Speaking of Mol Bio

HIV research is one of the clearest examples of molecular biology in action. In this Mol Bio Minutes episode, Dr. Ryan Jeep walks through how fundamental molecular techniques power everything from detection to drug resistance studies to cure-focused research. Ryan begins with HIV biology and detection, explaining how qRT-PCR enables highly sensitive viral load measurement. These assays not only detection strategies but also support research to monitor treatment efficacy and viral rebound. From there, he moves into drug resistance, describing how sequencing, RT-PCR, and cloning strategies help researchers map resistance-associated mutations. By generating recombinant reporter viruses and...

In this episode of Speaking of Mol Bio, host Steve Lewis speaks with Dr. Leif Larsen, Director of Biology at Vipergen, about the power of DNA-encoded libraries (DELs) in modern drug discovery. DEL technology enables researchers to screen extremely large chemical libraries by attaching a unique DNA barcode to each compound, allowing millions, or even hundreds of millions, of compounds to be analyzed simultaneously through sequencing.  Larsen explains how Vipergen’s platform flips traditional screening methods by storing massive compound libraries in a single tube and identifying binding interactions through DNA sequencing. He also describes their proprietary Binder...

In this Mol Bio Minutes mini-episode of Speaking of Mol Bio, Dr. Andrea Hunger walks listeners through the practical differences between three core PCR approaches: endpoint PCR, quantitative PCR (qPCR), and digital PCR. Drawing on her experience in both academic research and industry, she explains how each technique provides different types of information and why choosing the right one depends on the biological question being asked.  Endpoint PCR is the simplest method and is ideal for basic presence-or-absence questions such as confirming cloning success or genotyping samples. While fast and accessible, it does not provide quantitative information. For e...

In this Season 4 premiere of Speaking of Mol Bio, host Steve Lewis speaks with Dr. Nina Pollak from the University of the Sunshine Coast about the development of a single-dose vaccine aimed at protecting endangered koalas from Chlamydia pecorum. The disease is a major threat to koala populations across eastern Australia, contributing to infertility, blindness, and increased mortality. Pollak’s work focuses on optimizing the production and quality control of vaccine antigens while supporting regulatory approval and field trials that ultimately led to a conditional minor-use permit from Australia’s veterinary regulatory authority.  The vaccine relies on recombin...

In this Mol Bio Minutes mini-episode, Laurynas Alijošius shares how Rolling Circle Amplification (RCA) provides a reliable, high-yield approach for amplifying circular DNA prior to next-generation sequencing (NGS). This isothermal method avoids the need for thermal cycling and even bypasses the need for specific primers—making it ideal for challenging viral genomes, rare targets, or field samples.Powered by the strand-displacing phi29 DNA polymerase, RCA amplifies DNA with impressive sensitivity and minimal GC bias. Laurynas breaks down the steps of multiple displacement amplification (MDA), explains why exonuclease-resistant primers are important, and explores how engineered polymerases like EquiPhi29™...

Applyo Jena is building a freeze-dried future, one bead at a time. In this episode, Dr. Hanno Hermann and Dr. Thanh Tu Hellmich-Duong walk us through how their lyo-bead technology emerged from the challenges of field-based HIV diagnostics and evolved into a flexible platform that stabilizes everything from enzymes to magnetic nanoparticles, without the need for refrigeration.From diagnostics research to therapeutics, this lyophilization platform is solving key pain points in reagent formulation, shipping, and field use. Hanno and Thanh Tu explain how lyo-beads offer precise, single-use reagent doses with near-instantaneous rehydration, minimal batch-to-batch variability, and extended am...

In this Mol Bio Minutes episode, Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Monika Jazdauskaitė dives into the versatile world of Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA). Unlike PCR, RPA operates at a constant, low temperature (around 37–42°C), enabling fast, equipment-light workflows that are ideal for field diagnostics and decentralized labs. Monika explains how the method works and why RPA is emerging as a go-to technique for both DNA and RNA target detection.She highlights RPA’s specificity, sensitivity, and robustness against common inhibitors like ethanol and heparin, critical for applications like respiratory pathogen detection or low-quality sample inputs. Plus, she shares how RPA’...

In this episode of Speaking of Mol Bio, Dr. Andre Ghetti, CEO of AnaBios, offers a deep dive into the world of translational preclinical research. AnaBios is redefining early human insights by using ethically sourced, functional human tissues and cells to generate actionable data before compounds ever enter clinical trials. Ghetti walks us through the company’s approach of offering human-relevant safety and efficacy data, validating drug targets, and supporting everything from small startups to major pharma groups.We learn how AnaBios engages with clients to customize assays, especially in high-need areas like non-opioid pain therapies, fibrosis, and...

In this Mol Bio Minutes episode, Thermo Fisher Scientific's Dr. Agnė Alminaitė unveils an exciting new approach for assay developers: Dry-Ready™ reagents for RT-LAMP and RT-qPCR. These innovations eliminate the need for lyophilizers by enabling air drying of molecular assays in a standard heating oven, producing room temperature-stable assays in under two hours.Agnė walks listeners through how Dry-Ready differs from traditional Lyo-Ready™ and lyophilization methods, while delivering similar stability and performance. She explains the critical role of thermostable enzymes and specially developed excipient mixes that protect enzyme function during the drying process.The episode introduces...

In this inspiring episode, Dr. Felipe Gálvez-Cancino, group leader at Oxford's Center for Immuno-Oncology, walks us through his team’s groundbreaking research on macrophages, T cells, and immune regulation in solid tumors. Tracing his path from early cancer vaccine work to advanced antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), Felipe shares how his team is working to reprogram tumor-associated macrophages to more efficiently eliminate cancer cells.He explains how regulatory CD4+ T cells suppress both T cell and macrophage responses within tumors and how removing that suppression can supercharge phagocytic function. We also hear how his lab is leveraging mouse...

In this Mol Bio Minutes episode, Dr. Will Barnes, a plant biologist turned senior sales training specialist at Thermo Fisher Scientific, reflects on his time at the bench and the molecular lessons learned along the way. Will dives deep into the difficulties of RNA work in plant systems—carbohydrate contamination, genomic DNA carryover, secondary structure—and how these hindered everything from cloning and expression analysis to sequencing and qPCR.Through real-world anecdotes, he explains how high-quality reagents and systems helped him troubleshoot and resolve recurring issues, ultimately saving time and improving data reliability. He advocates for prioritizing upst...

In this episode of Speaking of Mol Bio, host Steve Lewis speaks with Dr. Melissa Wu, co-founder and CEO of Seeding Labs, a nonprofit that’s redefining global scientific access. Dr. Wu shares the inspiring story of how Seeding Labs helps institutions in developing nations build research infrastructure by redistributing surplus laboratory equipment from partners like Thermo Fisher Scientific.With an innovative model that connects equipment donors in the global North with universities and institutes across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, Seeding Labs enables groundbreaking science in places where opportunity is limited but talent is abundant. Dr. Wu h...

In this Mol Bio Minutes mini-episode, Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Agnė Žiupkaitė takes listeners on a journey through the evolving world of RNA assay development—focusing specifically on 1-Step RT-qPCR. She outlines the critical considerations for assay developers, including enzyme speed, robustness, and the growing demand for customizable reagents that meet both technical and regulatory needs.Highlighting Thermo Fisher’s SuperScript reverse transcriptase family—particularly the Lyo-ready SuperScript III Flash RT—Agnė explains how innovations in enzyme design have broken past bottlenecks in assay workflow, enabling reverse transcription in under a minute. She also explores the power of customizati...

In this episode, host Steve Lewis sits down with Giovanna Prout, President and CEO of Scale Biosciences, to explore how Scale is pushing the boundaries of single-cell omics. With a career that spans roles with big players and entrepreneurial ventures, Giovanna brings a unique perspective to the world of genomics innovation.Giovanna dives into Scale's patented Quantum Barcoding technology—a high-throughput, combinatorial indexing approach that allows researchers to process millions of cells and thousands of samples simultaneously, all without the need for specialized instrumentation. She explains how this flexible, automation-friendly platform is opening doors for AI-driven data model...

In this episode of Speaking of Mol Bio, Aistė Serapinaite, an experienced R&D scientist, shares her insights into the world of 1-Step RT-PCR—a method that simplifies RNA analysis by combining reverse transcription and PCR amplification in a single reaction. She explains how traditional RNA workflows once lengthy, multi-step processes were prone to errors and contamination, and how 1-Step RT-PCR has transformed this landscape with speed, efficiency, and fewer handling steps.Listeners learn about the technical workings of 1-Step RT-PCR, including the importance of primer design, RNA quality, and essential controls to ensure reliable results. Aistė high...

In this episode of Speaking of Mol Bio, Dr. Beth Webb takes us deep into the world of platelets, often misunderstood components of blood that punch far above their weight in both physiological and pathological processes. As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Leeds, Dr. Webb explores how endothelial signals influence platelet activity, and how these anucleate cell fragments play roles not only in clotting, but also in immune responses, inflammation, and diseases like cardiovascular disorders and COVID-19.Beth unpacks the technical challenges of isolating and analyzing platelets—particularly in RNA sequencing and qPCR—while stressing the...

In this Mol Bio Minutes episode, Laurynas Alijošius shares a personal story that every molecular biologist can relate to—running PCR, cloning, and sequencing, only to discover frustrating errors in the DNA. This episode dives deep into PCR accuracy and why it matters for everything from sequencing to cloning and long-read library prep. Laurynas breaks down the major contributors to PCR error, including the fidelity of DNA polymerase, primer design flaws, template impurities, and suboptimal cycling conditions. He then offers a range of solutions—like switching to high-fidelity enzymes, using ready-to-go master mixes, and optimizing magnesium ion co...

In this episode of Speaking of Mol Bio, Dr. Cath Moore of the Australian Genome Research Facility (AGRF) discusses how molecular biology technologies are helping to shape Australia’s scientific landscape—from clinical genomics and conservation to bioremediation and agriculture. With over 20 years of experience in both academia and industry, Dr. Moore reflects on the remarkable evolution of genomic tools, from Sanger sequencing to high-resolution spatial multiomics.She unpacks AGRF’s mission to democratize access to emerging technologies and highlights its role as an early adopter of platforms that help scientists translate academic research into real-world impact. Topics...

In this Mol Bio Minutes episode, Laurynas Alijošius breaks down how to run fast PCR to save time and increase lab efficiency. He explains how to choose the right thermal cycler with fast ramp speeds, select low-volume and thin-walled PCR plastics, and use engineered DNA polymerases that offer rapid elongation and hot-start capability. Laurynas also covers practical tips for optimizing reaction components, shortening cycling protocols, and reducing waste. Whether you’re aiming to finish your experiment before dinner or streamline your workflow long-term, this episode delivers everything you need to master the art of fast PCR.Hel...

This episode teaches that innovation is born at the intersection of curiosity and persistence. Dr. Gudrun Stengel, co-founder and CEO of Alida Biosciences, reveals how her startup is transforming the landscape of RNA research through a novel technology called proximity barcoding. Dr. Stengel’s story exemplifies the power of entrepreneurial spirit in driving scientific discovery, offering a glimpse into how one idea can reshape an entire field.At Alida Biosciences, Dr. Stengel and her team are pioneering new tools for detecting RNA modifications, a largely unexplored realm of epigenetics. Using their proximity barcoding platform, researchers can read mult...