The Climate Biotech Podcast
Are you fascinated by the power and potential of biotechnology? Do you want to learn about cutting-edge innovations that can address climate change?
The Climate Biotech Podcast explores the most pressing problems at the intersection of climate and biology, and most importantly, how to solve them. Hosted by Dan Goodwin, a neuroscientist turned biotech enthusiast, the podcast features interviews with leading experts diving deep into topics like plant synthetic biology, mitochondrial engineering, gene editing, and more.
This podcast is powered by Homeworld Collective, a non-profit whose mission is to ignite the field of climate biotechnology.
The Climate Biotech Podcast
Transforming Plants with Brad Zamft
Welcome to The Climate Biotech Podcast hosted by Dan Goodwin. In our inaugural episode, we delve into an enlightening conversation with Brad Zamft, a project lead at Alphabet's Moonshot Factory. Brad shares his remarkable journey from a PhD in neuroscience, through various prestigious roles, to his current pioneering work in plant synthetic biology.
Tune in for an expert-level discussion aimed at identifying the most crucial problems in climate science and discovering innovative solutions to tackle them. This episode promises to inspire and inform anyone passionate about climate biotech and the future of sustainable agriculture.
(00:00) Introduction to the Homeworld Podcast
(01:13) Meet Brad Zamft: From PhD to Moonshot Factory
(01:51) Challenges in Plant Synthetic Biology
(03:57) Brad's Academic Journey and Personal Growth
(09:30) From Academia to Policy: The AAAS Fellowship
(19:59) The Importance of Genetically Engineering Plants
(24:36) Protoplast Transformation and Regeneration
(27:24) Innovative Methods in Plant Transformation
(28:25) State of the Art in Plant Engineering
(30:16) Challenges and Market Limitations
(30:58) Exploring Viral Vectors for Gene Editing
(33:14) Technical Hurdles in Organelle Targeting
(36:10) Metrics and Efficiency in Plant Transformation
(40:59) Future Directions and Open Questions
(46:25) Engaging the Community and Final Thoughts