In this episode of Talking Techniques, Ritwika Biswas, Field Application Scientist at Sino Biological US Inc. (PA, USA), discusses the role of cytokines in autoimmune diseases, the techniques used to examine them and some emerging therapeutic innovations beginning to change the way we approach the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

• Introduction: 00:00–02:06
• The role of cytokines in a healthy body: 02:06–03:57
• Cytokines in autoimmune diseases: 03:57–06:24
• Techniques for detecting cytokines in autoimmune diseases: 06:24–09:48
• Targeting cytokines for therapeutic purposes: 09:48–11:54
• Challenges with targeting cytokines in autoimmune diseases: 11:54–14:28
• Addressing the challenges of targeting cytokines: 14:28–16:43
• Established cytokine-targeting drugs: 16:43–18:57
• The future of cytokines in autoimmune diseases: 18:57–21:54

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This episode of Talking Technique deviates slightly from specific lab technologies to instead discuss techniques and methods we use for teaching and testing life sciences.

To do this, I’m speaking to two pioneers of unconventional teaching and testing approaches to STEM education. Angela Consani is the Co-Founder and CEO of the Bioscience Core Skills Institute (KS, USA). This skills-first microcredential program provides certification for lab skills in techniques, safety and quality control, using performance-based practical testing. Natalie Kuldell is the Founder and Executive Director of Biobuilder (MA, USA), a nonprofit organization, set up to increase interest, understanding and engagement in STEM by converting lab research projects in into teachable modules aimed primarily at the pre-graduate level to give students the practical skills needed for a career in the life sciences.

Together, we’ll question the current system of STEM education and training and whether it captures all the potential talent that could be channeled into the life sciences, best serving all the roles available in the industry.

Contents:

• Introductions: 00:00-03:00
• Introducing BioBuilder: 03:00-07:00
• What industry wants from skills-based testing: 07:00-11:25
• How well do current university degrees meet these requirements: 11:25-15:40
• Designing curriculums to meet the requirements of industry and updating life science education to meet the demands of a new world: 15:40-21:55
• The practicalities of a skills-based curriculum: 21:45-23:50
• Conducting skill-based testing: 23:50-28:40
• Testing BioBuilder’s curriculum: 28:40-32:00
• Can skills-based courses really provide the underlying knowledge needed to flourish in a career in STEM: 32:00-37:00
• How the biotech industry is responding to skills-based teaching and testing: 37:00-46:00
• The interplay between testing and learning and industry: 46:00-51:20
• Outro: 51:20-54:00

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This episode of the Talking Techniques podcast dives into the realm of cancer immunotherapies, focusing on antigen discovery and T-cell receptor engineering for T-cell therapies. Guiding us through the field is Jim Heath, President of the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, where he runs the Heath Lab, investigating fundamental immunology, and infectious and chronic diseases.

Jim discusses the computational models and wet lab techniques he uses to characterize T cells, the importance of targeting a balanced immune response with immunotherapies and more in this podcast recorded at AACR 2024 (5th–10th April 2024; San Diego, CA, USA).

Introductions: 00:00-02:00

Intro to cancer vaccines and T-cell therapies: 02:00-04:00

Antigen detection and validation in T-cell therapies: 04:00-05:20

Wet lab and computational techniques for antigen detection: 05:20-09:15

The importance of a balanced immune response to cancer immunotherapies: 09:15-10:30

Technological developments in antigen detection: 10:30-13:45

Tips for best practice when conducting T-cell receptor design 13:45-15:40

What is one thing you would like to see change in the field of antigen detection and T-cell receptor engineering? 15:40-16:30

Designing the path towards a more balanced immune response from immunotherapies 16:30-19:40

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