Back of the Napkin - Inspiring Stories from Biotech Pioneers Bio-Techne

Heart disease claims more lives than any other illness, marking a dire need for viable heart transplants. Yet, the sheer demand for donor hearts outstrips the supply, burdened further by complications such as organ rejection and the continuous need for immunosuppressive drugs post-transplant. Dr. Doris Taylor's pioneering endeavor in engineering bioartificial hearts addresses not just a medical unmet need, but a systemic inequality in transplant accessibility and the encompassing physical, emotional, and financial toll on recipients.

In this inspiring episode of Back of the Napkin, Doris shares her extraordinary journey to becoming a pioneering scientist at the forefront of regenerative medicine.

Doris delves into her personal life, revealing her compelling motivation behind pursuing a career in science. The intersectionality of her life's experiences has contributed to a more compassionate scientific inquiry, one that resonates deeply with those waiting on the fringes of hope for a life-saving intervention. It is not only the hearts she seeks to build in the lab that embody this sentiment, but also the metaphorical 'building heart' — the cultivation of courage, empathy, and resilience — that she instills in everyone she encounters.

A key part of the conversation focuses on Doris's groundbreaking work in creating the first beating bioartificial heart, which holds the promise of revolutionizing transplant medicine.

Key Takeaways:

* Dr. Doris Taylor's work in regenerative medicine has led to the development of the first beating bioartificial heart, a potential game-changer for transplant medicine.
* Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, and Doris's efforts aim to address the significant unmet need for donor hearts.
* The process of creating a bioartificial heart involves decellularizing a donor heart to create a "ghost heart" scaffold, which is then repopulated with cells tailored to the recipient. Doris's personal challenges, including being an LGBTQ individual in academia and dealing with professional hardships, provide an impactful narrative of perseverance and resilience.
* Organamet Bio, founded by Doris, is aiming to commercialize the technology to manufacture patient-specific bioartificial hearts, which currently estimates a cost of $300 to $500 million to reach the first human trials.

Resources:

* Dr. Doris Taylor's LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/doristaylor/
* Organamet Bio website:  https://organametbio.com/

Kevan M. Shokat is Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California Berkeley (UCB), and an Investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). In this episode of Back of the Napkin reveals the pivotal moments and influences that have shaped his career as an academic and an entrepreneur.

The conversation takes us from Kevan's early interest in chemistry, spurred by his childhood experiences in his parents' print shop, to the present day, where his laboratory at UCSF is pushing the boundaries of what was once deemed impossible in targeting key oncogenes. Listeners will discover the compelling story of a scientist whose relentless quest has been to break down fantastical goals into attainable, logical steps. This episode not only captures Kevan's intellectual odyssey but also underscores the power of interdisciplinary thinking and steadfast perseverance in unraveling nature's deepest mysteries.

Follow Kevan: @kevansf [https://twitter.com/kevansf]

Follow Alex: @MoloneyAlex [https://twitter.com/moloneyalex]

Laura Kiessling is the Novartis Professor of Chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In this episode of Back of the Napkin, beginning in Laura's art-adorned office at MIT, the conversation explores her journey from a small Wisconsin town to the pinnacles of scientific research and education at MIT.

Laura's professional trajectory is a testament to her passion for science — from her top performance in a university chemistry class to her inspired transfer to MIT following a serendipitous spring break encounter with women doing amazing science in Boston. Her curiosity about the unknown and desire to push boundaries in chemistry led her to explore the intricate world of carbohydrates and their profound impact on diseases such as tuberculosis. 

Laura has advised approximately 100 graduate students and postdoctorates and emphasizes that the essence of scientific progress is distilled not only through individual brilliance but also through the profound impact of community, collaboration, and mentorship. Laura is not only a proponent but a role model for women in science, advocating for equal representation, mentorship, and recognition. Her narrative is punctuated with instances where she challenged the norms and paved the way for others to follow.

Links:

Lessons in Chemistry Book: https://bit.ly/3wCnTGS

Publication - Glycan-costumed virus-like particles promote type 1 anti-tumor immunity: https://bit.ly/49UWxdr

Laura's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChemicalBiology

We are delighted to announce that Season 2 is on the horizon!

As we work to bring you more great conversations, let's reflect on the most valuable discussions from a stand-out Season 1.

In this episode, we revisit essential topics like ideation, collaboration, entrepreneurship, and the future of drug discovery.

Subscribe to our mailing list to receive email notifications of new uploads: https://www.bio-techne.com/resources/podcast/biotech-podcast-back-of-the-napkin#subscribenow

Michelle Arkin is a Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She is also a director of the Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), a chemical biology and drug discovery center at UCSF. Michelle has extensive experience in the field of drug discovery and is working on new and complex challenges to demonstrate 'druggability' of new target classes.  Michelle is also the cofounder of Ambagon Therapeutics who are building on the concepts of modulating protein-protein interactions to find new drugs that address unmet needs in cancer, metabolic disorders, neurodegeneration and infectious diseases.

- Small Molecule Discovery Center: https://pharm.ucsf.edu/smdc

- Arkin Lab: https://pharm.ucsf.edu/arkin

Neal Devaraj is a Professor and Chair at the University of California San Diego. In this episode, Neal talks about the innovations he has pioneered that are advancing the field of bioorthogonal chemistry. We discuss Neal's work synthesizing completely artificial cells, designing new tools for labeling RNA, and his contribution to "click chemistry" by developing tetrazine ligation for use in live-cell imaging.