Talking Techniques
Episodes
The BRAIN miniseries | Exploring the neuropathogenesis of HIV and mentoring the next generation of scientists
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In our third episode of the BRAIN (Black Researchers Addressing Inequalities in Neuroscience) podcast miniseries, we're exploring the research being d...
The BRAIN miniseries | Investigating the link between vascular health and neurodegeneration in underrepresented populations
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In our second episode of the BRAIN (Black Researchers Addressing Inequalities in Neuroscience) podcast miniseries, we explore the lab techni...
The BRAIN miniseries | Meet the neuroengineer building brain-monitoring devices and thriving communities
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In our first episode of the BRAIN (Black Researchers Addressing Inequalities in Neuroscience) podcast miniseries, we dive into the research world of n...
Cytokine networks in autoimmune diseases: mechanisms, pathogenesis and therapeutic innovations
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Talking Techniques, Ritwika Biswas, Field Application Scientist at Sino Biological US Inc. (PA, USA), discusses the role of cytokin...
Skills-based teaching and microcredentialing in STEM
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of Talking Technique deviates slightly from specific lab technologies to instead discuss techniques and methods we use for teaching and t...
Antigen validation and T-cell receptor engineering for cancer immunotherapies
12 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the Talking Techniques podcast dives into the realm of cancer immunotherapies, focusing on antigen discovery and T-cell receptor engin...
Cytokines: from therapeutics to diagnostics
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Talking Techniques, Ritwika Biswas, Field Application Scientist at Sino Biological US Inc. (PA, USA), discusses the use of cytokine...
Spatial analysis of the immune-cell-surface proteome at a single-cell resolution
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The cell-surface proteome plays a critical role in immune-cell function; however, our ability to examine its interactions and spatial organization has...
Investigating the neurological pathways underlying vocal communication
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Talking Techniques, we catch up with Michael Long, Principle Investigator of the Long Lab at New York University (NY, USA), where h...
Rare disease and pharmacogenomics
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Launching our fourth season of Talking Techniques, this episode, supported by the University of Cincinnati (OH, USA) we delve into rare disease resear...
One man’s waste in another man’s treasure: using wastewater to monitor infectious diseases
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Talking Techniques, we talk to Andrew Lee, a senior research fellow in Queen’s University Belfast’s (UK) wastewater-based epide...
Next-generation antibody therapeutics
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Talking Techniques, we speak to two experts from Sino Biological US Inc. (PA, USA) about the latest developments in antibody techno...
Investigating resistant leukemia with single-cell technologies
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Talking Techniques, Rachel Thijssen, an Assistant Professor at Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC; the Netherlands), discuss...
CAR-T and CAR-NK cell therapies
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Talking Techniques, Ritwika Biswas, Field Scientist at Sino Biological US Inc. (PA, USA), walks us through the chimeric antigen rec...
Mitochondria, the immune system and cancer: discovering new insights with spatial technologies
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, supported by Fortis Life Sciences, we delve into the relationship between mitochondria, inflammation and cancer, discussing the new t...
Long-read sequencing, metagenomics and the microbiome
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, sponsored by Zymo Research, we explore the microbiome and how long-read sequencing techniques are changing our approach to the field ...
Open neuroscience and the meaning of FAIR
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode, our second recorded at Neuroscience 2022 (13-19th April 2022; San Diego, CA, USA), delves into the importance of open data in neuroscien...
Welcome to the jungle: sequencing for conservation
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Talking Techniques, we head to the Ecuadorian rainforest to chat about the use of sequencing in conservation with Zane Libke, a fie...
Neuropixels: big data heaven or burying the lead in averages?
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode of Talking techniques, one of two recorded at Neuroscience 2022, we speak to Tim Harris (Howard Hughes Medical Institute, VA, ...
Microbiome profiling techniques: from immunology to agriculture
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Talking Techniques podcast, we explore microbiomes and the techniques used to profile them. Get an overview of the different te...
The gut–brain axis and addiction
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode of Talking Techniques, brought to you from the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies Forum (FENS; 9th–13th July 2022...
3D cell cultures: the latest developments, applications and regulations in the field
26 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, supported by BrandTech, returning guest Rob Vries, CEO of HUB organoids (Utrecht, The Netherlands), fills us in on the advancement of...
rAAVs, host-cell contamination and ddPCR
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Talking Techniques, supported by Bio-Rad, we discuss a key component of many gene therapies: recombinant adeno-associated viruses (...
HPV, epigenetics and cancer: sequencing for new insights and to correct healthcare inequality
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In many regions of the world, HPV and its association with cervical cancer is a well-known but rarely considered issue, after the rollout of the HPV v...
Artificial intelligence in healthcare
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, the Alliance for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare (AAIH) published "The Lifecycle of an AI System in Healthcare", a whitepaper defining...
Liquid biopsy and cfNAs: driving forward diagnostics and disease research
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The key diagnostic and prognostic information locked away in cell-free nucleic acids (cfNAs) has become increasingly accessible due to developments in...
The evolution of recombinant antibodies
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss recombinant proteins: what are they and what are they used for? BioTechniques Editor Tristan Free speaks to Amy Sheng, Tec...
The epigenetic clock
25 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, supported by Zymo Research, we discuss the epigenetic clock: what is it? How are researchers using it and what are some of the key to...
Resolving spatial biology in neuroscience
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Talking Techniques, supported by Resolve BioSciences, we explore the realm of spatial biology, with a particular focus on the techn...
Introducing STEM Tea
17 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Talking Techniques, we introduce a new podcast series, produced by BioTechnques and hosted by the enigmatic Antentor Othrell Hinton...
Cell proliferation in drug screening
25 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, supported by BioRad, we explore cell proliferation monitoring and its role in drug discovery, guided by the expert advice of Rachel P...
Synthetic biology: from cancer to the climate crisis
21 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore the field of synthetic biology. Discover the history of the field and its origins in the production of biofuels, before fr...
Establishing an epigenetic lens to explore cancer and infectious diseases
12 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We are talking all things DNA methylation in this episode, providing a brief explanation of epigenetics and the technologies involved in the study of ...
Target enrichment for NGS: why, how and what's next?
26 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, supported by Roche, we explore a vital aspect of many next-generation sequencing studies: target enrichment. Here, regions of interes...
Producing challenging proteins in the golden age of protein engineering
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we roam the world of recombinant proteins and their production, discussing the challenges of their production, and recent evolutions ...
The evolution of PCR: From q to dd and beyond
21 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
PCR has evolved rapidly over the last few years, an evolution that has been dramatically accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. New technologies and ap...
Molecular therapeutics: how far have we come and what's on the horizon?
27 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Uncover the history of molecular therapeutics, the staggering current applications and developments of these therapeutics and what their future could ...
Adeno-associated viral therapies: harnessing the power of HPLC
17 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode centers on the critical role that high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) plays in the production of adeno-associated viral (AAV) t...
Organoids: advancing drug discovery and cancer research
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As the transition from 2D to 3D cell cultures, or organoids, as the gold standard for modeling basic biology and disease continues, these models are b...
The ethics of whole-genome sequencing: from race and religion to science fiction
25 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to part two of this two-part episode on whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in rare disease research and treatment. In part one we discussed the imp...
Revitalizing the western blot
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Love it or hate it, western blotting forms the bedrock of countless studies across numerous disciplines. Explore its history, development and applicat...
From space to the streets: infectious disease sampling in extreme conditions and extraordinary circumstances
18 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we take a look at one of the key steps of infectious disease research, sample collection; exploring the challenges associated with th...
Revealing the regulome: using multiomic approaches to explore epigenetics and DNA expression
11 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Explore the realm of epigenetics and gene expression, discovering the different omic ‘lenses’ used to examine these processes and the power of sin...
The oncolytic Trojan horse: Immune cells, the tumor microenvironment and the invasion of neurons
28 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode, supported by Bethyl, delves into the realm of the tumor microenvironment (TME), exploring the cells that reside there and how they inter...
Whole-genome-sequencing: navigating the "Diagnostic Odyssey" in rare disease research
19 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rare diseases present a series of challenges on numerous fronts. From simply deciphering what a patient is affected by to considering how best to mana...
The wonders of wastewater surveillance for COVID-19
19 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore the often overlooked technique of environmental sequencing for infectious diseases and how it is being applied to the resp...
How PCR has prevailed during the COVID-19 pandemic
30 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 3 of our COVID-19 diagnostics and detection miniseries, supported by Roche, we explore the contribution PCR has made towards di...
Reproducibility in microbiomics
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Returning to the contentious topic of the Reproducibility crisis – the inability of many study results to be replicated by different research g...
How can we achieve gender equality in STEM?
05 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This International Women’s Day takeover episode, with special guest host BioTechniques’ Senior Digital Editor Abi Sawyer, takes a look at the resu...
COG-UK: sequencing SARS-CoV-2 and detecting the novel variant B.1.1.7
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode, supported by Tecan, takes a look at the role the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK) has played sequencing SARS-CoV-2 and surveying...
COVID-19 diagnostics: which test should you choose?
15 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
RT-PCR, antigen and antibody testing; each has its niche and each has a flaw. But what are the key differences between each of these tests and what ar...
Andy Tay: Forbes, awards and championing diversity in STEM
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I speak to a very special guest. Winner of this year's Future Science Future Star award, Andy Tay is a fantastic example of an early ...
How has neuroimaging continued and flourished during the COVID-19 pandemic?
06 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I speak to Michelle Itano, Director of the Neuroscience Center Microscopy Core at UNC-Chapel Hill and recent addition to the BioTechn...
The reproducibility crisis: where are we now and how can we progress?
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I address the 'reproducibility crisis'. The concerning trend in the life sciences in which published papers and established principals...
CRISPR: developing an equitable technology amidst a global pandemic
12 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I speak to Geoffrey Siwo about CRISPR and the challenges facing its development into a technique that can be applied equitably across...
Helicopter research and the challenges and misconceptions of research in Africa
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Talking Techniques, BioTechniques Digital Editor Tristan Free speaks to three scientists each involved in the research landsca...
Big data and COVID-19 part 2: Affecting policy and revealing risk
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In part 2 of this series on the role of Big data in the response to COVID-19, I speak to Amitava Banerjee, Associate Professor in Clinical Data Scienc...
Big data and COVID-19 part 1: Facilitating and using collaborative, open data
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the first of two episodes on the role of big data in fighting COVID-19, BioTechniques Digital Editor Tristan Free speaks to&nbs...
DNA vaccines: combating cancer and COVID-19
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this special AACR episode, Digital Editor Tristan Free speaks to David Weiner, Director of the Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center at the Wista...
The sustainable lab: energy efficiency, glass vs plastic and human behavior
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I speak to Neill Lane Chief Strategy Officer at Stirling Ultracold and Board member of My Green Lab. Neill explains how his low emiss...
UV LEDs for disinfection and potential protection from SARS-CoV-2
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, produced in association with Phoseon Technology, BioTechniques Digital Editor Tristan Free, speaks to Application Scientist Theresa T...
Rob Vries on organoids for drug discovery and the study of COVID-19
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
BioTechniques Digital Editor, Tristan Free, speaks to Rob Vries, CEO of Hubrecht Organoid Technology otherwise known as the HUB. We explore the HUB's ...
Donald Ingber: How COVID-19 is changing conservatism in life sciences
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Following on from part 1 of this interview with the Founding Director of the Wyss Institute (MA, USA), Donald Ingber discusses the reasons he thinks o...
Donald Ingber on COVID-19, organ-on-a-chip technology and the Wyss Institute
07 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the first instalment of this two-part episode with Donald Ingber, Founding Director of the Wyss Institute (MA, USA), we discuss his invention of or...