Finding Genius Podcast

Microbial sciences are experiencing a "gold rush of research," says Seed co-founder and co-CEO Raja Dhir. He discusses how Seed is a part of that work with a multi-technology approach to all aspects of the microbiome, from gut health to coral reef protection. Listen and learn How Seed's biology research takes on microbial activity for the entire body, from the stomach to the scalp; How they've expanded their research to environmental issues like coral microbiomes, plastic degradation, soil microbiomes, and even honeybee microbiomes; How their products work to reach the center of our immune system without interference from stomach acid; and Why their innovations make a difference compared to other techniques, such as their functionally redundant microbial consortia and precision delivery system. Raja Dhir is a life science entrepreneur who helped co-found Seed along with Ara Katz. The company is a venture-backed microbiome group that's pioneering the application of bacteria for both human and planetary health. Because he leads their R&D, academic collaborations, technology developments, and clinical trial design, he's able to give listeners a relevant and precise look at why their products work and how their research strives to help planetary health as well. He explains how they maintain their high scientific bar as they develop compounds for a variety of issues, including skin and gut treatments.  Unique among microbial science companies, Seed also researches environmental microbiome issues, including how to help coral reefs survive ocean acidification and ways to mitigate effects of neonicotinoids and pathogens on honey bees. Dhir also brings listeners on a deep dive into their techniques, explaining how they've achieved the 100% release of viable cells into the upper small intestines for their gut microbiome products, which allow the bacteria to be metabolically active. He also helps listeners get a more vivid picture of how their synergistic and complimentary synbiotics work by carefully pairing appropriate prebiotics with probiotics. Listen in for more about this company's fascinating approach to microbial science.

Researcher Terry Hrubec found startling evidence that a common chemical in disinfectants can cause birth defects in mice. She explains the science, describes the ubiquitous use of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), and helps listeners understand the numerous concerns over this everyday disinfectant, especially with increased use as a COVID precaution. Listen and learn What effect Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides (BACs) had on the embryology of mice in her lab, What's the primary route of exposure for these compounds,  How numerous elements of human development might be affected, including fertility, and What are additional QAC unknown factors and how she is designing a study to find the answers.  Terry Hrubec is a professor of anatomy and embryology at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. In an experiment testing the effect of a pharmaceutical on development, she stumbled on increased neural tube defects on her control group of mice. After finding the lab had suddenly changed their cleaner, she realized the cause.  She tells this story and how it has lead to an in-depth look at the common ingredient in household cleaners known as alkyl quaternary ammonias. She helps listeners understand how to find the ingredient on labels and how often this ingredient might be used in everyday spaces, from hospitals to food production equipment.  The overuse of these disinfectants due to COVID concerns is especially alarming. This along with the many unknowns of these compounds, such as how long they remain in the body, lend an urgency to her work. She describes some basics of embryological development, from the first cells dividing and differentiating, how these compounds effect that phase, and how our country assesses the safety of chemicals. She comments that "chemicals are assumed to be safe, unless proven otherwise."  Furthermore, 4,000 new chemicals are registered every day. What does that mean for the approval process? Listen in to find out why she's worried and what she's doing about it.

How could countries worldwide have handled the economic policies during the pandemic more effectively? The implementation of different strategies could have prevented further financial hardship, research shows. Press play to learn: How lockdowns affected the global economy If vaccine passports are in our near future If restrictions correlate with positive results in the age of Covid-19 Professor of economics at The University of New South Wales, Gigi Foster, discusses the detriments of lockdowns and the economic mishandling of the pandemic. Targeted protection could have been implemented early in the pandemic to avoid later restrictions that were more detrimental to the economy. Lockdowns may not have been the best solution for protecting human welfare while keeping economic principles in mind. While lockdowns feel safe and effective, they may do more harm than good. Public debate on rationality during this time may move approach towards a global agreement. For more information, you can find Gigi Foster at gigi.foster@unsw.edu.au.

Is aquaponic agriculture the future of farming? Development in techniques shows the numerous advantages to soil agriculture. Tune in to learn: How solid particles affect an aquaponics system What the first indication of the disease may be within a tank How plant and animal species can be paired for the best results Dr. Bill McGraw joins the conversation to discuss the many benefits and future implications of aquaponic agriculture. Aquaponics are agricultural systems that have the potential to benefit both the animals and plants involved. By combining the farming of aquatic animals and plants with similar requirements, the system can significantly increase the potential for both. While there are specific factors that must be maintained at certain levels, aquaponics offers many solutions for the future of farming. By staggering crop production, there is the opportunity for consistent production and harvest of food year-round. To learn more, visit https://www.newaquatechpanama.com.

Can Clinical trials show what circumstances trigger the onset of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of Dementia? Research shows that more factors may be at play than previously thought. Listen in to learn: The percent of clinical trials for Dementia which result in new and valuable discoveries If loneliness can play a role in the onset of Alzheimer's disease How some individuals may be predisposed to Dementia and how this may benefit treatment Professor of neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Giulio Pasinetti, shares his vast experience researching Alzheimer's disease and Dementia and what he has learned. Even with the removal of plaque from the brain, patients still seem to suffer Dementia. Outside risk factors like obesity, high blood pressure, diet, and more have all been shown to factor into the onset and severity of Alzheimer's disease. New techniques of targeting and identifying cells in the brain will revolutionize therapeutics treatment conditions. Genetic predisposition can give researched clues into the nature of Dementia, and proactive treatment can significantly benefit the patient if started early enough. For more information, visit https://icahn.mssm.edu/research/molecular-neuroresilience.

Bees are socially sensitive, says researcher Clare Rittschof, and she's not referring to their pining away from rejection. Rather, honey bee social behavior includes an ability for a colony to band together in a sophisticated enough effort to fight off a hungry bear. Listen and learn How honey bee characteristics are formed by neurogenomics, or experiences that regulate aggressive behavior in addition to genetic propensity, How she's found that aggressive behavior in honey bees is paired with better health traits for those same bees as well, What roles different bees in the colony play, including guards that sniff entering bees, and how these behaviors may have developed, and What aspects of bee anatomy determine behavior, from how a Queen is made to which colony members can produce males. Clare Rittschof is an assistant professor of entomology at the University of Kentucky with an emphasis in behavioral ecology. She's fascinated by how animal behavior evolves: why animals behave in certain ways; how those behaviors developed as a function of their brain interfacing with their environment and DNA; and how those behaviors continue to evolve. In other words, she studies the connection between behaviors and increased survivability and reproduction. But not just any animal: her early work focused on spider behavior and now she's fully focused on honey bees. She takes listeners inside the colony and even the abdomens of bees, describing how a Queen's identify is determined by her developmental nutrition and what distinguishes her abdomen's morphology from worker bees. But she also explains the behavior and the level of "learning" bees internalize and how scientists can study and understand their sophisticated behaviors. She describes "where learning or experience can modulate that 'instinct.'" For example, they are able to modulate their level of defensiveness around a flower they're feeding from as opposed to a nest. There's a complicated and fascinating evolution of such behavior, and Clare Rittschof has made studying that her life's work.

Bacteria can teach us how to clean our homes and other environments more eco-consciously and effectively. Press play to learn how, and discover: How people are affected by the use of common cleaning compounds versus the compounds being developed by Wuest and Minbiole What can be learned by studying bacteria that grow in soil, and the compounds they create to fend off pathogens What common foods (such as those left on restaurant tables) attract bacteria and promote their survival Today's guests are William Wuest, GRA Distinguished Investigator & Associate Professor at Emory University, and Kevin Minbiole, Professor and Chair at Villanova University. Their paths first crossed over a decade ago, when both were pursuing a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in a group that was largely focused on natural product total synthesis. When they both decided to move to Philadelphia, they decided to meet up and team together to work on an area of overlapping interest: creating new disinfectant compounds. About 10 or 15 years ago, they’d both realized just how dependent the world is on quaternary ammonium compounds, like those found in Lysol wipes and other common household cleaning products. The active ingredients in Lysol were determined in the 1930s, and while they are effective and not very toxic, the simple fact that nature has encountered these compounds for decades (via dumping in waste waters) means that some bacteria have developed resistance to these compounds. Wuest and Minbiole saw a lot of room for improvement, and got to work. Currently, they develop compounds that mimic nature, as well as some strictly synthetic compounds, but all with an aim toward biological relevance. Wuest and Minbiole discuss the similarities and differences between these compounds and common household cleaning compounds, including their mechanism of action and structure. One difference is that the compounds being developed by Wuest and Minbiole have two or three positive charges, as opposed to only one, like those found in Lysol and other common cleaners. This enables the compounds to stick more tightly to negatively charged cell membranes and bacteria, which makes them less vulnerable to the resistance mechanisms of bacteria. They’re also effective against biofilms, which present an entirely different level of complication of pathogenic bacteria. Wuest and Minbiole discuss their strategies in developing compounds and the testing process for determining the best compounds for killing pathogens and leaving eukaryotic (e.g., human) cells untouched. They seek inspiration from nature by looking at whether bacteria that grow in soil have evolved ways to make compounds to kill other pathogenic compounds around them. Specifically, this approach has led them to try developing compounds which target Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is found in cystic fibrosis patients and wound injuries, as well as Streptococcus mutans, which causes cavities and endocarditis.   To modify the compounds, they add iron atoms, which bacteria need to survive. This encourages the bacteria to actively uptake the compounds, resulting in bacterial lysis. Wuest and Minbiole discuss the details of all this and more. Tune in for the full conversation, and visit http://kminbiol.clasit.org/ and  https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/wuestlab/.

How does the aging process lead to neurodegenerative diseases? Research shows that neuroinflammation may play a key role. Press play to learn: What a Tau protein is and how it plays a role in Alzheimer's disease How Alzheimer's disease is diagnosed How amyloid plaques alter your brain Professor of neuroscience and anatomy Goran Šimić joins the conversation to discuss Alzheimer's disease and Dementia. Research shows that amyloid present in the brain for a short time can be beneficial, but if present for too long, can cause neurodegeneration. This has been discovered through a shift in the understanding of Dementia and has re-worked the criteria for diagnosis. Since Alzheimer's disease cannot be solved by evolution or natural selection, lifestyle can play a role until a certain age. However, past a certain point, genetic factors are the key in determining the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. To learn more, visit http://dementia.hiim.hr.

What can be done to promote global prosperity? Press play for the answer, and to learn: What factors contribute to inflation in the U.S. What three structural weaknesses exist in developing countries that struggle with weak currencies What economic problems are worsened by tourists Why the U.S. may need to restart the basis of the U.S. economy in coming years Associate professor of economics at Denison University and President of the Global Institute for Sustainable Prosperity, Fadhel Kaboub, has held research affiliations with Levy Economics Institute and the Harvard Kennedy School. As an expert on modern monetary theory (MMT), which includes the Green New Deal and job guarantee, Kaboub’s work is centered around the use of public policy to enhance monetary and economic sovereignty in the Global South. MMT is an approach that challenges the mainstream policy framework, which generally states that the government can only afford to pay for things that we can raise tax revenues from, or borrow from financial markets. Beyond that, the mainstream policy framework posits that anything the government pays for would be inflationary, eventually bankrupting the country. This is where MMT comes in and says…Not necessarily...We have plenty of spending capacity, we just aren’t tapping into it. Kaboub explains that different countries have different degrees of untapped spending capacity, such as the Green New Deal, inequality in healthcare, and climate change mitigation, all of which he says can be addressed without hitting inflation constraints. He discusses many of the common strategies suggested for strengthening economies in developing countries, and why and how these strategies fail. Long-term strategic views are critical for maintaining a sovereign monetary system and geopolitical influence, says Kaboub. He dives into the details of all this and so much more. For more information, visit http://www.global-isp.org/ and https://denison.edu/people/fadhel-kaboub.

How can you find out if the products chemicals you use are safe? The Toxics Use Reduction Institute works to make production safer and inform manufacturers and the public on chemical toxicity. Listen in to learn: How many chemicals are used in manufacturing, and how many are cause for concern What criteria make a product dangerous How you can discover if products you are in contact with may be toxic Professor Joel A. Tickner and lab specialist Alicia M. McCarthy discuss reducing toxic chemicals in manufacturing and households around the country. Rather than identifying and banning dangerous chemicals, finding safer alternatives can be more beneficial in the long run. Many production companies do not have the in-house resources to do this research on their own. By examining manufacturing and measuring trends in data, you can find a reduction of toxic chemical use in each state. In most cases, companies that found safer alternatives to use in manufacturing ended up saving money compared to companies that did not.  Visit turi.org for more information.