Speaking of Mol Bio - Cheers to molecular Biology

Cheers to molecular Biology

05/15/24 • 34 min

While the end product is quite different, brewing beer is not all that different than many other bioproduction processes used in the lab and industry. Both require skills, experience, and the right QC/QA methods to control and monitor the starting materials and the entire process, all the way to that bottle of suds you might be thirsty for.

Steve and Gabriel talk with Kelly Tretter, a microbiologist with more than 30 years of experience in the brewing industry, to discuss brewing at the molecular level. The passion of all three for beer is evident in the conversation, which spans from the basics of the brewing process all the way into the use of molecular methods (e.g., PCR, sequencing, HPLC, GC/MS, ICP, etc.) used to test and monitor starting materials and in-process samples.

You’ll leave with an elevated appreciation of what brewers do, and you’ll likely be ready for another pint too!

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Visit the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology to access helpful molecular biology resources and educational content, and please share this resource with anyone you know working in molecular biology.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

You’ll leave with an elevated appreciation of what brewers do, and you’ll likely be ready for another pint too!

Subscribe to get future episodes as they drop and if you like what you’re hearing we hope you’ll share a review or recommend the series to a colleague.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Previous Episode

Unsung heroes of food health and safety

When you buy chicken or turkey from the grocery store, you might not give it much thought, but there is an entire network of people working to ensure the health of the animals in our food supply chain and your health. In this episode, we talk with an unsung hero, Beverly Wood, supervisor of the molecular diagnostics lab at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, who works tirelessly to ensure the health and safety of poultry and livestock animals in our food supply chain.

Our conversation delves into the types of samples and volume of testing that Beverly and her team do on a routine basis uncovers how their work changes as they move between surveillance and outbreak modes of operation, and gets into the molecular testing workflows they use. Given that her lab analyzes more than 30,000 samples a year, the discussion also touches on advancements in sample preparation and PCR that help enable this level of throughput, while delivering the rigor and reliability their lab requires.

Join us to learn about the unsung heroes, both people and molecular methods, that deliver food health and safety.

Subscribe to get future episodes as they drop and if you like what you’re hearing we hope you’ll share a review or recommend the series to a colleague.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Next Episode

Scientific marketing in the century of the biotech revolution

Most scientists start their education and careers with a vision of working in the lab to discover great things and drive innovation. However, we don’t all end up loving the actual lab work portion of science. What non-lab career options exist to utilize molecular biology knowledge and skills? Well, according to our guest, Jason Amsbaugh, Founder and CEO of Samba Scientific, the career options are far more plentiful than you may think.

Scientific marketing, according to Jason, is one such role that is all about understanding the science, first and foremost, but it’s also about effective communication. Essentially, he and his team have to balance technical knowledge with creativity to understand a wide variety of client products and services, uncover the core benefits of those products and services, and then develop marketing content that holds water when put in front of scientists who are, according to Jason, “skeptical” by nature.

Our conversation covers Jason’s own career path, current trending technologies, the use of AI in both science and marketing, ethics in scientific marketing, and more. If you’ve ever wondered about what roles exist outside of the lab and how to move your career in that direction, this episode is for you. If you’re happy in your lab-based career but want to have a bit more faith in those selling you the products you use, this episode is also for you!

Visit our virtual lab: www.thermofisher.com//molbiovirtuallab

Subscribe to get future episodes as they drop and if you like what you’re hearing we hope you’ll share a review or recommend the series to a colleague.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.