Finding Genius Podcast

Rahul Panat, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, provides an overview of his work in microscale additive manufacturing, microelectronics, and much more. Podcast Points: How has 3D printing improved manufacturing? What's on the horizon for technological advances for the medical industry and patient care? An overview of nanoparticles and applications Panat received an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and secured his PhD in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Panat discusses his work on micro and nanoscale 3D printing using nanoparticles to fabricate devices with new functionality and features. As he explains, their goal is to use this technology to develop new types of biomedical devices or to provide additional functionality to devices already in use. Dr. Panat's research seeks to enhance fundamental scientific knowledge in an effort to create engineering breakthroughs for critical applications. He discusses printed electronics products and the advanced materials impact factor. Dr. Panat provides examples of some of the work they are doing currently, such as creating three-dimensional structures that can build microscale needles that are used as brain-computer interfaces. The research Ph.D. goes on to explain how they use their advanced technology in varied ways, for example, they are able to create complex 3D structures with high surface area which can help enhance sensitivity in detecting biomarkers. Dr. Panat gets into the details on several of his research areas and provides an analysis of their work goals, providing specific examples on structures, density, customization, and material manufacturing improvements. Dr. Panat explains his background at Intel, in microprocessing. He delves into his work studying micro and nanoscale manufacturing techniques and 3D printing, and his success combining different materials to develop microstructures. Wrapping up, the research expert talks in depth about the practical applications in medicine that can improve patients' lives.

Dr. Bomberger tries to understand why patients get chronic bacterial lung infections from microbial pathogenesis, especially Cystic Fibrosis patients. She discusses key elements, such as why lung disease patients lack the effective mucosa latory clearance system of healthy patients, how epithelial cells sequester nutrients and send signals to disrupt viral replication to combat bacterial and viral infections, and why this sequestration led to an understanding of how viral infections might engender chronic biofilms in patients with lung disease. Dr. Jennifer Bomberger is an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh in The Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. Her lab recently made an important discovery in a microbiology study that may help combat chronic bacterial infection due to biofilm formation in Cystic Fibrosis patients by the Pseudomonas aeruginosa and staphylococcus aureus bacteria. First, she explains some basic tenants of microbial pathogenesis, such as whether healthy lungs have microbiomes and how respiratory tracts might expel bacteria. Then, she establishes why patients with Cystic Fibrosis lack these mucosa latory elevator actions and how the composition of their mucus is also a barrier to the fight. Eventually, the toxic substances their immune system emits is ineffective and the toxins end up scaring the lungs instead. She then describes the nutrient sequestering the immune system undergoes in healthy patients, how cells may "hide" nutrients like iron from bacteria to fend off the microbial pathogenesis. She explains other processes the body undergoes to protect itself and the mechanics of various bacterial and viral infestations. Finally, she explains that in her lab's particular microbiology study, they examined why patients with Cystic Fibrosis tend to get the decade-long bacterial infections soon after a viral infection. They found that the viral infection process disturbs the body's ability to undergo this nutrient sequestration. Now, they continue to study why and how this happens. For more, see her lab's web page at http://www.mmg.pitt.edu/person/jennifer-bomberger

Dr. Harmsen exemplifies the importance of medical microbiology by describing the mechanics and vital nature of gut microbiome diversity. When you listen, you'll learn how aerobic and anaerobic gut bacteria have different functions and effects, how anaerobic bacteria presence translates to the upkeep of anti-inflammatory compounds, and what eating habits we can maintain to feed those important anaerobic bacteria. Dr. H.J.M. Harmsen is an associate professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands. In this discussion he tells listeners about gut bacteria, microbes, and bacteria ecology. He begins by explaining exactly what diversity means in terms of the gut microbiome and correlating health. He articulates the need for a balance of bacteria species, and more specifically, short chain fatty acid-making anaerobic bacteria like faecalibacterium. In fact, a proliferation of aerobic bacteria can bode bad news for bodily health and lead to an increase in pathogens. These short chain fatty acids like acetate, propionate, and butyrate have important functions in our body such as energy sources and anti-inflammatory effects. They help maintain the important gut mucin, which is a type of mucus our gut needs to function. He then explains that these anaerobic gut bacteria, which exist further down in our colon, feed off of fresher foods that are harder to digest and therefore able to make it that far into the digestive process. This includes fresh fruits and vegetables that provide fibers, pectin, and cellulose, foods our gut microbiome depends on for sustenance. Dr. Harmsen is exhibiting the importance of medical microbiology by using these digestive mechanics to better understand Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, which has an inflammatory component. When patients have low butyrate, one of these short chain fatty acids, doctors see leaky gut syndrome for example, when the gut barrier is not functioning properly. He explains how this research may also help cancer patients as they understand how to remove and retransplant a patient's gut micobiome post chemotherapy. For more, see Dr. H.J.M. Harmsen's faculty page at https://www.rug.nl/staff/h.j.m.harmsen/ and search for his publications at PubMed and other research publication listings by his name: H.J.M. Harmsen .

Dr. Gilbert studies microbes and recently examined an element of the bat microbiome. In this podcast, he explains what the size of a bat's gut has to do with their different relationship with bacteria and what that implies about their evolution, how humans and bacteria have coevolved, and why this information may help manipulate microbiomes to further our health. Dr. Jack Gilbert is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California, San Diego. He specializes in microbial ecology and recently published a paper specific to the bat microbiome. He explains what is significant and interesting about the ecology of the bat and bacteria, namely that unlike human animals, their short gut disallowed for coevolution with bacteria in the same manner as humans. Rather the microbes that live on bats depends on their external environment. He explains more about how this is similar to birds and what the implications are. He carries this into a larger picture of what goal scientists may have when studying microbial ecology. Dr. Gilbert and his colleagues would like to gain a closer understanding of how we can shape bacterial proportions by altering their food. They are trying to understand how we can selectively choose the growth of certain organisms by what we feed them—how we can change the course of a human infection by selectively promoting the growth of specific microbes that might make the human host less susceptible to the harm the infection causes. For more, search research collections such as Google Scholar for his name and see his laboratory web site at http://www.gilbertlaboratory.com/

Nicholas P. Money is a professor, author, and expert on mycology and microbes. He joins the podcast today to discuss a number of fascinating topics. Tune in to learn about them all, including the following: How fungi move so successfully without musculature In what ways the reproductive lives of fungi are so unique What role serious fungal infections play in human health each year, and the search for new forms of antifungal medications How genetically modified fungi is used to develop some of the most common drugs in medicine, as well as industrially useful chemicals As a first-year undergraduate attending the University of Bristol in the UK, Nicholas P. Money was captivated by descriptions of a vast group of organisms he'd hardly even heard of: fungi. Since then, he's passionately pursued a knowledge and understanding of how these organisms work, and has authored a number of books on microbes in general. His area of expertise is in the biomechanics of fungi, which deal with the ways in which fungi move, grow, and reproduce. He dives into the details of his expertise on fungi and shares insights he's gained from a variety of research he's carried out in the field. This includes the distance and hydrostatic pressure with which spores are released by fungi, how microscopic filaments on fungi manage to penetrate some of the toughest material that exists, and so much more. Learn more at https://www.themycologist.com/.

Professor and author of Pleased to Meet Me: Genes, Germs, and the Curious Forces That Make Us Who We Are, joins the show for a second time today to discuss parasites, focusing on one in particular that affects a significant number of people: Toxoplasma gondii. By tuning in, you'll discover the following: How Toxoplasma gondii enters a cell and then replicate exponentially Why brain tissue is a common place for Toxoplasma gondii to end up, how the parasite behaves once in neurons and nuclei, and how these locations protect it from the host's immune system and drug interventions How Toxoplasma gondii initiates a starvation response in a host cell in order to obtain even more food without further effort As a graduate student at University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Sullivan had already had a longstanding interest in microbiology when he began doing lab rotations that would ultimately help him develop his PhD thesis. It was during that time that he discovered toxoplasma gondii, microscopic banana-shaped organisms squirming their way through fibroblast cells and growing exponentially until blowing apart the host cell. At the time, Dr. Sullivan was absolutely fascinated by these organisms, and decided to pursue research on them from there on out. He wanted to know the details of how Toxoplasma gondii functions and how it could be impacting human health, so he was particularly excited to learn that a professor in the lab was working on turning Toxoplasma gondii into one of the first model systems for all of parasitology. This would allow for modern-day cell and molecular genetic techniques to be employed—a feat impossible for most other parasites. This would pave the way for avenues of unprecedented research in parasitology. "Toxoplasma gondii is pretty remarkable…many people call it the most successful parasite on the planet because it can infect any nucleated cell in virtually any warm-blooded vertebrate…most parasites have a single host, maybe two hosts," he explains. Among many topics, Dr. Sullivan explains what type of evidence suggests that Toxoplasma gondii is able to recognize what type of host cell it is in, how the active invasion process works, how long it takes before a host immune response is initiated by the presence of Toxoplasma gondii, how this parasite can affect host behavior and personality, how long the latent stages of the infection can last, and what's being done to address human health concerns posed by this parasite. Check out www.sullivanlab.com for more information.

David Mulligan, MD from Yale University joins the show to discuss organ transplantations. Tune in to learn the following: How kidney and liver transplantations currently work and the potential of growing livers and other organs from a patient's stem cells What kind of progress has been made with regard to limiting immunosuppression and minimizing side effects of immunosuppressive drugs How robotic transplantation programs could improve transplantation success rates in at-risk patient populations Aside from trying to develop technologies and techniques for successful transplantations, Dr. Mulligan has helped implement robotic transplantation programs for kidney transplants, which have shown great success in reducing the risk of post-surgical infections that impede the healing process and overall success of the transplant. He is also working on research involving normothermic and hyperthermic perfusion of solid human organs on ex vivo machines to assess their function and determine whether they can be sufficiently repaired or rejuvenated for use as transplants for human patients in need. "Transplantation…is truly a field that embodies almost every aspect of healthcare," says Dr. Mulligan. He discusses details about kidney and liver transplants, how immunosuppression works and what's being done in an attempt to mitigate its negative consequences, as well as what type of research is being done to determine what type of patients may actually do well without the use of side effect-inducing immunosuppressive medications. He talks about the differences between acute and chronic rejection of transplants, the extent to which the liver and gut microbiome may be related to immune system performance, how the choice of which antibiotic to use could be affecting the microbiome and immune system's ability to recover post-transplantation, and what he believes will happen in the near and long-term future of organ transplantation. Learn more about the work being done at Yale University by visiting https://medicine.yale.edu/surgery/transplantation/about/ and visit https://unos.org/ for more general information about transplants.

Dr. Paula Barreras and her colleagues create spheres of living brain cell tissue from skin cells. They are proving that these brain organoids can offer testing and research platforms normally reserved for animals. This podcast explores the process of growing the organoids, from skin cells to spherical clumps, the brain cell structures these spheres have been able to produce, such as myelin-wrapped axons, and the possible neurological disorders treatment and neurotoxicity issues they will be able to research with these organoids. Pursuing a postdoc at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Dr. Paula Barreras talks about the research involved in creating BrainSpheres. Their mission is to create approximations of the brain to use for testing to predict how a real brain might work. They create small sphere of human cells that they then manage to convert to neurons and glial cells in a cold culture in vitro process, an extremely challenging process to uphold. Applications for this breakthrough include studies into neurotoxicity and neurological disorders treatment. Most brain studies are on animal models, which is an inherently problematic model because of the different biology. Because the organoids are human-based models, they can improve scientists' understanding of brain function and treatment. Dr. Barreras explains that these models have shown evidence of synapses (neurons are talking to each other), myelination, and spontaneous electrical activity. She explains the creation process to listeners, including the move from adult skin cells to stem cells and then to neuro progenitor cells. These then develop into neurons and other brains cells. After explaining additional technical nuances, she articulates some of the most pivotal aspects of this work. For example, because these organoids produce myelin, scientists may use this research to make inroads into treating diseases like multiple sclerosis, which is a demyelination disease. There's also potential for virus treatmenst, such as the Zika virus and a better understanding of the JC virus, which as a human-only virus, has no animal model study possibility. For more, see this Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health web page, which includes a video about the mini-brain: https://www.jhsph.edu/yearlook/2016/mini-brains-made-to-order/

Dr. Lee Bartel is a leading researcher and expert on how our cells are affected by sound. In this podcast, he discusses the intellectual journey that brought his music therapy focus to this point, how different soundwave frequencies affect different goals for the patient, from achieving deep sleep to helping attention issues, and how these methods are backed up by research, including for treatment for Alzheimer's, back pain, and depression. Lee Bartel is a Professor Emeritus of Music and a former Associate Dean of Research with the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto. He's also Founding Director of the Music and Health Research Collaboratory. He begins by telling listeners about his road to this point in his career. His graduate work explored the basics of music therapy. As he moved into clinical work, he interacted with kids who'd undergone brain injuries, using music to rehabilitate various cognitive functions. He became more interested in music in relationship to brain circuits and functions. He then began working with Summerset Entertainment, using specific rhythmic structures for brain training, entering further into neuroscience music therapy. These steps in his career expanded his own ideas of how music affected people. He intensified this concept of music as a sound vibration or a pulse stimulus that might affect states like Delta brain waves (our deepest sleep state). In fact, researchers found they could document brain cells firing at the frequency of the stimulus. Therefore, they could use a stimulus to bring about desired brain states like Delta sleep, which measures at about 40 hertz. Dr. Bartel and fellow researchers explored other cell reactions. They found that when blood vessels were exposed to a certain stimulus rates, the vessels would repeat that rate, which had implications for more medical conditions. He explains how these stimulus pulses affect multiples levels of bodily functions and brain patterns, even to the point of intra brain communication, helping one side of the brain synchronize with the other. Such neuroscience music therapy was shown to help kids who'd gone through cancer treatments help renew gamma activity. As the conversation continues, Dr. Bartel gets more specific about the various ways music therapy treats sleep disorders. He notes that typical sleep studies focus on oxygen levels and less on brain cell frequency. But when Dr. Bartel and researchers worked with people who had reported not sleeping well, they found that patients rated their sleep as deeply improved after playing them recordings of pulse rates conducive to brain waves for deep sleep. Dr. Bartel says, however, that what he's most excited about and what's most newsworthy are the studies in pain alleviation and sleep with fibromyalgia patients. They used a pulse stimulus of 40 hertz and saw a dramatic change in sleep, pain, depression, and quality of life ratings for these patients. The implications are substantial: he says this means that we can reregulate brain circuits and cellular function rather than just brain states. He goes on to explain how these studies and methods are also applied to patients who experience depression with satisfying results as well as Alzheimer's patients. He describes the methods for each and includes details about longevity, how the results are cumulative yet need consistent exposure to the pulse stimulus for the treatment to continue holding. Finally, he points listeners to resources, including his website at http://www.bartelcameronassoc.com/, which has a link to his popular Tedtalk, a link to buy four of his soundtracks, and a link to buy the tactile and sound device called The Sound Oasis VTS1000, which was used in his research. He notes that his CDs are available on ITunes and Amazon.

In this podcast, Svetlana Lutsenko, PhD, Professor of Physiology, Associate Director for Basic Science and Clinical Relations, Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medicine, discusses monogenic human diseases, Wilson's disease diagnosis, and copper's effects on the body. Podcast Points: Does copper play an important role in the body? An overview of metals, and how copper in animal diets has an effect on fat Should I be worried about getting enough copper in my diet? Dr. Lutsenko talks about her interest in human disorders that are associated with copper metabolism. Copper plays a vital role in the production of neurotransmitters as well as in the maintenance of bones, nerves, and blood vessels. Dr. Lutsenko discusses imbalances in the body, genetic disorders, and copper's role. The PhD continues her discussion of copper deficiency disease and the treatment of genetic disease, with an emphasis on drugs that can remove copper from the body. Dr. Lutsenko's research has delved into many important areas of science, such as Menkes disease; animal models for Wilson's disease; proteomics; metal biology (iron, zinc and copper); as well as membrane proteins biochemistry, etc. Dr. Lutsenko discusses the many things they have observed in animals that exist on a high copper diet. As the PhD states, these animals absorb more fat. She goes on to explain that more copper in the diet can actually end up producing less fat in the body. Additionally, Dr. Lutsenko discusses various treatments and therapies, and the balance that the body needs overall, discussing drugs for treatment, and improvements that could benefit the liver.