The Interactome

The age old nature vs. nurture question is complicated, especially when genetics are involved. On this episode, we dive into the concept of “epigenetics,” which translates to “above the genome.” Joe, Sam and Natalie cover how your environment can play a role in how your genes are expressed, how you can have different kinds of cells from the same DNA, and … jello? You'll walk away with an understanding of why your DNA is a lot more like a cook book than you think. Links: Our Website: https://interactomemedia.wixsite.com/website Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:04 Jean-Baptiste Lamarck 6:19 Licking Rats 9:55 Nature vs Nurture 14:22 The Need for Epigentics 20:36 The Mechanisms of Epigenetics 40:52 Licking Rats Part 2 55:21 Outro

Description to come Links: Our Website: https://interactomemedia.wixsite.com/website Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Szablowski Lab: https://www.szablowskilab.org/ Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:09 Meet Schuyler! 5:25 What is an MSTP? 7:00 What does everyone do for fun? 14:00 Breaking down Noninvasive Neural Engineering 30:34 When will these techniques be used in clinical trial? 32:58 Acoustically Targeted Chemo Genetics 51:25 Can this be applied to space medicine? 1:01:48 Outro  

When you think of health care, space probably doesn't come to mind! But the emerging field of space robotics can provide groundbreaking insights to the world of medicine! This episode, Texas A&M robotics engineer Emily Wilkinson  sits down with Natalie and Sarah to discuss her career journey, current research, and her NASA internship (where she met Sarah!). Links: Our Website: https://interactomemedia.wixsite.com/website Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Texas A&M RAD Lab: https://rad.engr.tamu.edu/ Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:49 Meet Emily! 2:54 Getting to NASA 11:48 The Internship 15:09 How Emily and Sarah Met 27:20 Emily's Current Job and How She Got There 36:36 Projects That Emily's Lab Does 47:19 A Day in the Life of Emily 1:00:09 Radiation Testing 1:08:53 Outro

Whether it's the city, the suburbs, or somewhere else, have you ever stopped to think about why place where you live is designed the way that it is? That's thanks to urban planners, of which our guest this episode - Angela Lei - is! Join Angela, Sam, and Sarah as they discuss what urban planners and engineers do in terms of zoning, considerations made for pedestrians, and a little bit of history around Boston's Chinatown. Links: Our Website: https://interactomemedia.wixsite.com/website Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:20 Meet Angela! 3:51 What is Urban Planning/Engineering? 8:53 Exurbs 14:37 Zoning 21:51 Transit Oriented Development (TOD) 30:47 Urban Planning's Impact on the Environment 33:48 Boston's Chinatown 40:46 Defining Borders and Splitting Land 43:37 Pedestrianism and Climate Resiliency 45:38 What Can You do to Impact Urban Planning in Your City 47:00 The Inner Belt and the Highway That Never Was 59:34 Redesigning a City Built for Cars 1:13:20 Outro

What do doctors and astronauts have in common? Turns out, it's more than you might think! On this episode, Sarah and Maia are joined by Shawna Pandya, MD. Shawna is a physician, astronaut and scientist. Tune in to hear her talk about navigating health care in the most extreme environments, and how she helps patients survive and thrive!   Links: Our Website: https://interactomemedia.wixsite.com/website Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com   Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future   Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:47 Meet Shawna! 2:39 How Shawna Became an Astronaut 11:11 Space is Trying to Kill You 18:05 Training for Space 27:00 Other Cool Tech Related to Space Medicine 29:54 Working on a Team of Highly Skilled Individuals 34:29 Shawna's Upcoming Mission 42:30 One Piece of Advice for Aspiring Astronauts 45:30 Outro

AI doesn't typically make people think of parenting, but when you listen to this episode you'll be shocked by the similarities! Cole Smith walks us through how to train AI, how it differs from machine learning, and why building an AI system can feel a lot like raising a child. Links: Our Website: https://interactomemedia.wixsite.com/website Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Transcript: Margaret Downs Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:15 Meet Cole! 2:32 How Did Cole Get Into This Space? 4:17 What Exactly is AI? 8:42 Classifying AI 11:40 The Difference Between AI and ML 16:34 What is AI Good At? 19:45 What is Generative AI? 32:01 What is a Large Language Model? 34:41 What Can't AI do? 42:49 Bias in AI 53:20 Choosing the Right Model 59:54 Where Does Cole Think AI is Heading? 1:05:38 Outro

Effectively communicating scientific concepts and discoveries is one of the hardest, and most important, ways of bridging gaps between scientists and the general public. But as all things in science, this is easier said than done.  On this episode, Joe, Sam and Natalie chat with New York Times science journalist and bestselling author Jim Robbins. He discusses his approach to writing about untold stories of the natural world, new research, and more. Links: Our Website: https://interactomemedia.wixsite.com/website Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Transcript: Margaret Downs Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:02 Meet Jim! 4:45 Science Writing vs Science Research 6:07 What Does Jim Write About? 12:44 Jim's Start: Stories About Grizzly Bears 15:51 California Wildfires 21:22 Making Important Concepts Meaningful 34:02 Navigating the Unknown in Storytelling and in Life 49:56 Challenging the Status Quo 54:13 What Makes a Good Story? 57:04 Maintaining Optimism and Hope 1:03:40 Outro

On this episode of the Interactome, special guest Rasa Valiauga joins Natalie and Sarah to discuss the link that our diet has with our brains. Topics include what foods are considered highly glycemic and what that can mean for our bodies, how diabetes links to our diet, and discussing how to trim the fat from sensationalized diet advice and find the facts. Links: Our Website: https://interactomemedia.wixsite.com/website Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Transcript: Margaret Downs Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:44 Meet Rasa! 7:26 Linking Diet to the Brain 12:22 High Glycemic Food 16:01 Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes 20:44 Rasa's Research 31:12 How to Find the Facts in Sensationalized Headlines 39:08 Rasa's Research Part 2 43:18 What Should be Brought to the Diet Conversation? 45:40 Closing Thoughts

You've probably heard of the microbiome, but there's much more to it than just gut health. Tune in to hear from Bridget O'Connor, career microbiologist, for a discussion on the microbiome, how microbiologists study organisms they can't see, and more! Links: Our Website: https://interactomemedia.wixsite.com/website Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Transcript: Margaret Downs Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:40 Meet Bridget! 10:07 Human Cell Biology vs Microbiology 26:03 Microbiome Misconceptions 35:53 Dysbiosis 37:37 Importance of Strain Variety in Microbiomes 50:36 Some Things That Bridget Wishes More People Knew About Microbiology 54:35 Outro

This week, the Interactome team is joined by Dr. Alex Champagne, Associate Professor of Biology at  University of Southern Indiana! The team talks all things bird physiology — the age old question of flight evolution, interesting anatomical structures, and Dr. Champagne's current work (which just got published, by the way)! After listening to the episode, read about how skin lipids in desert bats suggest wing and tail membranes are important to evaporation cooling! https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1095643324000473 Links: Our Website: https://interactomemedia.wixsite.com/website Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Transcript: Margaret Downs Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:26 Meet Alex! 7:47 Discussing Bird Physiology and its Relationship with Evolution 19:54 Adaptation and Evolution 25:10 Alex's Work 42:23 Archaeopteryx and Microraptor 52:44 Rapid Fire Bird Questions 1:04:31 Outro 1:06:10 BONUS Everyone's Favorite Birds

You've probably heard of AI powered neural networks, but are you familiar with biological neural networks? Join Sam, Natalie, and returning guest Youngmin as they compare, contrast, and generally discuss both types of networks. Can a single neuron "think"? And how do neural networks "learn"? We cover these questions and more on this episode of the interactome. Links: Our Website: https://interactomemedia.wixsite.com/website Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Youngmin's channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ADHDMathematician Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Transcript: Margaret Downs Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:25 Meet Youngmin (again!) 2:50 What is a Biological Neural Network? 7:15 Can One Neuron Think? 10:01 Suppressed Ommatidium 16:30 Is the Adaptation to White Noise A Result of a Neural Network? 26:23 Modeling Neurons 29:33 How Does a Neural Network "Learn"? 40:27 Comparing Biological and Artificial Neural Networks 1:00:52 Outro

We all know that protein is something in our food, but what else do proteins do? For our final episode of our 3-part series on the Central Dogma, we discuss (one of) the final products of DNA and RNA: proteins! We cover everything from where proteins come from to some of their roles as molecular machines. Along the way, we touch on topics such as how eating protein helps you make muscles to "the protein fold that kills." Correction: X-ray crystallography shoots high-energy photons (x-rays), not electrons, at crystals to obtain their structure. Sam was probably too excited thinking about electron microscopy to catch his mistake. Links: Our Website: https://interactomemedia.wixsite.com/website Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Transcript: Margaret Downs Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:44 What are Proteins? 14:41 How are Proteins Made? 22:42 Protein Folding 30:05 Side Topic on Microscopes 38:19 Protein Regulation 41:49 Protein DB 44:36 When Protein Folding Goes Wrong 54:03 Favorite Proteins 1:0024 Outro

Welcome to our part 2 of the central dogma of biology series! In this episode, Maia, Joe and Natalie talk all things RNA. Tune in to learn about the molecular structure differences between RNA and DNA, mRNA vaccines, and to hear some polarizing biological theories! Links: Our Website: https://interactomemedia.wixsite.com/website Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Transcript: Margaret Downs Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 5:00 What is RNA? 17:02 RNA Structure 19:53 The RNA World Hypothesis 26:11 Catalysis 28:40 The RNA World Hypothesis Part 2 36:08 Maia's Research on RNA 42:17 Joe's RNA Story 49:19 RNA Current Events 1:00:34 Outro

What's spookier than identity theft, scams and fraud? In the digital age, cybersecurity is more important than ever. Yet, there are many misconceptions about the field and what it entails. October is cybersecurity month, and to celebrate Sam, Joe and Natalie spoke with SecOp analyst Virginia Gresham. The crew talked about about her role, the importance of protecting your information, and more. Give it a listen, guarantee you'll learn something new!  Links: Our Website: https://interactomemedia.wixsite.com/website Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Transcript: Margaret Downs Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:15 Meet Virginia! 6:40 Defining cyber security 12:11 Day-to-day incidents 15:00 Phishing 19:00 Incident reports and security policies 24:34 What to do during an incident 30:08 What can happen if you are a victim of a cyber attack? 32:20 Discussion of online privacy 41:00 Ransomware 44:38 Best practices for staying safe online 51:39 Outro

Content Warning: this episode discusses dead bodies, violent crime, and international conflict On this show, we talk a lot about modeling the scientific mindset, but scientists aren't the only professionals asking tough questions. This week, we're joined by a retired FBI agent who tells us all about how to ask the right questions and solve problems at hand. Oh, and there's a surprise connection between our guest and a host, so make sure to tune in! Links: Our Website: https://interactomemedia.wixsite.com/website Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Scott's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ExFedHomestead Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Transcript: Margaret Downs Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 5:30 Keeping an Open Mind 16:16 Persistence with a Purpose  25:00 Keeping Calm Under Pressure 31:36 It's Ok to Not be an Expert in Everything 42:33 Peer Review vs Judge's Review 46:58 Peer Reviewer #2 49:33 Closing Thoughts 54:06 Outro

In this episode, Joe, Maia, and Natalie talk about genetics. They start with the basics, and then delve into how we get our DNA and how it can change over many many years. You're bound to learn something new with this episode of the interactome! Links: Our Website: https://interactomemedia.wixsite.com/website Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Transcript: Margaret Downs Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:27 What is DNA? 11:59 What is a genome? 12:59 What is a gene? 15:53 Introns and Exons 19:18 Promoters and Terminator Sequences 21:54 How you get your DNA 23:51 Genomes Across Species: Plants 29:05 Story time: Where did you first hear about DNA? 30:45 Genomes Across Species 2: Bacteria 34:00 Can genes change? 37:50 How gene mutations play into evolution 46:34 Outro

When we think of science, we often think of data being collected in test tubes and laboratories, but lots of data actually exists in the context of mountains, roads, neighborhoods and countries. Join Joe, Sarah and Natalie and special guest Rylee Wrenner as they discuss Geographic Information Science (GIS), which allows researchers to understand the kinds of data that are best visualized on a map. Along the way, they discuss how to make useful models, the centuries-old origins of GIS in epidemiology, and somehow manage to relate GIS to cheese. Join us to learn about GIS and witness our continuing inexplicable obsession with dairy products. And no, we are not sponsored by the cheese section at Trader Joe's. Seriously, Natalie, I shouldn't have to add this to an episode about GIS. Links: Our Website: https://interactomemedia.wixsite.com/website Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:38 Meet Rylee 5:12 What is GIS? 12:28 Applications of GIS 13:45 Accessing and using GIS 17:17 Rylee's work 19:39 What disciplines are involved in GIS? 22:43 What do you need to get started with GIS? 25:03 Obtaining good data for GIS 28:29 Data privacy 34:57 The cheese party 36:34 What makes a good model? 38:52 Rylee's long-term GIS goals 40:58 Final thoughts 43:52 Outro

You might have heard the phrase "the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell" back in high school biology class, but what does that mean? Join Joe, Sam, and Maia as they explore everyone's favorite part of the cell. We had some fun with this, so join us as we explain what exactly the mitochondria is, how it works, and what happens if it breaks. Along the way, we'll talk about electron hot potato, grand theft organelle, at least one deadly poison, and, yes, find out that Joe has more than one brain cell. Links: Our Website: https://interactomemedia.wixsite.com/website Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:40 What's in a cell, anyway? 6:53 What does mitochondria do? 23:19 How did mitochondria become a part of cells? 33:08 Discussion of mitochondrial DNA 45:24 Mitochondrial related diseases and therapies 54:32 Going to space makes your mitochondria unhappy 59:10 Outro

This episode of the interactome is all about food science! Join Christina Allingham, A.K.A @biteofnewengland, as she talks about her experience in the food industry. Natalie, Sam, and Maia host as they ask Christina how she got into the industry, what food science is all about, and how her job has evolved over the course of covid. Links: Christina's Blog: https://www.instagram.com/biteofnewengland/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 4:15 How Christina got into food science 7:57 What is food science? 12:22 How food safety and preparation has changed since Covid 18:34 Most rewarding and most challenging parts of science communication 21:17 When can and can't you can and freeze food? 31:54 Christina's second project: norovirus 37:23 Food safety and observation (Food FBI) 45:24 How Christina chose her role 48:15 Christina's Food Blog @biteofnewengland 51:22 Outro

It's time for more science stories! This time Sam has too many snails, Natalie is impacted by woodpeckers, and Joe discusses mentorship.  Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 3:38 Sam's story: Too Many Snails 14:42 Joe's nuclear hermit crab 22:14 Natalie's story: 1000 G-Force Woodpeckers 34:48 Joe's Story: The Importance of Mentorships 51:53 Outro

On this episode of the Interactome, join Joe, Natalie, Sarah, and special guest Margaret as they discover what the heck mass spectrometry actually is. From generating ideas for experiments to protein identification and avenues for treatment in diseases like cancer, mass spec is truly a powerful tool. And with cutting-edge technologies to further its versatility across many science disciplines, this is an episode you don't want to miss!  Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Credits: Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 3:35 Margaret's background 4:52 What the heck is mass spec(trometry)? 9:56 Challenges of working at such a small scale 17:26 What is the next step after idenifying proteins? 21:14 Removing bias in scientific experiments 25:49 The unconventional hypothesis 29:01 Coolest use of Margaret's mass spec 31:10 Discussion of working with collaborators 35:35 Why does Margaret like mass spec? 46:10 How expensive is a mass spec equipment? 49:20 Closing thoughts

In our inaugural minisode, Sam, Natalie, and Pickle have a conversation with mathematician Youngmin Park to celebrate Pi day! Youngmin and the team cover everything from what Pi actually is, to being drowned because of math, to the math behind biological rhythms, and even 4th dimensional spaghetti! Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/theinteractome  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interactome_media/ Mastodon: @interactome@universeodon.com Youngmin's channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ADHDMathematician Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 3:00 What is pi? 11:46 How pi ties in to Youngmin's work 17:25 The most challenging aspect of Youngmin's work 24:00 Outro

On this edition of Interactome Science Stories, it's Lauren, Joe and Pickle's turns to talk about what in the world of science has impacted them! From islands in the sky, to the story of Emily Whitehead, to the importance of learning from your mistakes, we hope to inspire and entertain with these short stories. So gather 'round and settle in as we take you through some of our favorite science stories.   Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future   Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:21 Lauren's Story: Guyanese Tepui, the islands in the sky 11:03 Examples of science outside of the lab 17:02 Joe's Story: Emily Whitehead 34:43 Pickle's Story: Overcoming failure, hard drive edition 47:54 Conclusion

On this episode of the Interactome, we speak with astrophysicist Kenneth Lin about space, physics, astronomy, and more! How does one study space from a lab? And how does the James Webb telescope produce such beautiful pictures of space? Join Joe, Natalie, Sarah, and Kenneth as they talk all about astrophysics. Note: Kenneth informed us that a teaspoon of neutron star material does not in fact have the same mass as the earth. A more accurate statement is that a teaspoon of material from a neutron star weighs as much as Mount Everest, or that a sphere about 300 meters in diameter made of neutron star material would weigh as much as the earth. The main point is that neutron starts are UNIMAGINABLY dense.  Audio/Video Editing: Sam Pickell Artwork: Maia Reyes Intro/Outro Music: Geovane Bruno - Dancing In The Future Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:36 Meet special guest Kenneth 6:12 How do physicists see the world? 12:20 Discussion on precision vs accuracy 19:00 Kenneth's class Order of Magnitude Physics 23:30 Astrophysics vs Astronomy 26:17 How to think like a physicist 31:45 Joe and Kenneth ask the real questions 36:20 What Kenneth's field is like 47:11 Particle physics 49:55 Discussion on dark matter 56:57 Kenneth's day to day 1:01:07 Where in the world is Kenneth Lin? 1:04:53 Discussion on the James Webb telescope 1:12:30 Conclusion

Have you ever wondered about the yearly flu vaccine? What goes into it, how it changes year to year, how the vaccine has evolved alongside the flu itself? Join special guest Erin Deans, along with Natalie, Sam, and Maia as they discuss the flu and the flu vaccine. This episode is bound to teach you something new that you may not have already known about the flu! Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:13 Introducing Erin 2:57 Erin's background 6:38 How viruses get into cells 9:49 What is the flu? 14:39 Where the flu comes from 16:40 Why there is a yearly flu shot 20:30 How has the flu evolved? 24:21 How vaccines are made 26:03 The role each hemisphere plays for the other's flu season 26:37 Does weather affect susceptibility to the flu? 28:28 Why does flu vaccine effectiveness vary each year? 32:32 Discussion on how flu strains can come and go 37:12 General discussion on vaccines 39:09 Herd immunity 44:44 The future of vaccines 52:53 Final thoughts on the flu for the 2022-23 flu season

Architect Ewan Ellis joins Joe, Maia and Sam to discuss how research labs are built. We cover everything from the planning process to the plumbing, and along the way talk about the challenges and triumphs of building all kinds of research facilities. If you work in a lab, or have only just driven past one, this is an episode that you won't want to miss! Content warning: Contains mentions of animal research and accidental research animal death.

This episode of the Interactome features Sam, Sarah, and Natalie as they each tell a science story that resonates with them. Each member brings their own unique spin on what a science story is to them, as they discuss topics ranging from famous photos to clarinets. Join us for some thought provoking and entertaining discussion as we tell our stories, and be sure to share your science story with us on social media or in the comments after the episode! 0:00 - Intro 0:44 - Meeting this episode's members 3:00 - Sam's Story: Radithor 17:37 - Radium Girls 20:25 - Sarah's Story: Music 41:48 - Natalie's Story: Reading Books 1:01:27 - Sam's challenge to the audience 1:04:37 - Outro

Welcome back to another episode of the Interactome. In this episode, Joe, Lauren, Maia, and Pickle discuss the process of applying to grad school. We focus on grad school as it applies to the sciences, from a Master's degree to an MD PhD. If you have ever thought "is grad school right for me?" or have been curious about what it's like to be a grad student, this is the episode for you! Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:49 - Meeting our new member: Pickle 5:15 - Lauren's start to her PhD program 7:38 - Maia's experience mid-way through her PhD program 21:29 - Joe's start to his MD PhD program 33:57 - Pickle's experience having completed his Master's degree 42:06 - Timeline & what to know before applying for grad school 53:40 - Is grad school for everyone? 1:02:12 - Advice for choosing a program 1:07:20 - Useful resources

Marine scientist Jess Veo joins Sarah, Maia and Sam to discuss fishing, conservation, and the seafood industry in New England. We talk about sustainability in the seafood industry, how marine mammals interact with fisheries, and how scientists can work together with people who work on fishing boats to keep animals like whales and seals safe. Join us to learn about lobster fishing, hear some anecdotes about clam bakes and fishing TV shows (and at least one Oscar-winning movie), and much, much more.

On this episode of The Interactome, meet Ronnie Abolafia-Rosenzweig, PhD, a scientist whose research helps predict fires! Join Natalie and Lauren as we talk about the western fire season, machine learning, Ronnie's predictions for the 2022 season, and more!

This month, join Sam, Sarah, Natalie, and Joe as we share stories and tips on research and sources. From PubMed and preprints to anecdotes of validating sources and Dairy Law, this episode is one you don't want to miss!   Got a research story to share or want to join the conversation? Visit us at interactomemedia.org and on our socials! We look forward to hearing from you.

What exactly are stem cells, and why are they special? And why are there ethical controversies behind them? Join Maia, Lauren, and Sarah as they discuss the science, medical applications, and bioethics of stem cells.    Editor's note CRISPR-Cas9 genetic editing of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to cure the sickle cell anemia mutation is still in early clinical trials - there is no concrete news about long term effects the patients are experiencing. Other stem-cell based strategies (such as approaches to turn on fetal hemoglobin and HSC transplants from healthy donors) have been successful and alleviate patient symptoms! If you are considering a regenerative medicine product and would like more information on how it is regulated, whether it is FDA approved, and more, we encourage you to email ocod@fda.hhs.gov or call 800-835-4709 for more information.

Join us and special guest Dr. Ramy Arnaout, MD, DPhil on a discussion of how he led his team to resolve a nationwide COVID swab shortage within three weeks through 3D printing and effective cooperation. Quite possibly the coolest episode we've ever done, it's a conversation with takeaways you don't want to miss!   Dr. Arnaout's reflection in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology   02:12 Introducing Dr. Arnaout 06:25 Swab crisis basics, team formation, influences from prior studies of cooperation 25:36 Team size and roles, effective utilization of resources, swab design and 3D printing 34:02 Luck, complex networks, Kevin Bacon 42:53 Replicability beyond crises, importance of institutional support, effective leadership

Welcome back to the Interactome, trivia-style! This month, our hosts take on a new challenge - with trivia questions outside their domain. Join us and play along. Can you beat us? Answer: Most likely. Which team will claim victory?   Disclaimer: At one point in the episode, we mention working with hazardous materials. Everyone mentioned is a trained professional working in a laboratory with proper accreditation. We do not condone the use of these materials outside these circumstances. In other words, please do not try this at home!

Welcome back to episode - or as we call them, node - 4 of the Interactome Podcast. This week, we'll be discussing a lab technique you might have heard of by now: PCR. Join us as we talk about what PCR is, how it works, and the many different things PCR can be used for.

This episode, we discuss where scientific names come from. We'll be discussing some of the wackiest names in the scientific community along with their origin stories!

Welcome back to part two of node two of the Interactome Podcast! This week, we'll be discussing the many facets of cancer: This second part covers what it's like to study cancer in a lab as well as some personal anecdotes from our very own researchers! We had so much to say that we split it into two parts. Enjoy!

Welcome back to episode - or as we call them, node - 2 of the Interactome Podcast! This week, we'll be discussing the many facets of cancer: the causes as well as some personal anecdotes from our very own researchers! We had so much to say that we split it into two parts. Enjoy!

Welcome to The Interactome! In this inaugural episode, Join Lauren, Joe, Sam, and Maia as they discuss Interactome Media's philosophy and cool science history, ethics, and more! Get to know the hosts and learn why "we are all Swiss cheese."