Mendelspod Podcast

With constant news topping the headlines about the Zika virus, a synthetic biology company out of Oxford England, Oxitec, has been getting some good press. For over ten years now, Oxitec has been developing their genetically engineered mosquitos as a way to lower virus spreading mosquito populations. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mendelspod.com/subscribe

We’re all familiar with the announcement in the year 2000 by US President, Bill Clinton, and the UK’s Prime Minister, Tony Blair, that scientists had completed the first draft of the human genome. It was a big deal. But the actual publications didn’t happen until the next year, February of 2001. Which means that this February is the fifteenth anniversary of the publication of the first human genome. For our commemorative show we’re joined by Mike Hunkapiller, the CEO of Pacific Biosciences. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mendelspod.com/subscribe

“It being the month of Hypeuary, go hither through break in yonder wall called LanderGate, and thou wilt be on route to reach the Grail. Drink from this to find your Cure, and Death shall haunt you even more.” -Pithy Monton This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mendelspod.com/subscribe

OK, so we get it. Long read sequencing technology is cool. But how cool? Is it another great player on the field, or does it change the game altogether? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mendelspod.com/subscribe

Pharma companies face escalated flack over high drug prices. Meanwhile the diagnostics industry toils away at comparative pennies to the dollar. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mendelspod.com/subscribe

It’s now been over ten years since John Ioannidis published his now famous paper, Why Most Published Research Findings Are False.   What response has John seen from the scientific community? How has the paper changed his career and role in the scientific community? Join us for a look at science itself. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mendelspod.com/subscribe

As we begin the countdown to the new year, we take a look back at 2015 in cancer research, treatment and prevention. Mendelspod is increasingly becoming known for the coverage of genomics and precision medicine, and cancer as a disease area offers a specific window whereby we can look at practical outcomes. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mendelspod.com/subscribe

At the end of the year our goal is to bring the audience some unusual programming, some new outside perspectives on the topics we cover. As with last year, we talk today with science fiction writer, Kim Stanley Robinson, author of the Mars Trilogy, 2312, and Shaman. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mendelspod.com/subscribe

We set up an interview with David Spetzler, the CSO of Caris Life Sciences, to hear about some promising new liquid biopsy tests they are developing. And we do that in today’s show. But first, the interview takes a turn toward the regulation of molecular tests. Spetzler says that Caris is already doing as many quality certifications as possible short of FDA oversight. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mendelspod.com/subscribe

Angel Pizarro has watched as genomics and cloud computing have grown up together. Formerly a bioinformatics director at University of Pennsylvania, Angel is now the Technical Business Development Manager at Amazon Web Services.At U Penn, Angel was part of the shift from setting up one’s own facility with expensive computer equipment for handling the rapid growth of omics data to using a third party service, such as AWS. He says that genomics and the cloud are both going through a "second puberty.” In today's show, Angel explains growing pains involved. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mendelspod.com/subscribe