Finding Genius Podcast

Simon Roux is a member of the metagenome project at the Joint Genome Institute, which is a part of the Berkeley Lab. In this episode, he discusses his research on viruses that affect microbial life. Tune in to discover:

• How nutrient, UV, and chemical stress of the host cell could trigger the lytic cycle of viral reproduction
• What is unique about filamentous bacteriophage
• How phage predation could drive speciation of microorganisms
• How biofilms can protect microbes from viruses

These days, it seems all the world has its focus on one virus, but Roux reminds us that there are likely billions of viruses in the universe, with at least one for every species on Earth. Over the course of the last five years or so, we’ve gone from having discovered just a few thousand virus genomes to now two million virus genomes. This is a massive amount of growth in data, and according to Roux, viruses will just continue to be discovered for the foreseeable future.

As part of the metagenome project, Roux uses a number of ‘omics’ to study the genetic composition and function of viruses, including metatranscriptomics and metabolomics. He focuses exclusively on viruses of microbes, whether bacteria, archaea, or protists. He explains that contrary to what many people think, viruses don’t just kill their host cells, but carry out an array of activities and may choose between a lytic infection and a chronic infection.

Roux discusses a number of topics involving phage, the viruses of bacteria. With over ten years’ worth of data at their fingertips, Roux is one of many researchers asking questions about the nature of the interactions between host cells of different types of microbes and viruses across microbial species.

To learn more about the work being done at Berkeley Lab and the Joint Genome Institute, visit https://www.lbl.gov/ and https://jgi.doe.gov/. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Audrey Gaskins, Assistant Professor, Epidemiology at Emory University, delivers an interesting overview of normal sperm motility, causes of abnormal sperm morphology, and the various factors involved with fertility and semen quality.

Gaskins’ extensive research has focused heavily upon the connections between environmental, dietary, and lifestyle factors with fertility and fecundity in women and men.

She has published on the many benefits of folic acid, exceeding levels well above the current recommendations, in regard to preventing anovulation and incident pregnancy loss as well as boosting the success probability of infertility treatment. She is currently working on an NIH grant that is primarily focused on extending her research to study the possible interactions between diet, air pollution, and fertility among groups of women.

Gaskins talks about semen quality in men, and some research has shown that male semen quality globally is on the decline, which is of course an area of concern for researchers. She talks about the possible factors that could play a role in the decline in sperm count, discussing lifestyle and environmental exposures, etc. She discusses fertility in detail, and her interests have driven her to study men because men have been understudied in this regard she states. She talks about DNA fragmentation and genetics, in regard to her studies.

The professor goes on to discuss how age plays a role and factors into their studies. She talks about semen samples that they study and how they collect information on important variables that could be determinants in studies. And Gaskins discusses seasonal impacts, and other possible pollutants, etc. that could impact semen quality.

In this podcast:

What environmental factors could impact semen quality?

Reasons that semen quality could be decreasing globally

Does age play a role in semen quality?

Archaeology offers profound insights into the history of our civilization. With each artifact uncovered, our understanding becomes clearer and more apparent. But what significance does the year 1177 BCE hold for human society and its collapse? Dr. Eric H. Cline joins the podcast to shed light on this pivotal moment...

Dr. Cline is a Professor of Classics, History, and Anthropology at George Washington University, a classical and biblical archaeologist, and an ancient historian. His research focuses on biblical archaeology, the military history of the Mediterranean world, the Bronze Age Aegean, and more.

Well-renowned in his field as a National Geographic Explorer, Fulbright scholar, NEH Public Scholar, Getty Scholar, and award-winning author, Dr. Cline is on a mission to uncover history’s greatest mysteries. What can his work tell us about the distant past? Dive in now to find out!

In this episode, we discuss:

• What we can learn from the fall of human civilization.
• Common misconceptions about archeological fieldwork.
• The historical context of human civilization in 1177 BCE.
• The network of societies that existed in the Bronze Age.

To learn more about Dr. Cline’s work with ancient history, click here. Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/30PvU9

In this episode, we discuss the importance of soil health with Michelle M. Wander, the Director of the Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture Program and Associate Professor of Soil Fertility/Ecology at the University of Illinois. She also directs the Wander Soil Ecology Lab, where she works to encourage soil stewardship and management using cutting-edge research.

Michelle has been involved in soil science for over 30 years. Interested in agroecology and agricultural sustainability, she is on a mission to better understand biologically-based fertility – specifically how it impacts soil organic matter and soil biology...

Join us now to learn more about:

• The difference between conventional and regenerative farming practices.
• How soil management methods can be developed to support various ecosystems.
• What soil degradation is, and why it happens.
• The ways that crop rotation can enhance soil fertility.

To learn more about Michelle and her work, visit the Wander Soil Ecology Lab here!

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Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/30PvU9C

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Judy Illes and Anthony Hannan to discuss the International Brain Initiative – a coalition that seeks to catalyze and advance neuroscience through international collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Dr. Illes is a Professor of Neurology and a Distinguished University Scholar in Neuroethics at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She is also the Director of Neuroethics Canada at UBC, and faculty in the Brain Research Centre at UBC and at the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. Her work revolves around the intersection of neurosciences and biomedical ethics, specifically looking at them from an ethical, legal, social, and political perspective.

Anthony Hannon is the Head of the Neural Plasticity Laboratory at Florey Neuroscience Institutes, and an Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia. Currently, his research focuses on cognitive and psychiatric illnesses, including conditions like Huntington’s disease.

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Join the conversation now to find out:

• What the International Brain Initiative is, and how it has evolved over the years.
• How big data is changing science, and the importance of sharing it internationally.
• Obstacles that exist in the peer-review process.
• What the open neuroscience movement is, and how it’s expanding scientific research.

Want to learn more about the International Brain Initiative? Click here now!

Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/30PvU9C