In this episode of Science with a Twist, host Terri Somers speaks with Kat Knauer, Ph.D., Senior Researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Chief Technology Officer of the BOTTLE Consortium. They delve into both the value of plastics and the pervasive issue of plastic pollution and its impact on the environment. Kat shares insights on the role scientific research and industries play in addressing plastic waste and promoting sustainability. Kat’s expertise offers listeners a...

In this episode of Science with a Twist, Dr. Peter Marks, Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the FDA, joins host Dr. Timothy Miller to dive into the complexities and promise of gene therapy. They discuss the potential of gene therapy to revolutionize medicine, narrowing in on the scientific progress made and recent advancements in treating patients and families with Rare Diseases. Dr. Marks shares insights on the FDA's role in ensuring safety and efficacy,...

In this episode of Science with a Twist, host Rosy Lee welcomes Joshua J. Coon, a distinguished professor from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and head of Coon Laboratories. They dive into the fascinating world of mass spectrometry and its revolutionary impact on biomedical research. Coon shares his journey from rural Michigan to a leading figure in mass spectrometry, highlighting his passion for both science and instrument building. The conversation shifts to Joshua's groundbreaking...

In this episode of Science with a Twist, host Dr. Obiageli Okafor dives into the pressing issue of global health equity in HIV treatment, emphasizing the pivotal role of HIV drug resistance testing. She highlights Brazil's commendable efforts, which include providing free antiretroviral drugs and access to no-cost CD4 and viral load testing. This proactive approach has led to a significant reduction in HIV cases in the country. Guest Dr. Ricardo Diaz, a renowned infectious disease expert...

Semiconductors are silicon chips that conduct electricity in concrete and sophisticated ways, allowing them to be the brains of most devices that drive our modern lives. But despite the projections saying the semiconductor industry will hit the trillion-dollar mark by 2030, it's still facing many challenges. For instance, supply shortages have led to bottlenecks in the production of everything from cars to home appliances. The deficit shows how critical these tiny silicon chips are to the...

In this episode of Science with a Twist, host Meron Mathias engages in a riveting discussion with Maya Ajmera from the Society for Science and Eleanor Sigrest, a previous winner of Society’s middle school STEM competition. The conversation revolves around the critical need for diversity in STEM fields and the role of competitions like the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge in increasing equitable access to high-quality STEM learning experiences. The dialogue delves into...

In this Science with a Twist episode, host Jami Elliott engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Jeff Shaman, Chief Scientific Officer at Coriell Life Sciences. They delve into the fascinating world of precision medicine and pharmacogenomics, exploring how these fields are revolutionizing healthcare by tailoring treatments to individual patient characteristics. Jeff illustrates the concept of pharmacogenomics, explaining how it combines pharmacology and genomics to understand how a...

Water is the source of life. Still, we live in a world where some people have limited access to drinking water, and let’s not forget the horror stories about oil or chemical spills that raise additional concerns regarding the state of our water systems. This episode of Science with a Twist is dedicated to the importance of testing water for PFAS. Our guest is Dr. Lee Ferguson, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Duke University. Dr. Ferguson and host John...

We are keenly aware of the pressing need to care for our environment and the incredible potential of innovation to drive positive change. Green chemistry plays a pivotal role in sustainability by promoting environmentally benign and socially responsible chemical processes and products. It's all about reducing pollution and conserving precious resources in ways that benefit both the planet and our communities. In this episode of the Science with a Twist podcast, our host Vinod Mirchandani...

Cell therapy is a promising field that uses living cells to treat disease. And it's a powerful way to improve the immune system's ability to fight cancer. But cell therapies have other potential medical applications, such as treating autoimmune diseases, cardiac or pulmonary fibrosis, and infectious diseases. In this episode of the Science with a Twist podcast, our host Rupa Pike welcomes Dr. Wendell Lim, Professor of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at the University of California, San...

We live in an increasingly diverse world, and in order to deliver the best quality healthcare, we need to embrace and improve patient diversity in clinical trials. But how do we improve clinical research and expand treatment access to a more diverse patient population? In the second and final episode of our Clinical Research Series on the Science with a Twist podcast, our host Lloryn Hubbard welcomes Nik Kolatkar, VP of Scientific Operations & Evidence Generation at Genentech. They...

Clinical trials are essential for the discovery of new treatments and support the development of new life-saving drugs and medical devices that can benefit millions worldwide. But one of the greatest challenges in clinical research is the lack of representation. We kick off our two-episode Clinical Research Series on the Science with a Twist podcast, as our host John Manns welcomes guests Tim Rich and Thad Wolfram. Tim is the VP of Digital and Decentralized Services for the PPD clinical...

Biomarker testing for targeted therapies is a game changer for lung cancer, and it ensures that patients get the proper treatment at the right time. But how do we make it accessible to all patients, regardless of race or ethnicity? In this episode of the Science with a Twist podcast, our host Jeff Smith welcomes Dr. Upal Basu Roy, the executive director of Research at LUNGevity. They talk about the importance of diversity in the oncology workforce, why it's essential to be more inclusive,...

In this Science with a Twist episode, our host Kathy Davy is joined by Dr. Jeffrey Scott, the chief medical officer and president of population health solutions at ​Integra Connect​. Dr. Scott's team is on a mission to help specialty care organizations – from providers and health systems to payers and life sciences companies become clinically and financially successful with value-based precision medicine. As part of this mission, Integra Connect and Thermo Fisher recently collaborated on...

Cryo-electron microscopy, or cryo-EM, is a powerful structural analysis method. It's being used to help researchers better understand cancer and see how biomolecules move and interact in the body. But Penn State's cryo-EM technique is one of a kind. In this episode of the Science with a Twist podcast, our host Kathy Davy welcomes Deb Kelly, the director of the Center for Structural Oncology at Penn State University. They talk about Professor Kelly's approach to cancer research, how it's...

Genomics, or the field of microbiology devoted to studying genomes, has the potential to help us diagnose and more precisely target disease; but we can also use genomics to understand the biological link between the environment, humans, and animals. In this episode of the Science with a Twist podcast, our host Candia Brown welcomes Luther King Abia Akebe, Associate Professor of Applied & Environmental Microbiology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. They talk...

Many of us have created time capsules — boxes filled with objects from when we were growing up — and buried them in the backyard for future generations to discover. However, a group of experts from various fields have taken this to the next level and created a time capsule that will be sent to the moon. In this episode of Science with a Twist, our host Sung-Dae Hong welcomes Dylan Vitone, Mark Baskinger, and Matt Zywica. Mark, Dylan, and Matt are associate professors at Carnegie Mellon...

Most people think that forensic science is just used to solve crimes. But, forensics can offer so much more. When partnered with other sciences, forensics can help us get answers to historical questions. Therefore, forensics can bring history closer to the non-scientific community and help the public understand its impact on humankind. In this episode of Science with a Twist, Dr. Marta Diepenbroek joins host Sheri Olson to discuss DNA analysis and its impact on identifying the victims of...

COVID-19 has gone through a gamut of changes over the last two years. And it has been brewing in different populations much faster than other recent viruses. Further, even though viruses undergo mutation constantly, most other viruses have not managed to trigger a pandemic the way COVID did. In this episode of the Science With a Twist podcast, our host and Chief Scientific Officer at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Karen Nelson, welcomes Kamini Varma and Andy Felton. Kamini is the Vice...

In 2020, we had hoped that 2021 would signify the end of the coronavirus. But, here we are, in 2022, and the pandemic is still going on. Fortunately, things do seem to be getting back to normal, but we still have a long way to go before we can say that coronavirus is over. Therefore, new technology to help fight the virus is becoming increasingly important. In this episode of Science with a Twist, Miguel Faustino and Michelle Jensen join our host, Ron O'Brien to discuss the AerosolSense...

On this episode of Science With a Twist, Ron O’Brien interviews Matthew Moon, a CAR-T cell therapy recipient who was able to beat leukemia thanks to the advances in the field. Matthew and Ron discuss the timeline of health-related events that led to Matthew’s diagnosis and his unique journey to find a life-saving cell therapy clinical trial. After speaking with Matthew, Ron interviews Stephen Majors, Director of Government Affairs at the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine. Stephen gives Ron...

On this special Earth-Day episode of Science With a Twist, Ron O’Brien speaks with Emelia DeForce, Field Applications Scientist for Laboratory Plastics & Essentials at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Emelia and Ron chat about sustainability, what it means, and why we should all care about it.

Manoj Gandhi, Sr. Medical Director at Thermo Fisher Scientific, interviews Dr. Stephen Morse, professor of epidemiology at Columbia University. Manoj and Stephen address the doubts expressed by the general public regarding testing for COVID-19 and the need for continued testing even as vaccination rates continue to increase.

Billy Boyle, CEO of Owlstone Medical, sits down with Ron O'Brien to talk about breath biopsy. This technology provides an entirely new way to access this information by collecting and analyzing breath samples.