Nice Genes!

Genome BC
  • 4.4 (13)
  • Science
  • Biweekly

From healthcare and biotechnology to forests and fisheries, the evolving study of genomics is leading to some of the most exciting and world-changing discoveries in science and medicine. Like – did you know that your individual genomic signature can help determine the healthcare treatment you receive? Or that mapping the genomes of trees can inform forest management? But while the study of genomics holds great promise for the health of people, animals, and the environment, it also confronts us with big questions: How do we study genetic patterns in a way that respects sensitive genetic information, history, and equity? How do we use the power of genomic research to fight climate change? Save the salmon? Join Dr. Kaylee Byers – a self-described “rat detective” and science communicator as she guides you through fascinating conversations about the what, the why, and the how of genomics.

  1. 3h ago

    Cracking KRAS: Can We Finally Treat Pancreatic Cancer?

    Pancreatic cancer has notoriously been hard to detect and treat. Changes in the KRAS gene cause cells to make a protein that make pancreatic cancer grow. And that protein has been notoriously difficult to target. But now, a promising new class of drugs is boldly going where no drug has gone before. In this episode, Dr. Kaylee Byers sits down with medical oncologist Dr. Brandon Huffman to unpack the science behind this breakthrough medication. And, we also meet pancreatic cancer patient and advocate, Stephanie Ramsey, who shares how genetics shaped her own cancer journey, and what these latest advances could mean for the people who need them most. From a once “undruggable” disease finally meeting its match, to questions around accessibility, Kaylee explores what this development could mean for the future of pancreatic cancer care. - Highlights 01:52- Why Is Pancreatic Cancer So Hard to Treat?06:40- How Genetic Testing Changed Stephanie’s Cancer Journey22:25- A Breakthrough Drug. But Who Can Get It?-  Sources Pancreatic cancer statistics (Canadian Cancer Society) Pancreatic cancer statistics (World Cancer Research Fund) Scientists finally crack an “undruggable” pancreatic cancer target and nearly double survivalFDA Approves First in Class Targeted Therapy for Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

    Cracking KRAS: Can We Finally Treat Pancreatic Cancer?

  2. Oct 20

    GENomics-AI: Are We Moving Too Fast?

    Artificial Intelligence has gone from science fiction to something that is almost impossible to avoid in the day-to-day. But what happens when AI intersects with our DNA? On this episode we learn about a tool called CRISPR-GPT, which uses AI to help scientists design gene edits and tackle some of the challenges of treating rare diseases. We also confront the many ethical considerations that these technologies raise. Listen in as geneticist Dr. Le Cong and bioethicist Dr. Mohammed Hosseini join Kaylee to explore the possibilities – and pitfalls – of putting this much computational power to work on our body’s building blocks. Who gets to use these tools? How do we keep them safe? And when it comes to AI and genomics, should we… slow our roll? - Highlights 05:51- CRISPR-GPT: Your AI Gene-Editing Assistant19:21- Could We Bring Back the Neanderthals?23:36-  When Science Needs a Safety Catch - Sources CRISPR-GPT Turns Novice Scientists into Gene Editing Experts A plea for caution and guidance about using AI in genomicsMohammad Hosseini: Should AI be used to resurrect extinct species like the Neanderthal?

    GENomics-AI: Are We Moving Too Fast?

  3. Oct 6

    It’s Prime Time: Can New Gene Editing Technologies Re-write the Future of Health?

    Many rare genetic diseases are caused by a “typo” in our DNA. For most, fixing that spelling mistake has been out of reach. But a  recent  clinical trial has changed everything, opening up the door for possible cures we never thought were possible through a cutting-edge gene-editing tool called prime editing. In this episode, Ty Sperle takes us through his own story of being cured of a rare disease called chronic granulomatous disease  while his doctor, Dr. Stuart Turvey gives Kaylee the 411 on the science behind Ty’s treatment – and what it could mean for rare diseases more broadly. We also make a stop at the PrimeSight Lab, where researchers are exploring how prime editing could help bring the world into focus for people with inherited vision loss. For a treatment that once sounded like science fiction, could prime editing be a glimpse of the future of medicine? - Highlights 00:01 -  Ty’s World-First Cure07:11 -  Inside the Prime Editing Revolution23:43 -  Can Prime Editing Restore Sight? - Sources First-in-world BC patient successfully treated for rare immune diseaseB.C. teen cured of rare diseaseFuture Perspectives of Prime Editing for the Treatment of Inherited Retinal Diseases

    It’s Prime Time: Can New Gene Editing Technologies Re-write the Future of Health?

  4. Sep 22

    Shoot Your Shot: Is Male Birth Control Finally Here?

    For the past 25 years, we’ve been hearing that male contraceptives are just a few years away. And then a few more… and then some more after that. So for something that has been in development for such a long time, what is with the hold up?  In this episode, Dr. Kaylee Byers takes us through the history of birth control – from silk condoms to beaver testicles – before heading back to high school bio for a good old-fashioned male anatomy lesson. Then, urologist Dr. Premal Patel walks us through the current options for males (spoiler alert: not a lot), and endocrinologist Dr. Stephanie Page gives us the lowdown on some of the promising gels, pills, injections and other methods that could finally change the game.  So hit play for some sexy science– from vasectomies, to genomics and infertility research, to reproductive equity for all.  - Highlights 2:18 - The wacky history of contraceptive methods7:54 -  Breaking down misconceptions of vasectomies 18:29 -  A gel and a frontrunner for male birth control  - Sources The History and Future of Birth Control - Live ScienceWorld Contraception Day: 10 of history’s most horrible contraceptives - BBCBreakthrough takes big step toward safe, reversible male contraception - Cornell

    Shoot Your Shot: Is Male Birth Control Finally Here?

  5. Sep 8

    Survivor - Animal Edition: How are some species adapting to a human-altered world?

    If you’ve ever watched the TV show Survivor, you know the rules: outwit, outplay, outlast. But in the animal kingdom, Survivor isn’t a game– in a very real way, it’s adapt, or… And as climate change intensifies and human disasters reshape the environment, animals are being forced to come up with new ways to cope- fast! In this season 6 premiere, host Dr. Kaylee Byers explores some winning (and losing) survival strategies. First up, wildlife biologist Dr. Kendall Calhoun takes us into the aftermath of wildfires to see how different animals are adapting to an ever-changing landscape. Then, evolutionary biologist Dr. Cara Love brings us to her work in Chernobyl, where a population of wolves is living a  radioactive life– and their genomes could even offer clues for cancer treatment. Highlights 04:58 Deer vs. Squirrels – Who’s Built to Survive a Wildfire?12:27 Barry the Bear – The 500-Pound Bear Who Moved In After a Fire19:57 Chernobyl’s wolves – Survival in a Radioactive World  Sources FACT SHEET: Climate change and wildfires - Climate InstituteMovement behavior in a dominant ungulate underlies successful adjustment to a rapidly changing landscape following megafire - Movement Ecology40 Years After Chernobyl, Wolves May Be Adapting to Live With Radiation - Science AlertSignatures of Radiation-Induced Stress and Putative Selection on Immune Targets in Chornobyl Wolves - Molecular EcologySurviving in a poisoned land: Chernobyl's wildlife is different, but not in the ways you might think - BBCWhat We Know About the Chernobyl Animal Mutations - ThoughtCo.

    Survivor - Animal Edition: How are some species adapting to a human-altered world?

  6. Season 6 Trailer

    Welcome to ‘Nice Genes!’ Season 6

    Have you heard about the radioactive wolves in Chernobyl? Or the latest gene-editing tech that’s curing rare diseases? Or that male birth control might be on the horizon? No?! Well, get ready, because while we’ve been busy living our lives, genomics has been moving – fast! Things that once read like science fiction are moving on over to the non-fiction section. This season on Nice Genes!, join Dr. Kaylee Byers as she engages in some big genomics breakthroughs – from personalized cancer treatments, to how our bodies react in space, to how animals adapt to the most extreme environments, and whether we can actually change how we age.  It’s a whole new gene-eration (if you will) of discoveries that you won’t want to miss! New episodes every two weeks, starting September 8th. Make sure you follow Nice Genes! so you don’t miss an episode!

    Welcome to ‘Nice Genes!’ Season 6

  7. Aug 4 ·  Bonus

    Genomic Repeat: Nodding our Tusks to Heroic Mutations

    This episode was originally released on August 2, 2022 Just like any good superhero comic, we start this episode with the science going incredibly wrong. Think: vats of toxic waste producing evil mutants that ravage the city. Or maybe not so evil. It really depends on your perspective. Just like the X-men, genetic mutations get a bad rap in the public eye. But they aren’t all nasty. Dr. Kaylee Byers speaks with data scientist and evolutionary biologist Dr. Brian Arnold on how the genetic ‘mistakes’ known as variants occasionally encode incredible abilities. Odd elephants, hiding in our ocean depths, and Rogue-ish bacteria are just a few examples. Dr. Arnold defends these genetic anomalies, and explains how they can make a huge difference to the future of humanity and life on this planet. Also joining us is marine biologist Dr. Maria Pia Miglietta, who shares an incredible ability sitting in our ocean depths. Immortality. So strap on your capes, because we’re heading straight into the strange terrain of “heroic mutations.”  Listen to Nice Genes! wherever you get your podcasts, brought to you by Genome British Columbia. Resources:  Genetic Mutation - NatureGenomic mutation rates: What high-throughput methods can tell usShane Campbell Staton Group - Tuskless ElephantsIvory poaching and the rapid evolution of tusklessness in African elephants - ScienceReal-Life X-Men: How CRISPR Could Give You Superpowers in the Future - synthego.comIndonesian divers have evolved bigger spleens to hunt underwater - ScienceMutations may reveal how Tibetans can live on world's highest plateau - ScienceThe Immortal Jellyfish - American Museum of Natural HistoryCellular reprogramming and immortality: Expression profiling reveals putative genes involved in Turritopsis dohrnii’s life cycle reversalTranscriptome Characterization of Reverse Development in Turritopsis dohrnii (Hydrozoa, Cnidaria)Horizontal gene transfer and adaptive evolution in bacteria - nature reviews microbiologyHorizontal gene transfer overrides mutation in Escherichia coli colonizing the mammalian gut - PNASThe Ship of Theseus Dilemma - Open Okstate

    Genomic Repeat: Nodding our Tusks to Heroic Mutations

  8. Jul 7 ·  Bonus

    Why Orange Cats Are Orange

    Have you ever wondered why most orange cats are male? Scientists have been scratching their heads over this for decades, and now we finally have answers. In our final Gene Short of the season, Sarah Lando and Dr. Kaylee Byers explain the surprising new evidence that finally explains this purr-ticular quirk. Resources 1. Gene behind orange fur in cats found at last- Science.org 2. Scientists track down mutation that makes orange cats orange- Science Daily

    Why Orange Cats Are Orange
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About

From healthcare and biotechnology to forests and fisheries, the evolving study of genomics is leading to some of the most exciting and world-changing discoveries in science and medicine. Like – did you know that your individual genomic signature can help determine the healthcare treatment you receive? Or that mapping the genomes of trees can inform forest management? But while the study of genomics holds great promise for the health of people, animals, and the environment, it also confronts us with big questions: How do we study genetic patterns in a way that respects sensitive genetic information, history, and equity? How do we use the power of genomic research to fight climate change? Save the salmon? Join Dr. Kaylee Byers – a self-described “rat detective” and science communicator as she guides you through fascinating conversations about the what, the why, and the how of genomics.

Information

  • Creator
    Genome BC
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    71
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023
  • Show Website
    Nice Genes!

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