Finding Genius Podcast

Nicholas P. Money, professor and director, Western Program, Department of Biology, Miami University, Ohio, discusses mycology and microbes. Podcast Points: What important information can we learn by observing fungi? The important points about climate change How does overpopulation impact the environment? Money, an expert in mycology, is the prolific author of multiple books and articles that detail the microbial world. Money's latest book titled, The Selfish Ape: Human Nature and Our Path to Extinction, has created a buzz in the scientific community. In the book, he set out to counter many of the dominant narratives that exist in regard to homo sapiens. Money talks about the damaging effects humans have upon the environment as well as our negative impact on various species. Money discusses carbon footprints, and he talks about his reasons for penning The Selfish Ape. Humans need to treat species more sensitively, and that's the bottom line. Money outlines many of the actions that have taken place in our time, and historically, that have impacted the environment overall. He discusses population growth, and comments on how little we hear about it when leaders talk of climate change. Continuing, Money explains how fungi relate to our existence as humans. He discusses his career spanning more than 30 years, studying fungal reproduction. Money explains how fungi are different, and how they move, and he talks about the various qualities they have that typically do not exist in other places in the natural world. We can learn a lot about our own problems, as humans, by looking at, and studying, how fungi have solved theirs.

Dr. William J. Sullivan, featured on several media outlets including National Geographic and CNN, talks about his latest book Pleased to Meet Me: Genes, Germs, and the Curious Forces that Make Us Who We Are. In this interview, he explains his designation of the four major themes that operate as hidden forces in our biological makeup, why his "Meet Your Demons" chapter speaks to trends in our criminal system, and why readers find more empathy for addiction sufferers after gaining a better understanding of genetics and epigenetics. Dr. Sullivan is the Showalter Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the Indiana University School of Medicine where he studies infectious diseases and genetics. His new book stems from research in his university lab that studies Toxoplasma gondii, which can affect the brains and behavior of several organisms. He began investigating how microbes we don't know about might affect our own brains and personalities in undiscovered ways. Over the course of the podcast, he describes the many ways that human personality and behavior is extraordinarily complicated. He explains some of the genetics and epigenetics that make our reactions to our environment more outside of our control than we'd like to believe. Our DNA, the effects of epigenetics, microbes that live inside and on us, and our evolutionarily-derived brain reactions all have different influences on our behavior, from how we vote to our eating habits to our ability to control impulses. In addition, his web site links to articles that take a deeper dive into some of the science he explores in his book. See more at https://authorbillsullivan.com/

Professor Laura Knoll is a parasitologist who joins the podcast today to discuss some of her research on a type of parasite called toxoplasma gondii. She explains the following: Where toxoplasma gondii is found and why the sexual stage of its life cycle is only found in cats How humans can become infected with toxoplasma gondii, and why most people will never know they are affected and may never need toxoplasma gondii treatment How toxoplasma gondii has evolved mechanisms to manipulate the host, such as a rodent that loses its fear of predator urine and actually becomes attracted to it Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that can infect every warm-blooded animal on the planet, including humans. This parasite has the fascinating ability to enter muscle tissue and neurons in the brain to enact behavioral changes in the host. For example, a rodent infected with toxoplasma gondii will be attracted to the scent of predator urine rather than fearful of it, thereby exposing themselves to predation and allowing the parasite to continue thriving in other hosts—such as the cat. Interestingly, the cat intestine is the only place where the sexual life cycle stage of toxoplasma gondii is found, which means the cat can shed infectious oocysts which can potentially put humans at risk of contracting toxoplasma gondii. However, Dr. Knoll explains that the vast majority of people who are chronically infected with this parasite have no idea, and suffer no negative consequences. She explains how it can become a problem in people who have compromised immune systems, and the mechanism of host-parasite interaction that can occur in non-human animals and pregnant women who have never before been exposed to the parasite. Until this past year, there was no way to research the sexual life cycle of toxoplasma gondii without using cats as research subjects, but thanks to Dr. Knoll and her team, the specific reason that the sexual stage only occurs in cats has been identified, which has enabled them to induce the sexual stage in mice. With a mouse model, the opportunities for research have increased significantly and paved the way for the potential development of vaccines that could be administered to cats and livestock that carry and can pass on infectious oocytes. For more, visit https://mmi.wisc.edu/staff/knoll-laura/.

Because the parasites that cause toxoplasmosis and malaria are somewhat similar and are accessible, they offer researchers important information. Dr. Sheinber explains her work by discussing why the untapped variety of parasite cell biology might offer further understanding, how different types of mitochondria—human versus parasite—keep cells alive in very different ways and why that's important, and how parasites have maneuvers that could improve medicine, such as the toxoplasmosis parasites' ability to cross the barrier between blood and brain. Senior lecturer at the Royalty Society of Edenborough, research fellow in parasitology, and leading expert in eukaryotic cell biology, Dr. Lilack Sheiner runs a lab that closely studies the parasites responsible for toxoplasmosis and malaria. This close examination of parasite cell biology has revealed a better understanding of how they function and how we might better prevent disease caused by these parasites. Her incentives for this study is twofold: the diversity in parasite cell biology itself is an important part of understanding organisms in the larger picture of biology. Additionally, because parasites are responsible for some human diseases, a better understanding of parasite cell biology may lead to disease prevention. She describes numerous examples that reveal this diversity and explains how useful the knowledge is in turn. For example, because mitochondria have different mechanisms for different organisms, doctors can implement a drug that kills the malarial parasite by mitochondrial harm while leaving the human cell alive. Dr. Sheiner also talks about abilities parasites have that may help us create new drugs. For example, she describes scientists studying how the toxoplasmosis parasite is able to do something scientists haven't been able to implement in drugs: crossing the blood/brain barrier. If scientists could create drugs that can do this, they might make headway into treating many neurological conditions. Therefore, if researchers learn more about this parasite's ability, they may discover a drug-delivery technology. For more, see her website: http://lilachsheiner.wixsite.com/sheinerlab-wtcmp She's also on twitter: @SheinerLab

Dr. Daniel Griffin, physician, and associate research scientist/instructor (clinical medicine) Columbia University, provides an overview of infectious disease research and treatment, and his career in clinical medicine. Podcast Points: Treatment and research for infectious diseases An overview of parasitic diseases found in the United States and around the world The current state of the HIV epidemic Dr. Griffin discusses his important work and research in infectious diseases, including HIV, tropical medicine, and especially parasitic diseases. Dr. Griffin has a long history in the field of medical and clinical research and he has a particular interest in HIV, stem cells, and malignancies. As a medical doctor he provides care for patients with infectious diseases, in addition to his role as an educator, teaching medical students, residents and fellows in NYC. Dr. Griffin discusses New York City as the center of the developing world, and as he explains, people come in from all over the world, for tourism, but also for treatment and ongoing medical care. The research doctor talks about his experiences and cites examples of patients he sees regularly through the year, who come to NYC for their healthcare treatment. Dr. Griffin discusses tropical diseases, and he speaks about the many cases of malaria, Zika, and more, and the ill patients that find their way to his office seeking treatment. Dr. Griffin talks about public health issues, how they are handled, detailing specific diseases such as TB and others. He discusses the types of therapies that are effective and how some nations handle disease management better than others seemingly. The research physician continues his discussion, providing information about the impact of HIV in the United States versus abroad. And he explains how many parasitic diseases exist right here in the United States, and how they can be recognized and subsequently treated.

Researcher and author Dr. Richard J. Johnson has looked into the role fructose plays in many modern disease epidemics. He discusses this by describing. what fructose can do to help some animals survive harsh conditions, how those assets turn into dangers in our modern world of plenty, and what alternatives we might use to ease the cravings and replace fructose in our daily diet. Dr. Richard J. Johnson is a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado. He researches how fructose causes diseases like hypertension, kidney disease, and obesity and diabetes. He's written two books about this epidemic—The Fat Switch and The Sugar Fix—and has written numerous papers on fructose as well. Dr. Johnson discusses the role fructose plays in the excessive obesity and diabetes rates in our society. He talks about how hard to avoid, from an ingredient in table sugar to the ubiquitous high fructose corn syrup, an easy addition for manufactures looking for something cheap and appealing to put in processed foods. He also explains why it is so dangerous by first explaining it evolutionary role. Dr. Johnson discusses how it can be helpful to animal systems in dire survival mode. He uses an analogy to explain its function, commenting that it's akin to an alarm system for our body: it sends a signal to our system that we're in trouble .In order to protect ourselves, we become insulin resistant to guard our brain and increase inflammation to protect our physiology. Of course these measures completely undermine our health in times of plenty and increase risks for obesity and diabetes. He finishes the discussion with suggestions for ways to ween ourselves, from more effective ways to eat fruits to what alternatives to fructose are best. For more, find his papers in pub med, his books and, see his lab web site at https://physiology.case.edu/person/richard-j-johnson/

Professor Aaron Kaplan studies ecological processes in photosynthetic organisms, and is looking particularly close at green algae—the fastest growing photosynthetic organism on the planet. On today's podcast, he talks about the "crust" that this cyanobacteria helps form, called biological soil crust. He explains a number of interesting topics, including the following: How biological soil crust is formed, why it varies in thickness, and what it's composed of Why it is so important to understand cyanobacteria in order to eliminate toxic algal blooms that are destroying ecological systems What mechanisms organisms acquire in order to grow in the harshest environments on Earth What is meant by saying that organisms use "languages" Professor Kaplan discusses a range of compelling, technical details about some of the most unique habitats on Earth characterized by biological soil crust, which is a complex system comprised of many organisms which thrive off the metabolites produced by cyanobacteria or green algae. He talks about the effects of algal blooms on ecological systems—particularly lakes in parts of China, why he aims to better understand the biological role of toxic secondary metabolites, oxidative stress and signaling between different organisms, and how one toxin can actually bind to and protect proteins from oxidative stress. Professor Kaplan expounds on the technical aspects of the science behind his work, and emphasizes the importance and relevance of it to the health of both humans and the environment.

In this podcast, Eugene B. Chang, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, discusses his team's research studying the microbiome and microbes. Podcast Points: How does the microbiome impact health? What is the mission of microbes? How do probiotics work, and are they effective? Chang's lab is interested in the important connection between intestinal microbiota and their human host, and what happens when there is conflict. Chang was an important voice in the Human Microbiome Project, a US National Institutes of Health (NIH) research initiative created to increase understanding of the microbial flora that play a pivotal role in human health and disease progression. Chang discusses the uniqueness of a person's microbiome. But he states that we all actually share some types of microbes. Chang explains core microbiomes, and their important functions. He provides examples of how the microbiome works, and the role of microbes. Continuing, Chang discusses stability issues regarding the microbiome, and their need for resiliency. He talks about the many factors that are involved, outlining and detailing how select microbial communities function, in regard to networks and stability. And he explains that the interplay between dietary and environmental issues can certainly affect the stability of the microbiome. He talks about diversity within the microbiome, and how it may not be as important as many have proposed. Chang talks about immune disorders and he provides an overview of what microbial communities can do to maintain stability. He continues, discussing probiotics, and why they may not stay around as long as we'd like because nonresident microbes often have trouble breaking into very established microbial communities.

Dr. Carolina Soekmadji studies different types of extracellular vesicles, specifically trying to understand their connection to prostate cancer. In this discussion, she describes how different types of extracellular vesicles seem to react differently to the same substance, why the CD9 vesicle's proliferation under different androgen conditions is important, and what this means in how doctors can individualize prostate cancer treatment. Dr. Carolina Soekmadji works as a senior research officer at the University of California, Irvine. She studied for her Master's in Japan and completed her PhD work in Australia, where she studied the exocytosis and endocytosis of synoptic vesicles. She discusses the typical therapy for prostate cancer where doctors decrease the androgen presence, also called ADT. While this usually has the desired effect, there's always a group of patients that don't seem to show an effective response. While cancer cells initially die in this group, the cancer cells return and start growing again. Dr. Soekmadji has located a specific vesicle that appears to grow under both conditions: androgen presence or absence. She thinks that this vesicle may make the difference between these two populations and their response. Dr. Soekmadji covers general causes of prostate cancer as well. She continues to study the activity of extracellular vesicles, and how and why this particular vesicle responds as it does and why this happens in some patients but not others. Dr. Carolina Soekmadji offers a general course on extracellular vesicles and health issues through Coursera and the University of California that's open to the general public. For more about her work and contact information, see https://www.qimrberghofer.edu.au/people/dr-carolina-soekmadji/

Stephen Greiman, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at Georgia Southern University where he studies diverse groups of parasitic organisms. He discusses the following: How a pork or beef tapeworm could find its way into the brain, spinal cord, organ, or a body cavity of a human being What the difference is between the parasite's role in an intermediate host and a final or definitive host What types of treatments are available to humans who have been invaded by a parasite Dr. Greiman focuses on the study of tapeworms and flukes, which have complex life cycles and use at least one intermediate host before reaching the final or definitive host. He explains the difference between parasitic function in intermediate versus definitive hosts and the pathologies that can be caused by parasites in both types of hosts. He gives an example of how parasites change the behavior of intermediate hosts as a way of making them more susceptible to predation, such as parasitic flukes which cause a snail's tentacles to pulsate and change colors, making them look more like maggots. In other cases, a fluke may cause a snail to crawl on vegetation and thereby become more visible by predators. Dr. Greiman also talks about how the consumption of undercooked beef or pork can cause a human to become an incidental intermediate host for tapeworm larvae which can cause all kinds of diseases and pathologies, such as seizures. Currently, there is a lot of interest in host-microbiome and parasite microbiome interactions, and this research is being aided by genomic sequencing and transcriptomics. For more information about Dr. Greiman's research, visit http://www.stephengreiman.com/.