Double-stranded

Mike Kaz

Exploring the fascinating world of genetics and its impact on human health! We break down complex science topics like DNA, genome wide association studies, CRISPR gene editing, and epigenetics into accessible conversations. Join us for weekly episodes covering cutting-edge biology research and how your genome shapes your health. Subscribe for the latest genetic discoveries explained simply!

  1. 1 Aug

    Why 1 BILLION people can't get malaria

    The Duffy antigen gene (DARC) mutation and GATA1 transcription factor binding site explain how a single T-46C promoter variant causes the Duffy-negative blood type and natural resistance to Plasmodium vivax malaria. Paper discussed in the video: Disruption of a GATA motif in the Duffy gene promoter abolishes erythroid gene expression in Duffy–negative individuals https://www.nature.com/articles/ng0695-224 Tools I use to make these type of videos: https://e2g.stanford.edu/

  2. 25 Jul

    The ZPBP2 Asthma Gene Explained in 9 Minutes

    Rs12936231, one tiny DNA switch on chromosome 17 raises your risk of asthma, type 1 diabetes, and 3 other autoimmune diseases at once. We trace the real biobank data live and reveal how a weakened CTCF boundary explains it all. Paper discussed in the video: Allele-Specific Chromatin Remodeling in the ZPBP2/GSDMB/ORMDL3 Locus Associated with the Risk of Asthma and Autoimmune Disease https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajhg.2009.08.007 Tools I use to make these type of videos: https://platform.opentargets.org/ https://e2g.stanford.edu/ https://github.com/statgen/pheweb https://smart.embl.de/smart/change_mode.cgi

  3. 17 Jul

    Finnish? this mutation → brain cancer

    A single DNA letter (rs55705857) makes Finns 6x more likely to get brain cancer. We trace it live from FinnGen PheWAS to AlphaFold to reveal how it hijacks the MYC oncogene. Paper discussed in the video: A noncoding single-nucleotide polymorphism at 8q24 drives IDH1-mutant glioma formation https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.abj2890 Tools I use to make these type of videos: https://platform.opentargets.org/ https://e2g.stanford.edu/ https://github.com/statgen/pheweb

  4. 29/09/2025

    The Killer Gene That FOUGHT BACK

    In this deep dive, we break down the journey of the PIM Kinase target. We explore the complex PIM1 molecular mechanism, examine why first-generation pan-PIM inhibitors like AZD-1208 faced safety issues and a lack of monotherapy efficacy, and reveal the final clinical verdict of the Terminated and Completed Phase 1 studies. 📖 Video Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:05 - Biobanks Associations for PIM1 22:18 - PIM1 Gene 39:00 - PIM1 Protein 52:52 - PIM1 Known Drugs and Clinical Trials

  5. 24/09/2025

    The Mysterious Gene Behind Blood Clots

    Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment decisions. Always consult with healthcare professionals for medical advice. In this episode, we explore the association between the PEAR1 gene and various platelet disorders. Using data and research, we aim to explain the significance of platelet count and the effects of thrombocytopenia and low platelets in these conditions. This includes genetic analysis of the genome. #genetics #blood #platelets

  6. 22/09/2025

    KGWAS: novel genetics discovery enabled by massive functional genomics knowledge graph

    KGWAS is a novel geometric deep learning method that leverages a massive functional knowledge graph across variants and genes to significantly improve detection power in small-cohort GWASs. Thank you, Kexin Huang and Martin Jinye Zhang, for joining me on this one.Preprint:https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.11...GitHub Page:https://github.com/snap-stanford/KGWASOfficial Website:https://kgwas.stanford.edu/ 📖 Video Chapters:0:00 - Introduction to Rare Disease Genetics Problem0:54 - Welcome & Paper Overview1:22 - What is KGWAS? The Elevator Pitch2:41 - Why Finding More GWAS Hits Matters4:46 - Origin Story: Collaboration with GSK6:09 - Knowledge Graph Architecture Overview7:36 - Building the Variant-Gene-Pathway Network9:55 - Handling Linkage Disequilibrium (LD) Challenges13:55 - Training the Large-Scale Graph Neural Network14:16 - Model Training Requirements and Scalability15:22 - Open Source Availability and Accessibility16:05 - Scaling to Whole Genome Analysis17:12 - Figure 2: Validation Through Simulations18:24 - UK Biobank Downsampling Experiments20:04 - Precision-Recall Performance Results21:00 - Figure 3: Real-World Disease Applications21:38 - Ulcerative Colitis Case Study Example22:48 - Experimental Validation of Ulcerative Colitis Discovery24:03 - Myasthenia Gravis Case Study Analysis26:10 - Knowledge Graph Component Analysis and Ablation Studies27:54 - Tissue-Specific vs Context-Agnostic Approaches32:03 - Figure 4: Network Interpretation and Attention Mechanisms36:30 - Alzheimer's Disease Network Visualization40:01 - Drug Development Applications and Implications41:15 - Post-GWAS Era Applications and End-to-End Solutions43:01 - Figure 5: Compatibility with Existing GWAS Tools48:16 - Population Diversity and Cross-Ancestry Applications49:41 - Future Directions and Technical Improvements52:16 - Input/Output Requirements and Computational Resources54:28 - Website Demo and Interactive Features56:59 - PhD Student Advice and Research Philosophy59:36 - Closing Remarks

  7. 18/08/2025

    Low overlap of transcription factor DNA binding and regulatory targets

    This podcast was made possible by CIUT-FM 89.5, University of Toronto Community Radio. For more content visit https://ciut.fm/ Link to the paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08916-0 Join me in a conversation with two of the authors, Lakshmi Mahendrawada and Steven Hahn.

  8. 17/07/2025

    K562 cell Masterclass | Dr. Tom Karagiannis

    This podcast was made possible by CIUT-FM 89.5, University of Toronto Community Radio. For more content, visit https://ciut.fm/ Join us for this comprehensive masterclass episode as we explore the fascinating world of K562 cells with Dr. Tom Karagiannis, who has worked with these remarkable cells for almost three decades. From his first encounter with them as a young researcher in 1996 during the exciting era of targeted therapy development, Dr. Karagiannis shares both the scientific breakthroughs and practical realities of working with these "weeds" of the lab. 📖 Video Chapters: 0:00 - The 1917 Origin Story: A Woman's Legacy 2:40 - Interview Begins: Dr. Tom Karagiannis on K562 Basics 5:42 - The 1990s Gleevec Revolution: Why K562 Cells Became Essential 7:10 - The Lozio Discovery: From Patient to Immortal Cell Line 8:48 - What Makes K562 Cells Special: Continuous Growth vs Normal Cells 10:36 - Cell Culture Evolution: From Glass Pipettes to Modern Labs 12:18 - Historical Context: HeLa Cells to Cancer Virus Research 14:26 - The Philadelphia Chromosome: Understanding the Genetic Driver 17:06 - Gleevec Revolution: The First Targeted Cancer Therapy 19:48 - K562 Cell Genetics: The Near-Triploid Puzzle 21:00 - Cell Differentiation: Research Applications and Advantages 24:08 - Transferrin Receptor Research: Dr. Tom's Early Work 28:37 - K562 Cells as "Weeds": Why They're So Easy to Grow 33:08 - Evolution of Cancer Research: From Targeted Therapy to CAR-T 35:42 - Personal Research Stories: Genetic Discoveries and Insights 36:03 - Genetic Discoveries: Novel Chromosomes and Cellular Evolution 42:27 - Drug Resistance Studies: Creating Doxorubicin-Resistant Cell Lines 44:12 - Epigenetic Research: HDAC Inhibitors and Combination Therapies 49:16 - Combination Therapy Mechanisms: How HDAC Inhibitors Enhance Chemotherapy 50:40 - Drug Resistance Reality: Gleevec Limitations and Cancer Stem Cells 53:54 - K562's Continued Value: Why Genetic Drift Doesn't Diminish Research Utility 57:27 - PhD Advice

See All (17)

About

Exploring the fascinating world of genetics and its impact on human health! We break down complex science topics like DNA, genome wide association studies, CRISPR gene editing, and epigenetics into accessible conversations. Join us for weekly episodes covering cutting-edge biology research and how your genome shapes your health. Subscribe for the latest genetic discoveries explained simply!

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Kaz
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Mike Kaz
  • Show Website
    Double-stranded

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