Inside Biotech Ananta Wadhwa, Kathy Grotsch PhD, Gabriella Rubert, Leo Ying

Dr. Ivan Godinez is the Director of Product Management for the Proteintech genomics division. Ivan describes how his work translates the latest developments in proteomics and genomics to accessible biotechnology for consumers. Dr. Godinez relates the importance of his training as a PhD scientist and valuable soft skills developed to be a successful director of product management.

Join a conversation about different types of roles in biotech, through the experience of Joyee Yao, a next-generation sequencing specialist, at Complete Genomics. After joining a research lab as an undergrad volunteer, Joy decided to join the next-generation sequencing (NGS) space as a technical specialist before pivoting into the sales space.

What is NGS? Previously termed massively parallel sequencing, NGS technology can identify the sequence of DNA or RNA for MANY strands at once instead of simply one strand at a time. This means, scientists can use NGS to exame sequences of thousands of genes at once to try and identify which one could contain a mutation that could be making a person sick. NGS technology isn’t limited to just DNA sequencing; this high-throughput technology can also be used to quantify mRNA. mRNA is what is translated into proteins; for many genes, the amount of mRNA made from a gene correlates to the amount of protein made from that same gene. Just like that, we have access to massive amounts of data that can tell us about our genes, and the implications held in the proteins they encode.

Almost twenty years since the commercialization of NGS technology, we are continuing to see novel developments and improvements in the applications of NGS - ChIP-seq, Single-nucleus sequencing, spatial transcriptomics to name a few. And today, I am excited to talk to Joyee Yao, sequencing solution specialist at Complete Genomics, about her experience working in the NGS industry space over the past decade.

This month's episode is all about biotech product development outside of healthcare in the consumer market of skincare and beauty with the overall goal of expanding diversity and inclusivity. Gabriella had a chance to sit down with AJ Addae, Founder and Formulation Chemist at SULA LABS, which is a research and development company known for providing product development expertise, clinical testing, and laboratory resources to independent companies in the skincare and beauty market. Their partnerships consist of Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC), nonbinary, and women-owned independent businesses, and their clientele have affiliations with Sephora, Unilever, Target, Credo, and Ulta. Listen in to hear all about AJ's inspiring work transforming the approach to product development to foster inclusivity in a consumer market centered around our largest organ - skin!

Artificial intelligence has become an integral part of contemporary society, permeating facets of daily life including art, business, and even cars. Perhaps one of the most exciting fronts on which AI is pioneering progress is in the hospital. Inside Biotech host Gabriella gets a chance to sit down and talk to the CEO of a NeuraSignal, a company that’s been committed to improving healthcare diagnostics for brain diseases by infusing existing med-tech with AI for a decade.

When we think about food, we typically don’t think about bugs in a positive light. However, there is an insect who has a crucial role in ensuring successful harvests of healthy crops - bees! Bees are pollinators, meaning they help pollen from one plant get to other in order for plant reproduction to occur. Now, bees don’t behave this way randomly; they’ve evolved to participate in this symbiotic relationship. If we knew all the chemical and biological mechanisms driving this behavior, theoretically, we could leverage those forces to work with the goals of farmers up against unprecedented climate change and population growth.
Companies developing Agriculture-based technology, or Ag-tech, are interested in using science to improve how we grow crops.
Today, I am going to be talking to Angelita de la Luz Global Director of Pollination Operations at Beeflow about how she helps implement ag tech in the field in a pesticide-free, bee-safe way!

There are high chances that each of you knows someone who has been affected by a mental health disorder. The stigma around these conversations has decreased compared to previous decades, which has opened up a whole new discourse regarding mental health struggles and treatments. Listen to hear Gabriella talk to CEO of Vistagen, Shawn Singh, about current research going on at Vistagen to use nasal sprays to treat mental health disorders in a revolutionary way.