More than a Feeling: Predicting Biology with Spatiotemporal Multiomics
The sensational film Good Will Hunting, about a self-taught mathematical and physics genius on parole from South Boston who works as a janitor at MIT, wasn’t based on a true story—but that doesn’t mean the story never happened. It did, just with a few key differences—the most important being that the brilliant young Bostonian isn’t focused on theoretical math; he’s focused on biology and medicine. That man is Mike Previte, PhD, who is CTO and co-founder of Element Biosciences, where he’s developing tools to study complex biochemical systems.In this episode of Behind the Breakthroughs, Previte discusses fundamental biomedical tools like DNA and RNA sequencing, which he worked on while at Illumina, as well as microscopy, which are incredibly useful—but they fall short of giving us a full picture of a living cell, tissue, or organism. Previte believes that if precision medicine is ever to become predictive of how cells, tissues, and organisms—such as ourselves—behave and react to mutations, the environment, and drugs, we're going to need to study things in the context of time, as well as space. That’s why Previte and Element Biosciences have built tools like AVITI 24—a 5D multiomics system for spatial, single-cell multiomics and high-quality affordable sequencing.Stay up to date with the latest episodes of Behind the Breakthroughs by subscribing to the IPM eNewsletter here.Hosted by Jonathan D. GrinsteinProduced by Bill LevineAudio mixed and mastered by David MoselyMusic provided by penguinmusic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Just the Two of Us: Creating Microbiomes to Fight Cancer, ALS, and More
What do the steel industry and cutting-edge cancer treatments have in common? According to Hervé Affagard, CEO and co-founder of MaaT Pharma, more than you might think. In this episode, Hervé guides us through his journey from his early days as an engineer pioneering in industrial fields to spearheading the development of microbiome-based therapies for some of the world's most challenging diseases.Guided by a deeply personal mission inspired by his parents’ battles with cancer, Hervé shares how a revelation about the microbiome over a decade ago changed everything. From the first transformative trials on Clostridium difficile to MaaT Pharma’s work restoring microbial balance to treat graft-versus-host disease, Hervé explains how re-establishing the gut’s ecosystem can enhance immune function and offer new therapeutic possibilities for oncology and beyond.Stay up to date with the latest episodes of Behind the Breakthroughs by subscribing to the IPM eNewsletter here.Hosted by Jonathan D. GrinsteinProduced by Bill LevineAudio mixed and mastered by David MoselyMusic provided by penguinmusic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Nonsense! Engineered tRNAs Offer Universal Solutions to Stop Codon Diseases
In May of 2020, drug developer Michelle Werner, PhD, learned that one of her three children—her middle child, Caffrey—was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Werner went searching for an existing or experimental cure but came out empty-handed. So, after a couple of decades as a big pharma stalwart, Werner made a major career change and took over as CEO of Flagship Pioneering company Alltrna, which had a solution she believed could help children and families in similar positions—even if not Caffrey himself.In this Behind the Breakthroughs episode, Werner talks about the experience of being a mother to a child with a rare disease and her mission as Alltrna's CEO to find cures for all rare diseases, the majority of which have no approved therapies. Michelle goes in-depth into the mechanism behind Alltrna’s engineered transfer RNAs (tRNAs) and their broad applicability to all diseases caused by nonsense mutations leading to premature stop codons.Stay up to date with the latest episodes of Behind the Breakthroughs by subscribing to the IPM eNewsletter here.Produced by Bill LevineHosted by Jonathan D. GrinsteinAudio mixed and mastered by Jason MackMusic provided by Artem Hramushkin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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PSA on PRS: Population Genomic Screens Need More Than Pathogenic Variants
Public health is greatly benefiting from population genomics screening, as it provides patients with risk education and treatment for symptoms of life-threatening diseases that they would not have been aware of through routine checkups. So, why hasn't population genomic screening realized its full potential? As an internist geneticist and Medical Affairs Director at Helix, this issue became all the more real for Cassie Hajek, MD, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer that evaded existing genetic testing procedures. In this earnest episode, Hajek shares how her experiences as both a cancer patient and a practitioner have helped her identify and build towards overcoming some of the barriers to maximizing population genomic screening for preventive medicine.Stay up to date with the latest episodes of Behind the Breakthroughs by subscribing to the IPM eNewsletter here.Produced by Bill LevineHosted by Jonathan D. GrinsteinAudio mixed and mastered by Jason MackMusic provided by Artem Hramushkin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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You Say Goodbye (Guess-and-Check), I Say Hello (Virtual Cell)
Three biotech trailblazers—Patrick Hsu (co-founder of the Arc Institute), Serge Saxonov (co-founder and CEO of 10x Genomics), and Gilad Almogy (co-founder and CEO of Ultima Genomics)—join forces to discuss their groundbreaking collaboration on the virtual cell. This ambitious project leverages advanced AI and cutting-edge genomic technologies to model and predict cellular behavior, a leap forward in understanding complex biological systems. The trio dives deep into their shared vision, explaining how their partnership is redefining scientific research and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in drug discovery and precision medicine.Stay up to date with the latest episodes of Behind the Breakthroughs by subscribing to the IPM eNewsletter here.Produced by Bill LevineHosted by Jonathan D. GrinsteinAudio mixed and mastered by Jason MackMusic provided by Artem Hramushkin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Join host Jonathan D. Grinstein, PhD, North American Editor for Inside Precision Medicine, as he uncovers the stories behind the pioneers driving the precision medicine revolution. Behind the Breakthroughs features candid interviews with seasoned veterans and rising stars, exploring their origin stories and groundbreaking contributions advancing the frontiers of patient diagnosis, treatment, and care.In every episode, Jonathan Grinstein goes beyond the science, diving deep into the personal and professional journeys of those striving to make these incredible new therapies more equitable and accessible globally. You'll discover how emerging technologies in molecular diagnostics, next-generation sequencing, genetic medicines (e.g., cell and gene therapies), and AI/ML are transforming treatment and bringing precision medicine closer to the forefront of healthcare. Whether you’re a researcher at a large pharma company or small biotech startup, a clinician at a major health system or community setting, a laboratory technician in the clinic or academia, an investor at a premier or venture capital firm, or just interested in the latest in medicine and healthcare, these interviews will inspire and inform you about personalized medicine's future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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