TightFittingGenes Tightfittinggenes

Tissue engineering has been providing an alternative to the current problems in conventional practices of transplantation and tissue reconstruction. The topic about finding the right architecture for more complex structures has been a major interest in the recent times. There are many researchers working on this problem, and I had the chance to speak to one on this episode. Aysegul and her team using animal sources, have developed a scaffold for tendons which can be used as an off-the-shelf product. The method utilises a protocol called decellularization. Although decellularization has existed for a while, their protocol is a milder version which retains the “biochemical and biomechanical properties” of the developed tendon scaffold. She is an amazing researcher, but moreover, and amazing human being. Currently, being done with her postdoctoral studies in developing scaffolds in a more sustainable way, she helps us understand the importance of having sustainable biotech processes. You can read her work in porcine achilles tendon scaffolds here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468498820300019

Janie F Shelton is a senior epidemiologist at 23andME, a DNA testing company that provides personalized health insights. She and her team co-authored a paper titled “Trans-ancestry analysis reveals genetic and nongenetic associations with COVID-19 susceptibility and severity”. In this paper, the team conducted a study with over 1,051,032 23andMe participants and were able to associate various genetic and non-genetic factors with COVID19’s severity. Interestingly, they were also able to understand why some ethnicities might be affected more than the rest through the trans ancestry GWAS (Genome Wide Association Studies). The team is also conducting several other researches to understand COVID19 more.

Resources


Dr. Janie F Shelton’s blog
Trans-ancestry analysis reveals genetic and nongenetic associations with COVID-19 susceptibility and severity
The UGT2A1/UGT2A2 locus is associated with COVID-19-related loss of smell or taste
23andMe’s Official Website

Hello It's been a while but I am back for good with yet another intriguing episode. On today's episode, I interview Lisa Graziano. She is currently the Education and Training consultant of Prader-Willi California Foundation (PWCF). She was previously the executive director of PWCF. Prader-Willi syndrome is a rare genetic condition that affects about 1 in 10,000-15,000 live births every year. It is caused due to a defect on chromosome 15. Children affected with PWS have several complications including excessive appetite and overeating (hyperphagia), intellectual disabilities, lack of sexual development, and also severe growth retardation. The Prader-Willi California Foundation (PWCF) is a non-profit organisation established by parents of individuals with this syndrome. You can check their website out for more information or if you would like to contribute in any way to the same. I had an absolute good time speaking to her and just like I learned a lot about PWS, I hope, through this episode, you will be able to do the same. Want to know more about Prader-Willi syndrome? Here are some resources and links. 

Prader-Willi Syndrome Genetics: https://www.nature.com/articles/gim0b013e31822bead0 

How to manage Prader-Willi Syndrome? https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prader-willi-syndrome/living-with/ 

Growth hormone treatments and cognitive functioning in children with Prader–Willi syndrome: https://eje.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/eje/182/6/EJE-20-0222.xml. 

Prader-Willi Syndrome Association USA: https://www.pwsausa.org/

PWCF(Prader-Willi California Foundation): http://www.pwcf.org/ 

Prader-Willi Syndrome Association UK: https://www.pwsa.co.uk/ 

International Prader-Willi Syndrome Organisation (IPWSO) - https://ipwso.org/ 

More links of the TightFittingGenes  

You can check out Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tightfittinggenespodcast/?hl=en

Dissociative Identity Disorder is a mental health disorder caused due to childhood trauma. In today's episode, I interviewed Altersaside. They live in the United States along with their family and have DID. They are also amidst publishing their own book. In India, there isn't much awareness about DID and its portrayal in movies and dramas have demonized the condition. In this episode, they talk about their life and how living with DID feels. We also spoke about dealing with people around, how to not stigmatize people with DID, and life in general. This is one of my favorite episodes. It truly inspired me and I hope it inspires you'll too.
DISCLAIMER: This episode is not to provide any sort of medical advice but rather to show the perspective of someone who has been living with DID. In case of any symptoms, do visit a trained mental health professional. Normalize Mental Health.
Find us here 
Follow "The Real Rubber Ducky" on Instagram: @therealrubberduckypodcast(https://www.instagram.com/therealrubberduckypodcast/) 
Follow Altersaside on Instagram: @altersaside(https://www.instagram.com/altersaside/)
Altersaside Youtube channel: (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC50uB88LR-qbWZrA3W9lXFw)
If you like this episode, rate it. I would love to give you a free cookie in exchange but COVID meh.

I am back with another extremely random episode!
India has at least 30 million stray dogs. With adoption homes overcrowded and breeders exploiting dogs, the problem never ends. In today’s episode, we talk about Indian stray dogs, adopting strays, aggressive pets, backyard breeding, puppy mills. Niharika and I are extremely passionate about helping stray dogs, so we sat down to casually make this episode. 
DISCLAIMER: I am still learning to improve podcasting. So, bare with me. 
Fun Fact: I've had the weirdest first encounters with animals. As a kid, I was chased around by a Dachshund(YEAH! that tiny wiener-shaped dog). I've also been chased by a monkey and a crow. 
Do check out the below links.
 1. The Study between serial killers and animal abuse - https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/domestic-violence-animal-cruelty-abuse-neglect-murder-children-dogs-a9018071.html%3famp
COVID has been extremely hard on all of us, so if you want to donate to organizations that feed strays, feel free to check these links out.
1. https://www.amtmindia.org/donate/
2. https://www.donatekart.com/People%20For%20Cattle%20In%20INDIA/Marina-Strays
Find us here
Follow "The Real Rubber Ducky" on Instagram: @therealrubberduckypodcast(https://www.instagram.com/therealrubberduckypodcast/)
Follow Niharika on Instagram: @not_niha(https://www.instagram.com/not_niha/)
If you like this episode, rate it. I would love to give you a free cookie in exchange but COVID meh.

In today's episode, I interviewed Aqsa Ajmal, an industrial designer from NUST, Islamabad. Her story from being a small town, regular college student to the first Pakistani to win the Lexus Design Awards is truly inspiring. We also talk about her religious beliefs and other factors that made her journey a beautiful one. Most importantly, she tells us about her design "The Pursewit" - an affordable sewing machine for the blind. This is a very candid talk and I hope this inspires you! 
DISCLAIMER: I am still learning to improve podcasting. So, bare with me.
Find us here
Follow "The Real Rubber Ducky" on Instagram: @therealrubberduckypodcast(https://www.instagram.com/therealrubberduckypodcast/)
Follow Aqsa Ajmal on Instagram: @aa.industrialdesigner(https://www.instagram.com/aa.industrialdesigner/)
If you like this episode, rate it. I would love to give you a free cookie in exchange but COVID meh.