A myriad of AI, science, and technology experts explore the real challenges and enormous opportunities facing entrepreneurs who are building the future of health. Raising Health, a podcast by a16z Bio + Health, dives deep into the heart of biotechnology and healthcare innovation. Join veteran company builders, operators, and investors Vineeta Agarwala, Julie Yoo, and Jorge Conde, along with distinguished guests like Mark Cuban, Greg Verdine, Fei-Fei Li, and Suchi Saria, as they explore the i ...
…
continue reading
Content provided by Stanford Engineering & Russ Altman and Stanford Engineering. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Stanford Engineering & Russ Altman and Stanford Engineering or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
Similar to The Future of Everything
When you hear the words Alzheimer's disease, what do you think of? The truth is, the picture most of us have of the disease is incomplete. Alzheimer's disease doesn't start when someone starts to lose their memory. It actually starts years – sometimes decades – earlier. The Rethinking Alzheimer's Disease Podcast is an engaging, narrative-style podcast miniseries for those curious or motivated to learn about Alzheimer’s disease. Perhaps you have a family member with Alzheimer’s disease, or ca ...
…
continue reading
Flash Forward is a show about possible (and not so possible) future scenarios. What would the warranty on a sex robot look like? How would diplomacy work if we couldn’t lie? Could there ever be a fecal transplant black market? (Complicated, it wouldn’t, and yes, respectively, in case you’re curious.) Hosted and produced by award winning science journalist Rose Eveleth, each episode combines audio drama and journalism to go deep on potential tomorrows, and uncovers what those futures might re ...
…
continue reading
Whether the topic is popcorn or particle physics, you can count on BrainStuff to explore -- and explain -- the everyday science in the world around us.
…
continue reading
Emergency Medicine Cases – Where the Experts Keep You in the Know. For show notes, quizzes, videos and more learning tools please visit emergencymedicinecases.com
…
continue reading
I discuss a variety of topics in both the natural and social sciences, exploring the many fascinating insights that the scientific method yields about the world around us.
…
continue reading
The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to prime ministerial biorhythms.
…
continue reading
The kickass science and technology radio show that delivers an irreverent look at the week in science and technology.
…
continue reading
Whether we wear a lab coat or haven't seen a test tube since grade school, science is shaping all of our lives. And that means we all have science stories to tell. Every year, we host dozens of live shows all over the country, featuring all kinds of storytellers - researchers, doctors, and engineers of course, but also patients, poets, comedians, cops, and more. Some of our stories are heartbreaking, others are hilarious, but they're all true and all very personal. Welcome to The Story Collider!
…
continue reading
Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn Grant is a different kind of nature show about the human drama of saving animals. From a paleoanthropologist who hunts fossils in conflict zones to someone who helped save an endangered species while in prison, in season four we will hear from real-life heroes and nature advocates with widely different expertise and life experiences that led them to be champions for the natural world. Wildlife biologist and host Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant has been studying wild animals i ...
…
continue reading
Player FM - Podcast App
Go offline with the Player FM app!
Go offline with the Player FM app!
))
The future of lipids in evolution
Manage episode 525096851 series 2712286
Content provided by Stanford Engineering & Russ Altman and Stanford Engineering. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Stanford Engineering & Russ Altman and Stanford Engineering or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
Microbes are awesome, says biologist Paula Welander. They have shaped Earth’s chemistry and its environment over billions of years, including oxygenating the planet to make it habitable for larger life forms. In turn, microbes have been shaped by that very same environment, evolving as the climate has evolved, she says. Welander now studies the lipid membranes of ancient microbes, which can endure for millions of years, to understand this evolution and where we might be headed in the future. Microbes are our connection to the ancient world, Welander tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.
Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to [email protected].
Episode Reference Links:
- Stanford Profile: Paula V. Welander
Connect With Us:
- Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website
- Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon
- Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Introduction
Russ Altman introduces guest Paula Welander, a professor of Earth Science at Stanford University.
(00:04:06) Why Study Microbial Lipids
Why lipids are essential for modern microbiology and Earth’s history.
(00:05:19) Diversity of Microbial Membranes
How bacteria and Archaea build different kinds of membranes.
(00:07:15) Reconstructing Ancient Environments
Using specific lipid biomarkers to understand the early planet.
(00:09:20) Chemical Fossils vs. Organism Fossils
Why microbes don’t leave traditional fossils—but their lipids do.
(00:10:55) Lipids as Environmental Clues
How certain lipids indicate the environments organisms lived in.
(00:12:36) Archaea: A Distinct and Ancient Entity
Archaea’s evolutionary importance and chemically distinct membranes.
(00:15:43) The Lipid Divide
Why eukaryotic membranes resemble bacterial, not Archaeal, membranes.
(00:17:12) Tracing Membrane Evolution
Recent breakthroughs in studying Archaeal lineages related to eukaryotes.
(00:19:11) Lipid Preservation Over Time
How archaeal lipids are especially reliable as long-term biomarkers.
(00:20:58) Sterols as Biomarkers
The role sterols, including cholesterol, play in lipid archeology.
(00:23:14) Bacterial Cholesterol Discovery
The discovery that a rare bacteria can synthesize sterol precursors.
(00:25:02) Functional Roles of Bacterial Sterols
The possible roles sterols may play in microbial membranes and cell function.
(00:26:31) Archaea in the Human Gut
The number and types of Archaea found in the human microbiome.
(00:28:43) Archaea and Antibiotics
Whether Archaea react similarly to bacteria when exposed to antibiotics.
(00:29:46) Future In a Minute
Rapid-fire Q&A: hope, research needs, and alternate career dreams.
(00:31:43) Conclusion
Connect With Us:
Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website
Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon
Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
355 episodes
Share
Manage episode 525096851 series 2712286
Content provided by Stanford Engineering & Russ Altman and Stanford Engineering. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Stanford Engineering & Russ Altman and Stanford Engineering or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://podcastplayer.com/legal.
Microbes are awesome, says biologist Paula Welander. They have shaped Earth’s chemistry and its environment over billions of years, including oxygenating the planet to make it habitable for larger life forms. In turn, microbes have been shaped by that very same environment, evolving as the climate has evolved, she says. Welander now studies the lipid membranes of ancient microbes, which can endure for millions of years, to understand this evolution and where we might be headed in the future. Microbes are our connection to the ancient world, Welander tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.
Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to [email protected].
Episode Reference Links:
- Stanford Profile: Paula V. Welander
Connect With Us:
- Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website
- Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon
- Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Introduction
Russ Altman introduces guest Paula Welander, a professor of Earth Science at Stanford University.
(00:04:06) Why Study Microbial Lipids
Why lipids are essential for modern microbiology and Earth’s history.
(00:05:19) Diversity of Microbial Membranes
How bacteria and Archaea build different kinds of membranes.
(00:07:15) Reconstructing Ancient Environments
Using specific lipid biomarkers to understand the early planet.
(00:09:20) Chemical Fossils vs. Organism Fossils
Why microbes don’t leave traditional fossils—but their lipids do.
(00:10:55) Lipids as Environmental Clues
How certain lipids indicate the environments organisms lived in.
(00:12:36) Archaea: A Distinct and Ancient Entity
Archaea’s evolutionary importance and chemically distinct membranes.
(00:15:43) The Lipid Divide
Why eukaryotic membranes resemble bacterial, not Archaeal, membranes.
(00:17:12) Tracing Membrane Evolution
Recent breakthroughs in studying Archaeal lineages related to eukaryotes.
(00:19:11) Lipid Preservation Over Time
How archaeal lipids are especially reliable as long-term biomarkers.
(00:20:58) Sterols as Biomarkers
The role sterols, including cholesterol, play in lipid archeology.
(00:23:14) Bacterial Cholesterol Discovery
The discovery that a rare bacteria can synthesize sterol precursors.
(00:25:02) Functional Roles of Bacterial Sterols
The possible roles sterols may play in microbial membranes and cell function.
(00:26:31) Archaea in the Human Gut
The number and types of Archaea found in the human microbiome.
(00:28:43) Archaea and Antibiotics
Whether Archaea react similarly to bacteria when exposed to antibiotics.
(00:29:46) Future In a Minute
Rapid-fire Q&A: hope, research needs, and alternate career dreams.
(00:31:43) Conclusion
Connect With Us:
Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website
Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon
Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
355 episodes
All episodes
×
Welcome to Player FM!
Player FM is scanning the web for high-quality podcasts for you to enjoy right now. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices.
Similar to The Future of Everything
A myriad of AI, science, and technology experts explore the real challenges and enormous opportunities facing entrepreneurs who are building the future of health. Raising Health, a podcast by a16z Bio + Health, dives deep into the heart of biotechnology and healthcare innovation. Join veteran company builders, operators, and investors Vineeta Agarwala, Julie Yoo, and Jorge Conde, along with distinguished guests like Mark Cuban, Greg Verdine, Fei-Fei Li, and Suchi Saria, as they explore the i ...
…
continue reading
When you hear the words Alzheimer's disease, what do you think of? The truth is, the picture most of us have of the disease is incomplete. Alzheimer's disease doesn't start when someone starts to lose their memory. It actually starts years – sometimes decades – earlier. The Rethinking Alzheimer's Disease Podcast is an engaging, narrative-style podcast miniseries for those curious or motivated to learn about Alzheimer’s disease. Perhaps you have a family member with Alzheimer’s disease, or ca ...
…
continue reading
Flash Forward is a show about possible (and not so possible) future scenarios. What would the warranty on a sex robot look like? How would diplomacy work if we couldn’t lie? Could there ever be a fecal transplant black market? (Complicated, it wouldn’t, and yes, respectively, in case you’re curious.) Hosted and produced by award winning science journalist Rose Eveleth, each episode combines audio drama and journalism to go deep on potential tomorrows, and uncovers what those futures might re ...
…
continue reading
Whether the topic is popcorn or particle physics, you can count on BrainStuff to explore -- and explain -- the everyday science in the world around us.
…
continue reading
Emergency Medicine Cases – Where the Experts Keep You in the Know. For show notes, quizzes, videos and more learning tools please visit emergencymedicinecases.com
…
continue reading
I discuss a variety of topics in both the natural and social sciences, exploring the many fascinating insights that the scientific method yields about the world around us.
…
continue reading
The Science Show gives Australians unique insights into the latest scientific research and debate, from the physics of cricket to prime ministerial biorhythms.
…
continue reading
The kickass science and technology radio show that delivers an irreverent look at the week in science and technology.
…
continue reading
Whether we wear a lab coat or haven't seen a test tube since grade school, science is shaping all of our lives. And that means we all have science stories to tell. Every year, we host dozens of live shows all over the country, featuring all kinds of storytellers - researchers, doctors, and engineers of course, but also patients, poets, comedians, cops, and more. Some of our stories are heartbreaking, others are hilarious, but they're all true and all very personal. Welcome to The Story Collider!
…
continue reading
Going Wild with Dr. Rae Wynn Grant is a different kind of nature show about the human drama of saving animals. From a paleoanthropologist who hunts fossils in conflict zones to someone who helped save an endangered species while in prison, in season four we will hear from real-life heroes and nature advocates with widely different expertise and life experiences that led them to be champions for the natural world. Wildlife biologist and host Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant has been studying wild animals i ...
…
continue reading
Player FM - Podcast App
Go offline with the Player FM app!
Go offline with the Player FM app!
