Explore the edges of known biology and meet the people - a podcast direct from the PhD students at the heart of university research. BioPOD is the official podcast from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Edinburgh.
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In this episode, Liz talks to Aleksandra Byrska, Gerard Pieper and Geraldine Hartsthorne, about their research on embryo development and IVF and learn more about the glass art exhibition which aims to help fertility patients. Read more about the Fertility Glass Art project here https://biology.ed.ac.uk/new-horizons-ivf-engagement/meet-artists
AI in healthcare (00:25:36)
In this episode, Analia talks to Ben Glocker from CHAI (Causality in Healthcare AI) Hub, a network of scientists designing the next generation of healthcare Artificial Intelligence.
Signs of life: detecting biosignals from fossil (00:22:07)
In today’s episode, Nitara chats with Dr. Corentin Loron about how to interpret signatures of life, and what they might tell us about the first life forms. Please respond to our survey so we can find out more about you and what you want to listen to! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScqoV4JoROJCfcMtvk4-Wer0uJGpvQfzUj3M4Mz8vx_9ScjKA/viewform?usp=header
Cell clocks: the circadian rhythm of the cells (00:31:40)
From jet lag to gene expression, your body runs on a schedule — but how? In this episode, Nitara chats with Dr. Priya Crosby about how individual cells keep time, what happens when those clocks fall out of sync, and why understanding circadian rhythms is key to decoding health and disease. Interview and editing by Nitara, art and production by Evangelia
Fossil detective: piecing together the neurobiology of fossil mammals (00:33:12)
In today’s episode, Nitara chats with Dr. Ornella Bertrand about the evolution of the mammalian brain and inner ear, and how fossil evidence helps piece together this deep evolutionary history. Please respond to our survey so we can find out more about you and what you want to listen to! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScqoV4JoROJCfcMtvk4-Wer0uJGpvQfzUj3M4Mz8vx_9ScjKA/viewform?usp=header
Science and Policy with Prof. Andrew Millar (00:38:39)
Ever wondered about the intersection of policy and science? Tune in as Markella chats with Professor Andrew Millar about his career and work as the Chief Scientific Advisor on the environment, natural resources, and agriculture for the Scottish Government. Interview and editing by Markella, art by Keiran, and production by Manushri.
Becoming your own scientist (00:51:06)
Ever wondered what it’s really like to become an independent researcher—calling the shots on what to study and navigating the highs and lows of doing science on your own terms? In this episode, Matthew Swaffer chats with Liz about starting his own lab, diving into all things cell-size related, and what the transition to leading your own research really feels like. Please fill out our survey so we can hear from you about where to take BioPOD in the future! SURVEY LINK: https://docs.google.com/...
Entrepreneurship Series: ConceptionX, UK’s leading PhD deep-tech venture programme (00:27:48)
In this episode of Biopod's entrepreneurship series, Keshav and Nitara sit down with Dr. Riam Kanso to discuss the journey behind ConceptionX, a deep-tech venture programme to help PhD students fund their entrepreneurial pursuits. Please respond to our survey so we can find out more about you and what you want to listen to! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScqoV4JoROJCfcMtvk4-Wer0uJGpvQfzUj3M4Mz8vx_9ScjKA/viewform?usp=header
Conservation genetics with Dr Alex Ball (00:36:25)
Every person interested in biology knows that population diversity is important for ecosystems. But do we understand what diversity means? In this episode Markella interviews Dr. Alex Ball from The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland about his work on conservation genetics, which is one of the pillars of conservation biology. He goes in depth about different species conservation in Scotland and elswhere around the world. Interview by Markella. Editing by Manushri and Markella. A...
Unstable fungal resistance (00:51:47)
In a world where the human population is predicted to reach 10 billion by 2050, we urgently need to find ways to increase crop production. However, it is made more difficult by some species of crop-pathogenic fungi, which can decimate crop yields, and also develop mutations that make them resistant to antifungal compounds. Dr Robin Allshire's group is trying to understand a not-so-well-known form of this resistance which could help farmers and governments tackle the current global food produc...
Combining Art & Science: How and Why (00:59:04)
Video version: https://youtu.be/weaFSVsvyBY Anna Motýľová talks with Dr Keira Tucker, manager of ASCUS Art & Science, the first open access lab space in Scotland. They host science workshops for the general public and art exhibitions inspired by science. You will learn about Keira's personal journey as an artist/scientist, as well as 3 weird and wonderful creative projects she has facilitated between artists and scientists from the University of Edinburgh. By the end of this episode, y...
Entrepreneurship series: E.V.A Biosystems ft. Dr. Alex Speakman (00:26:15)
In this episode of BioPod’s entrepreneurship series, Keshav talks with Dr. Alex Speakman about his entrepreneurial journey of starting E.V.A Biosystems. Alex talks about the help and resources available to aspiring entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into successful startups. He also provides helpful information on navigating through the various stages of a startup including ideation, validation and patenting. Interviewed by Keshav, edited by Evangelia, art by Amandine and produced...
Aging sheep: long-term population studies in St Kilda (00:52:40)
Aging, or senescence has been a topic of scientific fascination for a long time. Natural populations like the Soay Sheep in St Kilda, a remote scottish island, are ideal to study aging theories in the wild. In this summer episode, Professor Dan Nussey speaks to us about the long running Soay Sheep project and the insights they provide on the study of senescence. Interview by Markella Moraitou. Edited by Flora Caldwell, Art by Severina Marija Pociunaite, Produced by Nitara Wijayatilake....
AMR through time with Katerina Guschanski (00:43:33)
We have all heard about the importance of the gut microbiome. But how much do you know about the oral microbiome in our mouths? In the second interview with Dr Katerina Guschanski, Alastair Scott finds out all about how you can use the oral microbiome to study how antimicrobial resistance evolved through time. Dr Katerina Guschanski and her team extract ancient DNA from calcified dental calculus, to study their bacterial composition from before the existence of mass-produced antibiotics...
Primate Evolution with Dr Katerina Guschanski (00:53:51)
In this first episode of a two-parter with Dr Katerina Guschanski, Neelakshi Varma finds out about the intricacies and quirks of primate evolution, specifically around guenon monkeys. We also learn about how Katerina accidentally found her way to working with primates, the difficulties and exciting aspects of field work in Madagascar and why you can’t really define a species. Edited by Frankie Swift, artwork by Liz Gaberdiel, produced by Liz Gaberdiel. Check out some more research by ...
The world of editing (00:45:44)
In this episode of BioPod's publishing series, Severina and Dr Seema Grewal discuss the world of editing for scientific journals. Seema is the Executive Editor for the Journal of Cell Science, and talks through her journey entering publishing, advice for PhD students wanting to enter the industry, and gives helpful tips for those wanting to publish their own papers.
Entrepreneurship series: NucBarcoder- Barcoding DNA to identify various species ft. Dr. Wu Huang (00:32:46)
In this episode of BioPod’s entrepreneurship series, Keshav and Dr. Wu Huang discuss the journey behind NucBarcoder, a species identification tool hoping to tackle the biodiversity crisis. Wu talks through some of the challenges and rewards of growing a start-up idea and how Edinburgh Innovations from the University of Edinburgh advised and helped throughout the process.
Science communication and Education (00:48:11)
In this episode Anna and Andrea Paterlini talks about the approach to education of genetics and his experience developing a course for 2nd year bachelor students. They discuss diversity and inclusion in science and what remains to be done to be scientifically accurate when it comes to these sensitive topics in education as well as everyday life. Andrea also mentions what he and other scientists did to address the statements of the secretary of state for science (which you can find here ). And...
The ins and outs of scientific publishing (00:42:37)
With many PhD students interested in alternative career pathways in science, we are keen to explore and demystify the world of scientific publishing. In this episode, Severina Marija Pociunaite talks to Dr Manuel Breuer, a deputy editor at Springer Nature, about his journey into scientific publishing. In particular, they explore the diversity of the role, how scientific publishing has changed in recent years, and advice for scientists preparing and submitting their manuscripts to improve thei...
Let’s chat, meet Prof. Thorunn Helgason, new head of Biology School at the University of Edinburgh (00:30:20)
In this episode, Haomiao chats with Professor Thorunn Helgason, the head of the School of Biological sciences at Edinburgh University. It’s been a year since Thorunn started her post here in August 2022, let’s meet her and hear how she sees the past academic year in the school, and how she expects the future to happen. And, have you also wondered how was Edinburgh Uni like years ago? Well, Thorunn doesn’t just see the university thriving today, she also witnessed the changes happened since sh...
Plant fossils and the story they tell (00:35:54)
In this episode Neelakshi talks to Dr. Sandy Hetherington about the work in plant paleobotany and evolution. They discuss what are plant fossils, how and where they are formed and what they can tell us about plant history today. Sandy focuses on plant root evolution as part of his research and introduces one of the best-preserved plant fossil deposits here in Scotland, called Rhynie chert Find out more about Dr. Hetheringtons research here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/biology/groups/he...
Introduction to RNA Therapies with Prof Amy Buck (00:21:11)
With the advancements of RNA synthesis techniques due to the success of the Covid-19 vaccine we are asking what other therapeutic purposes RNA could have. In this episode, Alastair Scott talks to Prof Amy Buck about her somewhat accidental journey to becoming a RNA biologist, her labs current research and her outlook on the field. In particular, they chat about the curious role of RNA as a communicator and signalling molecule. Find out more about Prof Bucks research here: https://www.buckla...
Plastic: From Bin to Bake (00:39:21)
In this episode, Severina Pociunaite chats to Dr Jo Sadler about how to view plastic as a resource, that can be turned into useful chemicals. Plastic can not only be recycled, but also upcycled: by breaking it down using biotechnology and reusing the carbon to make secondary products. What kind of plastic do microbes like best? And how can the products of digestion be manufactured into something new? They also discuss how Dr Sadler went about setting up her own lab, including the unique...
OGI Bio: An Automated Bioreactor Start-Up (00:31:37)
How did this Edinburgh Professor move from studying physics to starting a Biotechnology spin-out company? In our new episode, we hear from Professor Teuta Pilizota all about how her past research experiences led her to where she is today, how her research keeps leading her to new technological developments and how this culminated in her starting a biotech spin-out company. Many researchers spent a significant amount of time cultivating microorganisms, so they reach the desired growth p...
Circadian Rhythms with Dr Gerben van Ooijen (00:19:46)
Why do you think you are awake right now? You might be aware that your circadian rhythm determines your sleep cycle. But how does your body keep time? Can a cell have a clock? And how can this system survive perturbations? Gerben van Ooijen and his lab @vanOoijenLab work on finding out some of the cellular mechanisms that are behind the ability of an organism to keep time. They study modified algae that give off light during some phases of the circadian clock, to shine some light on the par...
