Paper Podcast

Paper Podcast
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We interview amazing scientists about their favourite papers. To give research a direct and honest voice :)

  1. 5d ago

    Episode 38: Reinhard Genzel (Nobel Prize in Physics): Measuring molecules, the universe, and our place in this world

    (German episode) Reinhard Genzel won the Nobel Prize in 2020 for the discovery of Sagittarius A*, the black hole in the center of our galaxy. Reinhard shares a story of becoming scientist and his work Charles Towns, the godfather of lasers and masers. The first laser is now still exhibited at the Max Planck Institutes in Garching (by Munich, Germany). Reinhard is one group leader there and uses infrared and submillimeter astronomy to investigate the universe. With us in this episode, Reinhard investigates not only questions about the universe but also political questions about the current U.S. and our role as a good society on Earth.   Link to one favorite review: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.aa.25.090187.002113  Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics (1987): Physical conditions, dynamics, and mass distribution in the center of the galaxy Photographs on the cover: Courtesy and thanks for supporting the Paper Podcast to © Nobel Foundation. Photographs by Bernhard Ludewig and Clément Morin.

    Episode 38: Reinhard Genzel (Nobel Prize in Physics): Measuring molecules, the universe, and our place in this world

  2. Sep 5

    Episode 37: Mario R. Capecchi (Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology): The first knockout-mice and anxiety in pigs

    Mario R. Capecchi won the Nobel Prize in 2007 for his work on the first knockout mice. Today, we widely take knockout mice and his methods for gene targeting for granted. They have become the standard for functional genetics and preclinical assessments. In this episode, Mario shares his view on giving the brain something to do. We talk about his early work on protein translation of viruses, about mice, and about HOX genes and their relationship to - soon - giving anxiety to pigs. Link to one favorite paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.10.007  Photographs on the cover: Courtesy with thanks for supporting the Paper Podcast to © Nobel Foundation. Photographers: Ulla Montan and Clément Morin.

    Episode 37: Mario R. Capecchi (Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology): The first knockout-mice and anxiety in pigs

  3. Aug 23

    Episode 36: Klaus Blaum & Erproben einer fünften Kraft mit feinen Kernmessungen

    Klaus Blaum ist Direktor am Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik in Heidelberg. Seine Arbeitsgruppe hält Rekorde in den präzisesten Messungen von Kernmassen und der Elektronenmasse. In dieser Episode stellt uns Klaus zwei Publikationen vor, welche die Grenzen des Standardmodells austesten. Kombiniert man präzise bekannte Isotopenmassen mit genau gemessenen Frequenzverschiebungen eines bestimmten elektronischen Übergangs zwischen zwei Isotopen, lässt sich ein sogenannter King-Plot erstellen. Für Calcium und Ytterbium wurden dabei signifikante Abweichungen vom erwarteten linearen Zusammenhang gefunden. Diese Nichtlinearitäten konnte das Team um Blaum auf kleinste Deformationen der Atomkerne zurückführen, sowie auf einen möglichen zweiten Beitrag einer neuen, fünften Kraft. Dies könnte dem Standardmodell möglicherweise ein neues Boson hinzufügen und neue Einblicke in Dunkle Materie und ihre Wechselwirkungen ermöglichen.  Physical Review Letters (2025): Probing New Bosons and Nuclear Structure with Ytterbium Isotope Shifts Link to the paper: ⁠https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.063002  Physical Review Letters (2025): Nonlinear Calcium King Plot Constrains New Bosons and Nuclear Properties Link to the paper: ⁠https://doi.org10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.233002

    Episode 36: Klaus Blaum & Erproben einer fünften Kraft mit feinen Kernmessungen

  4. Jun 14

    Episode 35: Samuele Piccinelli & Quantum computing for a molecule with half-Möbius topology

    Today, we talk about the algorithm and quantum chemical calculations behind the molecule with half-Möbius topology as Part 2 (for Part 1, see last episode). Samuele Piccinelli - PhD student at EPFL and IBM Zurich - discusses with us his path into physics and his intuition on quantum algorithmic design. He introduced SqDRIFT, the algorithm used to probe the unique electronic structure of the half-Möbius molecule, and shares his general notions on computational quantum chemistry and the possible directions of future advancements in the field. Science (2026): A molecule with half-Möbius topology Link to the paper: ⁠https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aea3321 bioRxiv (2026): Quantum chemistry with provable convergence via randomized sample-based Krylov quantum diagonalization Link to the paper: ⁠https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2508.02578⁠ Further links: https://quantum.cloud.ibm.com/learning/en/courses/quantum-diagonalization-algorithms/skqd

    Episode 35: Samuele Piccinelli & Quantum computing for a molecule with half-Möbius topology

  5. May 31

    Episode 34: Igor Rončević & A molecule with half-Möbius topology

    Recently, a molecule with new electronic structure was constructed, atom-by-atom using atomic force methodology. Igor Rončević is the first author behind this recent Science paper and shares with us how the molecule's electronic properties can be understood, what Möbius and half-Möbius topology mean, why the molecule bends, and how he can actually flip between topologies of the molecule. It is a very interesting and kind conversation for every chemists and physicists to listen into :) Science (2026): A molecule with half-Möbius topology Link to the paper: ⁠https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aea3321

    Episode 34: Igor Rončević & A molecule with half-Möbius topology

  6. May 17

    Episode 33: Stephen Giovannoni & Cheeto-shaped and ubiquitous proteobacteria

    Do we know what is in the ocean? In 2002, Stephen Giovannoni with his team discovered and cultured an extremely abundant and small proteobacterium, Candidatus pelagibacter, and with this we knew: We previously did not know about a quarter of the plankton in our oceans. Candidatus pelagibacter constitutes 25% of the global plankton population, is cheeto-shaped, and is hunted by an army of specialized SAR-11 viruses. Stephen Giovannoni discusses his love for cultivating rare bacteria, his high-throughput cultivation facility, and heartfelt advice on writing, finding collaboration and finding our paths. Nature (2002): Cultivation of the ubiquitous SAR11 marine bacterioplankton clade Link to the paper: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature00917    Annual Reviews (2017): SAR11 Bacteria: The Most Abundant Plankton in the Oceans Link to the paper: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-marine-010814-015934  Nature (2013): Abundant SAR11 viruses in the ocean Link to the paper: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11921  Applied and Environmental Microbiology (2017): Three-Dimensional Structure of the Ultraoligotrophic Marine Bacterium “Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique” Link to the paper: https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.02807-16

    Episode 33: Stephen Giovannoni & Cheeto-shaped and ubiquitous proteobacteria

  7. Apr 5

    Episode 32 (70th Birthday): Bill DeGrado & Protein Design

    This episode was recorded on 12th Sept. 2025. This marks Bill DeGrado's 70th birthday. Many thanks for what you did from the whole field! :) Bill DeGrado is one of the early protein designers who defined the field and coined the terms. His papers describe the first de novo designs, starting from helices to ion channels to catalytic centers. This episode is a kind mix of experiences shared as chemist and structural biologist. We talk about crystals, machine learning tools, and that life gives us both lemons and lemonade. Link to the paper: ⁠https://doi.org/10.1038/nature06528⁠ Nature (2008): Structural basis for the function and inhibition of an influenza virus proton channel Link to the paper: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.170562411 PNAS (2017): XFEL structures of the influenza M2 proton channel: Room temperature water networks and insights into proton conduction Link to the paper: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.2464850 Science (1989): Protein Design, A Minimalist Approach Link to the paper: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.270.5238.935 Nature (1995): Protein Design: A Hierarchical Approach

    Episode 32 (70th Birthday): Bill DeGrado & Protein Design

  8. Mar 8

    Episode 31: Rolf Thauer & Nickel-Enzyme in Methan-bildenden Mikroorganismen

    Rolf Thauer ist Gründungsdirektor des Max-Planck Instituts für terrestrische Mikrobiologie. Über seine Karriere klärte er zahlreiche Stoffwechselwege in anaeroben Bakterien und Archaeen (die damals noch nicht einmal so hießen) auf. Er erzählt uns über die Zufallsentdeckung das Feld der Nickelbiochemie, und Enzymen für Methanproduktion aus Wasserstoff. Dieses können wir dann in die normalen Erdgaspipelines hineinschleusen.  Nach ihm sind unter anderem das Thauer Limit (ein theoretisches Limit, wieviel Wasserstoff ein Bakterium produzieren kann), sowie mehrere Mikroorganismen wie Thauera selenatis und Methanobrevibacter thaueri benannt, und die gesamte Gattung Thauera. Link zum Paper: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-micro-091014-104344  Annual Reviews (2015): My Lifelong Passion for Biochemistry and Anaerobic Microorganisms Link zum Paper: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00403508 Archive of Microbiology (1979): Nickel, cobalt, and molybdenum requirement for growth of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum

    Episode 31: Rolf Thauer & Nickel-Enzyme in Methan-bildenden Mikroorganismen
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We interview amazing scientists about their favourite papers. To give research a direct and honest voice :)

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  • Creator
    Paper Podcast
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Clean
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    © Paper Podcast
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