Talking Biotech with Dr. Kevin Folta

Dr. Cami Ryan has examined the social factors that underlie decisions.  Today these human tendencies are critical to understand, as everyone is bombarded by information through social media.  How do issues like misinformation and disinformation erode the trust of scientific authorities?  How do scientists and farmers, the experts, grab a piece of the pie in the new attention economy?  Time is a commodity in short supply, and Dr. Ryan provides insight into how we can maximize our time in communicating science.Follow Dr. Ryan on Twitter:  @CamiDRyan Here’s Cami’s website: # COLABRATalking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/# TALKING BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 The human immunodeficiency virus remains prevalent in the population, yet it as silently moved out of the public’s consciousness, overshadowed by COVID19 and drug cocktails that can control its progression.   Over the last three decades great progress has been made in understanding the virus and how it interacts with cells.  This, plus the identification of genetic determinants of resistance to HIV have presented researchers with new drug targets. These may represent future therapies and perhaps cures.  Today’s guest is Dr. Luca Vangelista from Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan. His research examines a protein receptor called CCR5 that is a critical player in the HIV infection cycle. Dr. Vangelista’s recent review may be accessed here.Here is Dr. Vangelista’s website.# COLABRATalking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/# TALKING BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Sepsis is an infection of the blood.  It can be critical and life threatening, and can complicate other co-morbidities.  One of the main problems is that a number of bacterial and fungal pathogens can cause a septic state, so physicians are tasked with rapid identification of specific pathogens to render the most appropriate method of care. Unfortunately this usually involves broad treatments with multiple antibiotics and antifungals, as tests to identify discrete pathogens can take days.  Dr. Alon Singer is the CEO of Helixbind.  They have developed a new technology that allows rapid detection of bloodborne pathogens, eclipsing many of the barriers that previously led to longer detection times and greater patient risk. More information at www.helixbind.com# COLABRATalking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/# TALKING BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Indoor air contains a variety of harmful compounds.  We invite many of these compounds into our homes in electronics, and others occur spontaneously from our water supply, and as homes become more energy efficient and dependent on air conditioning, these chemicals concentrate in our homes.  Dr. Stuart Strand of the University of Washington explains what they are and their relative risk.  He also describes a solution– plants genetically engineered to scrub these molecules from the indoor atmosphere.  A variety of plants have been engineered to remove these molecules, including pothos ivy and tobacco, and he is setting his sights on crop plants that could affect the molecules that contribute to climate change.The work needs additional sponsors.  Even a small donation to the University of Washington Foundation can help this research continue.Look for more details on the Plants Enhanced Facebook page.You also can donate directly to the program at the University of Washington here.# COLABRATalking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/# TALKING BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

This week’s guest is the host!  It was important to discuss communication tips during a pandemic, especially around popular myths and news stories involving COVID19.  Kevin Folta provides counterarguments to today’s most prevalent claims around hydroxychloroquine, disease incidence, and the flu shot.  It also marks five years since the New York Times story that portrayed Folta as a corporate patsy.  While many aspects of his research and communications efforts thrive today, this deliberate act of cancel-culture now diminishes his impact in other arenas, such as discussing COVID19. This is a rallying cry for more scientists and science enthusiasts to engage the public with science communication.# COLABRATalking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/# TALKING BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Florida is the canary in the coalmine for mosquito-transmitted disease in the USA.  The Florida Keys are especially vulnerable.  Traffic through this sensitive string of islands allows infected insects to be rapidly vectored to other areas of the keys, as well as to the mainland.  Over the last decade there have been notable incidents of Zika, Chikunguna, Denge and other mosquito-borne diseases. Over the same time a self-limiting mosquito technology has been developed by Oxitec. The mosquitoes have been programmed with genetic changes that render the next generation unable to develop, and it has been extremely successful in Brazil and other locations. The technology is now poised for release in the keys and has received all needed approvals. Today’s podcast speaks with Meredith Fensom, the Head of Global Public Affairs with Oxitec. She discusses the technology, the release in Florida, and its potential risks and benefits.Here’s Oxitec’s website for the Florida Keys   — There are MANY resources here on this page, too much to list. If you have questions you’ll find an answer here. And of course, I’m always glad to answer your questions.  - Kevin # COLABRATalking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/# TALKING BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Penguins are charismatic, flightless, diving birds.  While typically associated only with Antarctica, their center of origin, radiation and speciation has been widely debated.  Dr. Juliana Vianna is part of an Antarctica Genomics Group at the Catholic University of Chile.  Her team has analyzed the genomes of penguins and compared it against other data, including the fossil record. They have provided new information to inform our understanding of the evolution and distribution of this interesting group of birds.Follow Dr. Vianna on Twitter here.  @Ju_A_Vianna Link to the paper in PNAS# COLABRATalking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/# TALKING BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

Most experts agree that the COVID19 pandemic will not end until a vaccine is available.  But traditionally, vaccines take a decade to develop and test.  The crisis has ignited efforts from over 130 companies, all racing to develop vaccines to render the population immune to the virus.  One exciting new development is the mRNA vaccine, a case where humans are injected with the genetic material of the virus, that ignites an immune response. The advantage of these vaccines is that they are easy to manufacture and quick to test. Boston Magazine Senior Editor Catherine Elton has followed the development of these vaccines, particularly from the company Moderna.  They moved from RNA sequence to human trials in only 43 days demonstrating the speed by which these new strategies may be employed.  We discuss the discoveries and the regulatory hurdles, along with public perception in what appears to be a rapid way to immunize large populations.# COLABRATalking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/# TALKING BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

A number of strange, devastating and lethal diseases are caused by prions. The most famous of these disorders in animals is Bovine Spongiform Encelapathy,  or “Mad Cow Disease”. Unlike other infectious agents like viruses, bacteria or fungi, prion-based diseases are caused by a misfolding of proteins resident in the body.  Essentially, this is your own chemistry turning against itself.  In this week’s podcast I speak with Dr. Cassandra Terry from London Metropolitan University.  She speaks about prion related diseases, their causes, and how what is learned from prions has illuminated an understanding of other complex neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson Disease.# COLABRATalking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/# TALKING BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.

 Male cattle (bulls) convert feed calories to weight gain more efficiently than females (cows). If more bulls could be put into beef production, the process would be even more sustainable. Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam and her research team attempted a clever trick to skew the ratio of males to females in cattle offspring.  Sex determination in mammals is driven mostly by a single gene on the Y chromosome. So what if this gene was duplicated elsewhere in the genome?  Using CRISPR gene editing, this is exactly what they did.  “Cosmo” the bull should produce 75% male offspring. Dr. Van Eenennaam talks about the gene, its  mechanism of action, the process of editing a bull’s genome, and the regulatory climate around gene-edited beef.Dr. Van Eenennaam on Twitter:  @Biobeef Dr. Van Eenennaam’s website here.# COLABRATalking Biotech is brought to you by Colabra – an R&D platform that brings your lab’s world-changing research together in one shared space. Learn more at https://www.colabra.app/# TALKING BIOTECHTwitter: https://twitter.com/talkingbiotechWebsite: https://www.colabra.app/podcasts/talking-biotech/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colabrahqThe Talking Biotech podcast is distinct from Dr. Kevin Folta's teaching and research roles at the University of Florida. The views expressed on the show are those of Dr. Folta and his guests, and do not reflect the opinions of the university or Colabra.