Juita's Twitter - https://twitter.com/JuitaMartinezJuita’s Website - https://juitamartinez.weebly.com/

Juita Martinez is a wildlife conservationist and a 3rd year BOR-SREB doctoral fellow at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. For her dissertation research she is studying the effects of barrier & bay island restoration on Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) demography and reproductive ecology in coastal Louisiana. She focuses on utilizing non-invasive techniques to gain a better understanding of how organisms utilize their natural habitats. Juita's work aims to aid in the conservation of her study organisms and communicate ways to inspire generations after her to do the same. Referenced Links: Juita's Twitter - https://twitter.com/JuitaMartinez Juita's Website - https://juitamartinez.weebly.com/

Dr. Shai Silberberg is the Director of Research Quality at the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) leading the Institute efforts to increase the excellence of science and the completeness of research reporting. Prior to joining NINDS, Dr. Silberberg was an Associate Professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, investigating the biophysical functions and physiological roles of ion channels.

Dr. Shai Silberberg is the Director of Research Quality at the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) leading the Institute efforts to increase the excellence of science and the completeness of research reporting. Prior to joining NINDS, Dr. Silberberg was an Associate Professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, investigating the biophysical functions and physiological roles of ion channels.

Naomi is a senior staff scientist in the DNA pipelines research and development team at the Sanger Institute. Thirteen years ago, her PhD included researching improvements to multiplex PCR – an integral method to many of the processes she has since been involved with at Sanger. Discovering this experience would be extremely useful in the midst of a pandemic is something she didn’t see coming..Referenced Links:Josh Quick 2020. nCoV-2019 sequencing protocol. dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.bbmuik6wCOVID-19 ARTIC v3 Illumina library construction and sequencing protocol. dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.bgxjjxknNaomi’s Tweethttps://twitter.com/SequencingPark/status/1263802155816947715?s=20

Naomi is a senior staff scientist in the DNA pipelines research and development team at the Sanger Institute. Thirteen years ago, her PhD included researching improvements to multiplex PCR – an integral method to many of the processes she has since been involved with at Sanger. Discovering this experience would be extremely useful in the midst of a pandemic is something she didn't see coming.. Referenced Links: Josh Quick 2020. nCoV-2019 sequencing protocol. dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.bbmuik6w COVID-19 ARTIC v3 Illumina library construction and sequencing protocol. dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.bgxjjxkn Naomi's Tweet https://twitter.com/SequencingPark/status/1263802155816947715?s=20

Dr. Matthew DeGennaro's laboratory at Florida International University studies the molecular genetics of mosquito host detection and the vector ecology of Aedes aegypti. During his postdoctoral training at Rockefeller University with Leslie Vosshall, he used the first mosquito mutant to study behavior in yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. His work has explored how mosquitoes sense human sweat, choose a host, and avoid repellents like DEET. Matt's current goal is to identify the critical olfactory receptors that mosquitoes need to find humans and use these genes to identify new attractants and repellents. Referenced Links: DeGennaro Lab http://www.degennarolab.org/

Dr. Matthew DeGennaro’s laboratory at Florida International University studies the molecular genetics of mosquito host detection and the vector ecology of Aedes aegypti. During his postdoctoral training at Rockefeller University with Leslie Vosshall, he used the first mosquito mutant to study behavior in yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. His work has explored how mosquitoes sense human sweat, choose a host, and avoid repellents like DEET. Matt’s current goal is to identify the critical olfactory receptors that mosquitoes need to find humans and use these genes to identify new attractants and repellents.Referenced Links:DeGennaro Labhttp://www.degennarolab.org/

Rebecca Nance is a research assistant and PhD student in Dr. Bruce Smith's lab in the Scott-Ritchey Research Center at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in Auburn, Alabama. Rebecca is involved in modifying Canine Adenovirus Type 2 to explore targeted oncolytic virotherapy in dogs. Using a transcriptomic sequencing approach, the team aims to identify potential targets that are unique to cancerous tissue when compared to the corresponding tissue of origin. In this show, she discusses simple protocol modifications that allowed the isolation of moderately intact RNA from the dense, brittle, and hypocellular bone matrix of canine phalanges, with minimal contamination from connective tissue and marrow, in a quantity and quality suitable for transcriptomic sequencing. Referenced Links: A method for isolating RNA from canine bone, BioTechniques. https://doi.org/10.2144/btn-2019-0153 A method for isolating RNA from canine bone, protocols.io. dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.bf9vjr66

Rebecca Nance is a research assistant and PhD student in Dr. Bruce Smith's lab in the Scott-Ritchey Research Center at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in Auburn, Alabama. Rebecca is involved in modifying Canine Adenovirus Type 2 to explore targeted oncolytic virotherapy in dogs. Using a transcriptomic sequencing approach, the team aims to identify potential targets that are unique to cancerous tissue when compared to the corresponding tissue of origin. In this show, she discusses simple protocol modifications that allowed the isolation of moderately intact RNA from the dense, brittle, and hypocellular bone matrix of canine phalanges, with minimal contamination from connective tissue and marrow, in a quantity and quality suitable for transcriptomic sequencing.Referenced Links:A method for isolating RNA from canine bone, BioTechniques.https://doi.org/10.2144/btn-2019-0153A method for isolating RNA from canine bone, protocols.io.dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.bf9vjr66

Dr. Lenny Teytelman has over a decade of computational and experimental biology experience. He did his graduate studies at UC Berkeley, and it was his struggle with correcting a published research method as a postdoc at MIT that led him to cofound protocols.io. Lenny brings to protocols.io a strong passion for open access, sharing knowledge, and improving research efficiency through technology. Referenced Links: Fixation of yeast cells for RNA-FISH V.1 https://www.protocols.io/view/Fixation-of-yeast-cells-for-RNA-FISH-fbjbikn/abstract Modified protocol for URA3 counter-selection at highly expressed regions of Saccharomyces cerevisiae https://www.protocols.io/view/modified-protocol-for-ura3-counter-selection-at-hi-bf7njrme/abstract

Dr. Lenny Teytelman has over a decade of computational and experimental biology experience. He did his graduate studies at UC Berkeley, and it was his struggle with correcting a published research method as a postdoc at MIT that led him to cofound protocols.io. Lenny brings to protocols.io a strong passion for open access, sharing knowledge, and improving research efficiency through technology.Referenced Links:Fixation of yeast cells for RNA-FISH V.1https://www.protocols.io/view/Fixation-of-yeast-cells-for-RNA-FISH-fbjbikn/abstractModified protocol for URA3 counter-selection at highly expressed regions of Saccharomyces cerevisiaehttps://www.protocols.io/view/modified-protocol-for-ura3-counter-selection-at-hi-bf7njrme/abstract

Dr. Kenneth Yamada has been an NIH Distinguished Investigator since 2011. He has been a Section Chief at the National Cancer Institute and currently at the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research at NIH. His research focuses on discovering novel mechanisms of cell interactions with the extracellular matrix and their roles in cell migration and tissue reorganization in embryonic development and cancer. He has published more than 400 papers that are highly cited. His Additional interests include research reproducibility, enhancing diversity, and mentoring the next generation of researchers. Referenced Links: NIH Rigor and Reproducibility Best Practices https://www.nih.gov/research-training/rigor-reproducibility 2016 NIH Case Study on Research Reproducibility https://oir.nih.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/sourcebook/documents/ethical_conduct/case_studies-2016.pdf

Dr. Kenneth Yamada has been an NIH Distinguished Investigator since 2011. He has been a Section Chief at the National Cancer Institute and currently at the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research at NIH. His research focuses on discovering novel mechanisms of cell interactions with the extracellular matrix and their roles in cell migration and tissue reorganization in embryonic development and cancer. He has published more than 400 papers that are highly cited. His Additional interests include research reproducibility, enhancing diversity, and mentoring the next generation of researchers.Referenced Links:NIH Rigor and Reproducibility Best Practiceshttps://www.nih.gov/research-training/rigor-reproducibility2016 NIH Case Study on Research Reproducibilityhttps://oir.nih.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/sourcebook/documents/ethical_conduct/case_studies-2016.pdf

Dr. Ryoji Amamoto is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School in the lab of Dr. Connie Cepko. He did his undergrad at the University of Illinois and completed his Ph.D. at Harvard University in 2017. As a postdoc, he has two main projects: one is to understand how the retina degenerates in a blindness disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa, and another is to develop molecular tools to facilitate answering complicated questions in vivo.

Dr. Ryoji Amamoto is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School in the lab of Dr. Connie Cepko. He did his undergrad at the University of Illinois and completed his Ph.D. at Harvard University in 2017. As a postdoc, he has two main projects: one is to understand how the retina degenerates in a blindness disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa, and another is to develop molecular tools to facilitate answering complicated questions in vivo.

Dr. Mun Ching Lee is a biologist and has founded a company to automate biological experiments during her PhD research. She was part of a multi-award winning iGEM team during her undergrads, which competed at MIT. She is now running an early cancer detection company called Ameryz Bio.

Dr. Mun Ching Lee is a biologist and has founded a company to automate biological experiments during her PhD research. She was part of a multi-award winning iGEM team during her undergrads, which competed at MIT. She is now running an early cancer detection company called Ameryz Bio.

Dr. Stephen Floor is an assistant professor at the University of California in San Francisco. He did his college education in Kansas where he majored in physics and computer science and then got a Ph.D. in Biophysics from UCSF. He did my postdoc with Jennifer Doudna at UC Berkeley and came back just two years ago to start his own group at UCSF. Dr. Stephen Floor's lab studies how genes are expressed and decisions are made to turn on or turn off a gene, mostly in mammalian cells. There is a lot of work that is focused on control of the transcriptional step, his group is really the most interested in how genes are regulated after RNAs are produced from a gene and how different are the molecules from the same gene might have different functions. His group studies this both in normal cells and in cells that have genetic mutations, they could rise to diseases like cancer.

Dr. Stephen Floor is an assistant professor at the University of California in San Francisco. He did his college education in Kansas where he majored in physics and computer science and then got a Ph.D. in Biophysics from UCSF. He did my postdoc with Jennifer Doudna at UC Berkeley and came back just two years ago to start his own group at UCSF. Dr. Stephen Floor's lab studies how genes are expressed and decisions are made to turn on or turn off a gene, mostly in mammalian cells. There is a lot of work that is focused on control of the transcriptional step, his group is really the most interested in how genes are regulated after RNAs are produced from a gene and how different are the molecules from the same gene might have different functions. His group studies this both in normal cells and in cells that have genetic mutations, they could rise to diseases like cancer.

Dr. Matema Imakumbili is an independent researcher in soil science but her skills are not limited to soil science alone. Matema held a position as a behaviour change expert on a nutrition project. Matema enjoys action related development research that solves challenges faced by the rural poor. She studied at the Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania and now holds a PhD in Soil and Water management. Her PhD work focused on the role that low soil fertility has in causing increased cyanogenic glucoside levels in cassava in areas affected by a cassava cyanide related disorder called konzo. Matema's publications: Producing rooted cassava plantlets for use in pot experiments Additional published protocols

Dr. Matema Imakumbili is an independent researcher in soil science but her skills are not limited to soil science alone. Matema held a position as a behaviour change expert on a nutrition project. Matema enjoys action related development research that solves challenges faced by the rural poor. She studied at the Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania and now holds a PhD in Soil and Water management. Her PhD work focused on the role that low soil fertility has in causing increased cyanogenic glucoside levels in cassava in areas affected by a cassava cyanide related disorder called konzo.Matema's publications: Producing rooted cassava plantlets for use in pot experimentsAdditional published protocols

Anna Behle studied Biology at the Heinrich-Heine University in Düsseldorf, Germany. There she completed her Masters thesis at the Institute for Synthetic Microbiology led by Ilka Axmann which she also joined for her PhD two years ago. Annas work focuses on gene regulation in cyanobacteria, with a special focus on the regulation of DNA topology, which is known to be a global regulatory mechanism in the cell to sense environmental conditions such as nutrient availability and respond by adjusting gene expression of genes in different ways. Her group is working to gain an understanding in order to precisely manipulate the metabolic state of the cells.

Anna Behle studied Biology at the Heinrich-Heine University in Düsseldorf, Germany. There she completed her Masters thesis at the Institute for Synthetic Microbiology led by Ilka Axmann which she also joined for her PhD two years ago. Annas work focuses on gene regulation in cyanobacteria, with a special focus on the regulation of DNA topology, which is known to be a global regulatory mechanism in the cell to sense environmental conditions such as nutrient availability and respond by adjusting gene expression of genes in different ways. Her group is working to gain an understanding in order to precisely manipulate the metabolic state of the cells.

Phillip Cleves is a geneticist applying modern molecular techniques to study coral biology and their response to climate change. Phillip got his PhD at the University of California - Berkeley in 2015 and now is studying symbiotic anemones and corals at Stanford University in Dr. John Pringles' lab as a post-doctoral scholar.