We're doomed we're saved - The Biorevolution Podcast

Louise von Stechow
  • 5.0 (8)
  • LIFE SCIENCES
  • MONTHLY
We're doomed we're saved - The Biorevolution Podcast

"We're Doomed, We're Saved" with Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow – father and daughter, journalist and biologist, talking about the technologies of the biorevolution. Can genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence save humanity from disease, climate change, and overpopulation, or are these technologies the first step towards its downfall? Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow, Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics but do not claim to give medical, investment, or life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Image: Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash

  1. We're doomed we're saved #28

    1 NOV

    We're doomed we're saved #28

    Science can be complex and difficult to grasp, yet public understanding is crucial for navigating issues like disease risk, climate change, and pandemics. Clear, engaging science communication can help prevent misinformation and conspiracy theories, offering facts in place of myths. But how can we make science more digestible and appealing? Counterintuitively, it might be less facts and more emotions that can help to make science more appealing, more impactful – both when communicating to the public and to fellow scientists. In episode 28 of We’re doomed, We’re saved, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow discuss strategies for scientific storytelling, drawing on principles that go back to ancient Greece and draw from modern brain science. Spoiler: It´s not as hard as it may look. Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow Image: FUJIFILM, X100F via Unsplash Further reading: Cron, Lisa: "Wired for story, The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence" Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed, 2012 Gallo, Carmine: "Talk like Ted" Main Market Edition, 2022

    40 min
  2. We're doomed we're saved #27

    1 OCT

    We're doomed we're saved #27

    In the expensive and failure-prone process of drug development, artificial intelligence (AI) can serve both as an efficiency tool and as a creativity tool. Increased efficiency means shorter timelines, reduced investment, and earlier insights into success or failure. This can lead to more opportunities to bring new drugs to patients. Increased creativity means exploring new areas in drug discovery and development, such as identifying new patterns in targets, drug molecules, and patient populations that may be unintelligible to the human eye. While we are witnessing the first tangible milestones of AI in drug development, the hype in the field can lead to inflated expectations of its benefits. To assess the true potential of the technology, we must also recognize its challenges, such as the algorithms' "black box" nature, their propensity for hallucination, and data bias. Only by being transparent about both the potential and the limitations of AI can we increase the trust of drug developers—and most importantly, our customers: patients. Listen to episode 27 of We’re Doomed, We’re Saved to learn more about the potential of AI for pharma and biotech. Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow Image: ej-strat-VjWi56AWQ9k-unsplashvia Unsplash References: 1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02361-0 2. https://www.wired.com/2016/03/two-moves-alphago-lee-sedol-redefined-future/ 3. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02896-9 4. https://www.nature.com/articles/d43747-024-00084-w 5. https://www.nature.com/articles/d43747-024-00084-w 6. https://www.nature.com/articles/d43747-024-00084-w 7. https://endpts.com/the-endpoints-slack-interview-siddhartha-mukherjee-on-the-doctor-writer-worldview-ai-and-the-future-of-cancer/ 8. https://endpts.com/the-endpoints-slack-interview-siddhartha-mukherjee-on-the-doctor-writer-worldview-ai-and-the-future-of-cancer/ 9. https://hbr.org/2024/05/ais-trust-problem

    32 min
  3. We're doomed we're saved #26

    2 SEPT

    We're doomed we're saved #26

    How will the medicine of the future look? Healthcare and medicine are on the verge of transformative change, driven by new technologies such as artificial intelligence, telemedicine, and wearable devices. Alongside the technologization and virtualization of medicine, there is a shift from reactive "fix the broken" approaches to preventative strategies and from one-size-fits-all treatments to personalized medicine. In this future, human healthcare professionals and machines will work hand-in-hand to deliver the best possible care, with empowered patients acting as equal decision-makers who understand and access their own healthcare data. However, a darker scenario could see medicine becoming fully industrialized and dehumanized. In episode 26 of We’re Doomed, We’re Saved, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow outline the key trends shaping the future of medicine and discuss the opportunities and risks that accompany these developments. Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow Image: alexander-sinn-KgLtFCgfC28-unsplash via Unsplash References: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-019-0693-y?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0RAb4UU5v5896AQfVNYfdCpLi80iN7JwoZux55ffxyI9W7TMsqVPakS3M_aem_49GYkWynL_l8fmMWXq_Xlg https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/zukunftsthemen/megatrend-gesundheit https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03097-1#Sec9 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02700-1 https://ai.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/AIcs2300145 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-022-01451-7 https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMra2215899?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/167866/information-handling-some-health-apps-secure/ https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1357633X211022907 https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/life-sciences/our-insights/germanys-e-health-infrastructure-strengthens-but-digital-uptake-is-lagging https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/life-sciences/our-insights/german-e-health-offerings-expand-but-adoption-remains-uneven https://empeek.com/insights/everything-about-telemedicine-statistics-usage-trends/ https://blogs.deloitte.co.uk/health/2023/11/the-future-of-health-in-europe-digital-equitable-sustainable.html https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/uk/Documents/life-sciences-health-care/deloitte-uk-shaping-the-future-of-european-healthcare.pdf https://www.nature.com/articles/s41569-021-00522-7 https://web-assets.bcg.com/1e/74/5d14d48346bcb56a79c6e7e7ba0f/bcg-the-future-of-digital-health-2024-jan-2024-1.pdf

    31 min
  4. We're doomed we're saved #25

    2 AUG

    We're doomed we're saved #25

    Some 36 months after the release of ChatGPT, the verdict is still out on the role that large language models (LLMs) will play in biotech, pharma, and medicine. On paper, the range of tasks that LLMs can perform in biomedical research and healthcare is vast—excavating relevant information for drug discovery from mountains of scientific literature, designing novel proteins, transcribing doctors' notes, aiding diagnostic decision-making, and acting as patient-facing chatbots. But given the models’ propensity to hallucinate, we need to define how much error we can tolerate for different LLM use cases in the biomedical fields and create evaluation frameworks that allow us to apply the models confidently. In some cases, it might turn out that the time spent for human supervision of the model will outweigh the efficiency gain. In episode 25 of We’re doomed we’re saved we talk to idalab founder and mathematician, Paul von Bünau we discuss the promise and challenges of LLMs in the biomedical field and ask the question if we can ever stop them from hallucinating. Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow Image: jo-coenen-studio-dries-2-6-yST9mzlMVLQ via Unsplash References: Excavating scientific literature 1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-023-01788-7 2. https://idalab.de/insights/how-large-language-models-excavate-crucial-information-to-scale-drug-discovery 3. https://www.cell.com/molecular-therapy-family/nucleic-acids/fulltext/S2162-2531(23)00222-6#secsectitle0015 Unburdening Healthcare 1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02700-1 2. https://medium.com/mantisnlp/applications-of-llms-in-patient-care-83e07548dbb1#:~:text=Applications%20of%20LLMs%20in%20Patient%20Care%201%201.,6%206.%20Personalized%20Health%20Plans%20and%20Coaching%20 3. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02700-1 4. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2303.16416 5. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-46411-8 6. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00330-023-10213-1 7. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00330-023-10213-1 8. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00330-023-10213-1 9. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03097-1#Sec9 Reading molecular language 1. https://academic.oup.com/bioinformatics/article/36/4/1234/5566506 2. https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.03598 3. https://resources.nvidia.com/en-us-hc-biopharma/hc-solution-overview-5 4. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41592-024-02201-0#author-information 5. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ginkgo-bioworks-and-google-cloud-partner-to-build-next-generation-ai-platform-for-biological-engineering-and-biosecurity-301912283.html 6. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-61124-0 7. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-022-01618-2 8. https://www.biopharmatrend.com/post/835-14-companies-pioneering-ai-foundation-models-in-pharma-and-biotech/ 9. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.11.523679v1 10. https://bmcbioinformatics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12859-024-05847-x 11. https://bmcbioinformatics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12859-024-05847-x 12. https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.04197 13. https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.07621

    37 min
  5. We're doomed we're saved #24

    2 JUL

    We're doomed we're saved #24

    Rare or orphan diseases affect only a small percentage of the population and often lack effective treatments. While rare individually, in total, more than 350 million people worldwide live with rare diseases. Many of these are very hard to diagnose, let alone cure, and the rarity of patients challenges the development of novel treatments. To make the development of drugs for rare diseases more efficient and successful, artificial intelligence could be an important ally not only for drug makers but also for patients. In episode 24 of "We’re Doomed, We’re Saved," Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow discuss the benefits and challenges of using AI for drug development in rare diseases. Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow Image: Geranimo via Unsplash

    32 min
  6. We're doomed we're saved #23

    3 JUN

    We're doomed we're saved #23

    When we think about revolutions, we think of systemic changes in politics, economics, and lifestyles. Revolutions transform how we live, work, interact, and communicate. In the past, political uprisings and new technologies, from the steam engine to the smartphone, have led to such transformative changes. Now, a revolution driven by novel biotechnologies (gene editing, neuroprosthetics, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence in biotech) has the potential to not only change the way we live but the very foundations of our lives – our biology. But is the so-called biorevolution a real "scientific revolution"? In the new episode of "We're Doomed, We're Saved," Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow look at the biorevolution from different angles, examining its transformative potential and comparing it to revolutions that came before. Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow Image: Acton Crawford via Unsplash

    43 min
  7. We're doomed we're saved #22

    3 MAY

    We're doomed we're saved #22

    Polygenic risk scores (PRS), put simply, look at gene variants across the human genome in order to determine an individual's risk of getting a disease, from different types of cancer to type II diabetes. PRS could complement current risk prediction models and lead to a more accurate risk prediction. However, for PRS to become a useful clinical instrument, transparent ways to assess their performance and careful communication of disease risks to individuals are key. In episode 22 of We’re doomed we’re saved, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow speak to two PRS researchers, who contributed to the international and interdisciplinary, EU-funded INTERVENE project. Brooke Wolford, a Postdoctoral Fellow in the HUNT Center for Molecular and Clinical Epidemiology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Kristi Läll, a researcher in statistical genetics at Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, share their expertise on PRSs and discuss the potential of PRSs in the clinic and pinpoint strategies for addressing biases in PRS. Learn more about IINTERVENE here: INTERVENE is coordinated by the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland at the University of Helsinki. The project includes 17 research and other organizations from 10 countries. Learn more about INTERVENE here: https://www.interveneproject.eu/ You can read more about Brooke at https://bnwolford.github.io/ Also check out recent publications here: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.11.20.23298215v1 https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.12.23291186v1 Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow Image: Acton Crawford via Unsplash

    41 min
  8. We're doomed we're saved #21

    3 APR

    We're doomed we're saved #21

    Aging is a dynamic process characterized by the accumulation of cell damage, tissue, and organ degeneration, and diminished function. This process of decline appears to be an inevitable aspect of human existence. In recent years, however, advancements in scientific understanding of aging bring us closer to extending the human lifespan. With their guests, Dr. Jürgen Reess and Prof. Hartmut Geiger, founders of Moglingbio, Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler explore the complex science underlying the process of aging and the challenges faced by the budding longevity industry. They talk about the potential for rejuvenating aged cells in human tissues and the ethical considerations of extending the human lifespan. Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast. Image: Marcelo Leal via Unsplash References: Theories and Hallmarks of Aging 1. https://www.afar.org/imported/AFAR_INFOAGING_GUIDE_THEORIES_OF_AGING_2016.pdf 2. https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/the-evolution-of-aging-23651151/ 3. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41576-022-00513-5 4. https://www.cell.com/fulltext/S0092-8674(13)00645-4 5. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-022-00335-4 6. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/27/magazine/global-life-span.html Life-prolonging treatments and Cell Rejuvenation 1. https://www.science.org/content/article/feature-man-who-wants-beat-back-aging 2. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-023-00416-y 3. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04282-9 4. https://dogagingproject.org/triad 5. https://www.dvcstem.com/post/anti-aging-stem-cells 6. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/bone-marrow-transplant/in-depth/stem-cells/art-20048117 7. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/fda-warns-about-stem-cell-therapies 8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27286740/ 9. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-023-01343-5 10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9023768/ 11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35859206/ 12. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41536-022-00275-y 13. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-023-00528-5 14. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-01923-y 15. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-023-00373-6 The longevity industry 1. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/life-sciences-and-health-care/articles/longevity-science.html 2. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/05/03/will-you-live-to-200-five-levels-of-breakthroughs-in-longevity-research-you-must-know-about/ 3. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/may/02/could-we-make-aging-a-thing-of-the-past 4. https://longevity.technology/news/unity-cuts-lead-program-after-clinical-trial-fail/ 5. https://longevity.technology/news/global-longevity-investment-hit-5-2-billion-in-2022/ 6. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41587-022-00002-4 7. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexzhavoronkov/2023/09/16/what-is-a-longevity-biotechnology-company/?sh=4d4ac9a7702a 8. https://venturebeat.com/business/the-brains-behind-calico-bill-maris-of-google-ventures/ 9. https://spannr.com/articles/longevity-industry-introduction#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20longevity%20industry%3F%20The%20longevity%20industry,promote%20healthy%20aging%20and%20improve%20quality%20of%20life. 10. https://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/03/tech/innovation/google-calico-aging-death/index.html

    43 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

"We're Doomed, We're Saved" with Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow – father and daughter, journalist and biologist, talking about the technologies of the biorevolution. Can genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence save humanity from disease, climate change, and overpopulation, or are these technologies the first step towards its downfall? Content and Editing: Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler Disclaimer: Louise von Stechow, Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics but do not claim to give medical, investment, or life advice in the podcast. Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here: scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/ Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/ Image: Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash

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