Nanobiotechnology podcasts

Sean Carroll talks with Caltech researcher Erik Winfree about programming DNA to process information and build microscopic machines. They discuss molecular computation, self-assembly, biological information processing and the prospects for DNA-based robots in biology and medicine.

Hosted by Sean Carroll

Nicholas Weiler talks with Guosong Hong about overcoming the limited penetration of light into brain tissue. Inspired by transparent tissues in glass frogs and the eye, Hong describes approaches involving fluorescent nanomaterials, focused ultrasound and molecules that temporarily reduce optical scattering. The conversation examines experiments with a common food dye and a project to genetically engineer mice with transparent brains from birth. These techniques could provide new ways to observe neural circuits and study how the brain develops and functions.

Hosted by Nicholas Weiler