The EverymanBio Podcast

Description: This week's podcast features Adhirath Sikand, biochemist, entrepreneur, and PhD candidate at the University of Southern California Los Angeles. I have deep appreciation for Adhi's experience, in particular because as a scientist, he's worked and studied in three different countries (New Delhi India, Canada and now the USA). His unique viewpoint provides an opportunity to assess the cultural differences between countries and identify opportunities we can integrate into the USA to maintain our leadership position in many areas of science. In addition to having a deep technical background in biochemistry, working on synthetic surfaces in cancer cells, Adhi is also an entrepreneur and leader, serving as BCLA President in 2020. Adhi shares my passion for democratizing access to biotechnology and lowering the barriers to entry for recent graduates and industry outsiders to found new startups. CHAPTERS 0:00 Introduction 3:09 Adhi's Intro & Background 6:31 Science Culture in India 07:41 India as a Biomanufacturing Powerhouse 8:45 Fellowship in Canada 9:19 US Leadership in R&D 11:34 Distrust of Vaccines 12:05 Cultural Influences on Biotech 14:19 Innovation 17:24 Computer Science 20:53 Democratizing Biotech 24:58 Bridging diyBio w/ Professional Biotech 31:02 Low-cost diyBio Tools 37:43 Biotech Coworking 41:00 Community Biolabs 42:30 Real Estate in Biotech 43:20 Biolabs at Lundquist Institute 43:47 BCLA (Biotech Connection Los Angeles) 49:54 Networking in the era of Zoom 53:08 Adhi's Research w/ Bacterial Mutations 56:01 Mechanisms for DNA Mutation 59:51 Polymerases and DNA Repair 1:03:12 Small-molecule Drug Design 1:08:50 Helping Researchers Start Businesses EPISODE LINKS Adhi's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adhi-sikand/ PODCAST INFO iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-everymanbio-podcast/id1535532894 Full episode playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIVGsENI706aYiU7sEj9KymVJMeFhZvdP CONNECT - Subscribe to this YouTube channel - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuamcg... - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everymanbio/ - Website: https://everymanbio.com/ - Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everymanbio

Ryan Cochrane is a PhD student at University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario Canada studying synthetic biology with a special emphasis on developing whole mitochondrial genome engineering in algae. Ryan is passionate about biotech and applications of the technology towards solving real-world problems like the development of sustainable food sources. Join us as we take a deep-dive into algae, approaches for genetic engineering fungi, diybio and much more! CHAPTERS 0:00 Introduction 2:24 Ryan's Background 3:31 The PhD Process 5:03 Choosing Synthetic Biology 6:22 What is Genetic Engineering? 7:14 Applications of Synthetic Biology 11:07 The Biotech Community 15:03 diyBio 16:29 Psychedelics 18:08 Bringing Drugs to Market in Canada 18:53 Intro to Algae 21:58 Engineering Fungi 26:39 Domesticating Fungi 31:32 Challenges doing DIY Science 37:28 Unique Features of Algae 40:36 Current Algae Research 44:42 Algae as a Food Source 47:25 Silica-digesting Algae 48:16 Theoretical vs practical Biotech 52:29 Ryan's Research 53:15 Mitchondrial Genome Editing 1:05:02 Mars Perseverance & Alternate Life Forms EPISODE LINKS Ryan Cochrane's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/synbioscience/ PODCAST INFO iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-everymanbio-podcast/id1535532894 Full episode playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIVGsENI706aYiU7sEj9KymVJMeFhZvdP CONNECT - Subscribe to this YouTube channel - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuamcg... - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everymanbio/ - Website: https://everymanbio.com/ - Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everymanbio

Kira Dineen is a Prenatal Genetic Counselor, science communicator and the host of the Award-Winning Podcast DNA Today covering the fascinating field of genetics. Kira and I had a great chat about how she started podcasting, tips and tricks for building an award-winning podcast as well as her podcasting journey led her down the path to becoming a prenatal genetic counselor. We discussed different types of genetic testing, cytogenetics, counting chromosomes, age-related pregnancy risks, how it genetic testing works and treatment options for genetic conditions.

David Lang is a writer, community builder, diybio evangelist, cofounder of OpenROV and advisor on experiment.com. In this episode, we dive into David's unique start in ocean technology via treasure hunt, how he manages life transitions, issue with science and academia and how he's working to make science more accessible to all.

Murphy Murri is a cannabis production educator and extraction expert. She puts her many years working in the cannabis industry to use by travelling the world to consult with cannabis grow operators who are seeking to add or augment their existing business with cannabis extraction operations. Cannabis is one of the most cultivated and sought-after species of plant in human history and extraction often offers a win-win for growers as it's provides a new line of revenue from the products that can be sold from the extracts. It also offers a way to make use of and capitalize on a form of the cannabis grow that is typically undesirable. Like many in the biotech field, Murphy considers herself to be self-taught. When she initially started, she didn't have a lot of access to information or resources to learn about extraction. Instead, she relied on her years of observation and networking with the few industry-insiders knowledgeable on the matter. Of course, she's put in a lot of hard work and independent study to get where she is today. I would say it's safe to say that Murphy is now one of the leading experts in her field making her a highly-valued consultant in the industry and sought-after workshop host for those looking to learn TLC (thin-layer chromatography) and other science-based extraction methodologies.

James (Jim) DeKloe is a Professor of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology at Solano Community College in Vacaville, California. Jim has played a pivotal role in developing public / private partnerships between the city, the local biotech industry and the college. His efforts have helped establish the first Biotech bachelor program at Solano Community College. Jim is dedicating to helping teach relevant and in-demand biomanufacturing skills to students in partnership with Genentech in the area. CHAPTERS 0:00 Introduction 3:00 Jim's Intro 3:51 Public / Private Partnership with Genentech 8:05 Vacaville as a Biotech Hub 12:25 The Opportunity for Young People 15:02 Expanding Biotech Across the US 15:50 Biomanufacturing 17:10 Helping Students Navigate Automation 20:50 Compliance in Biotech 22:45 Incorporating Software in the Curriculum 23:36 Salaries & Pay in Biotech 25:35 Bioethics & Policy 30:34 Defining Ethical Boundaries in Genetic Engineering 34:35 Darwin View of Human Genome Editing 37:31 Stem Cell 38:33 Optimism in the Publics Understanding 43:54 Role of the diyBio and BioHacking Communtiy 50:14 Limits and Opportunities for DIYers 58:45 Recommendations for a DIY GMO Project 1:01:56 How Biotech Saved Jim's Son

Shiri M. Godasi is a pioneering psychedelic integration teacher, consultant, visionary entrepreneur, coach, writer, depth psychology & spiritual scholar, and mother. She is passionate about creating grassroots, bottom-up supportive systems that enable people to Self-heal and live an authentic and empowered life. As a trailblazer in the sphere of psychedelic education & activism Shiri is the founder and president of board of the community nonprofit organization PsychedeLiA: Psychedelic Integration, Los Angeles and the co-founder of InnerSpace Integration, a specialized professional network for integration providers. She is also the founder and CEO (Chief Ecstasy Officer) of Psychedelic School, a virtual educational platform specializing in psychedelic support training. She maintains a private coaching practice in Chino Hills, CA and has assisted people who are afflicted by a range of mental health conditions, life situations and spiritual emergence. Her approach draws from transpersonal humanities studies, Eastern philosophy and shamanic healing modalities to fuse ancient wisdom with modern & practical practices.

This week's guest is the CEO and Cofounder of Novel Farms, Nieves Martinez Marshall, PhD. Novel Farms is developing cell culture scaffolding technology to support the growing cultured meat and alternative protein industry. Nieves has a long history of scientific learning and application, starting with her early education and training in Spain to now acting CEO of an exciting new startup. In this conversation, we took a deep dive into all things biotech startups. We discussed finding the right cofounders, funding strategies, pitching, dealing with investor rejection, how to spend your early capital and much more.

My guest this week is Jake Keller of Cell Valley Labs in Berkeley, CA. Jake runs a food tech lab and has extensive experience in biotech, foodtech and mushroom cultivation. Jake has a passion for biotech and sub-field called food-tech that uses biology to explore and create alternative forms of sustainable foods using biological organisms. He's a big supporter of the diyBio community, in particular, extracurricular projects such as mushroom growing, homebrew and vermicomposting. We also got a chance to talk about our personal experiences in using psychadelics both recreationally and as a tool for healing and improving mental health. We shared our experiences, including takeaways and lessons for maximizing the potential for improving our well-being. I'm incredibly thankful that Jake was so open about his personal experiences.

My guest this week is Craig Trester, New York City mycologist and founder of myc.nyc, an organisaton aimed at introducing and teaching the general public about the study of fungi and it's application for improving the environment. Craig and I discussed a wide-range of issues pertaining to biotech and fungi, including the myriad of potential uses for fungi such as alternative protein sources, medicines and for mycoremediation. Craig emphesized the emergent properties of fungi and the similarities between how fungi networks and the neural networks in the brain. We also touched on the proper growth-oriented mindset necessary for self-learning biotch, ways to get started with learning about fungi and various ideas for starting a mushroom-focused business. Craigs knowledge of fungi is far and wide; he understands not only the underlying microbiology of fungi but also thinks systemtically about the role of fungi in the environment and why it's important to incorporate systems-level thinking when researching this incredible organism.

My guest this week is Damon Tighe, former National Institute of Health and Human Genome Project researcher and current Bio-Rad educator and training specialist. Damon's extensive history with working with public and private biotech projects over the years has yielded a treasure trove of valuable knowledge that he enthusiastically gives back to the community. In this episode, Damon and I cover a wide-array of topics ranging from the evolution of biotech over the last decade, how software is quickly becoming a must-have skill for future biotech workers, the need for more discussion around policy-making philosophy when it comes to human genome editing, the impact of patents on biotech research and how more open innovation in the industry can accelerate biotech research. We barely scratched the surface of what Damon has to share! Enjoy!

Sigrid Jakob is diy biologist and amateur mycologist in Brooklyn, New York. She's the author of an easy-to-follow Fungal DNA Barcoding Guide that is circulating the online mushroom enthusiasts community and helping newcomers to mushroom identification get started with DNA-based identification. In this episode, Sigrid and I dig into her early roots of mushroom hunting with her parents in Germany, the details of DNA barcoding, learning thousands of mushroom latin names, collecting wild dung as a source for discovering novel fungi species and building a small home DNA lab.

Sean Sullivan is a fourth-year Biotechnology Engineering PhD candidate at Tufts University's Nair Lab focused on how to genetically engineer yeast to metabolize alternate forms of carbon for the biosynthesis of alternative fuels, medicines and more.

Dakota is a scientist, biologist and co-founder of Prospective Research, Inc focused on aquaculture and microbiome therapeutics using bacteria from the environment to try and replace the use of antibiotics in medicated feed for managing disease.