This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Molly He, CEO and co-founder of Element Biosciences. They discuss the current landscape of sequencing technologies, Element’s innovative sequencing platform, and the potential of using in-sample multiomic profiling across different stages of drug discovery.
Show Notes:
0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast
00:59 Welcome to Molly
01:42 Persistent barriers in precision medicine
04:54 Limitations of multiomics technologies and the unique advantage of Element’s approach
07:33 How Element started by inventing an ambitious sequencing instrument
11:33 Overview of the chemistry behind Element’s sequencing technology
14:41 Sequencing workflow of Element’s technology and technical advantages
18:24 Sequencing inside cells and drug discovery insights from a study on tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance pathways
25:57 Sequencing for CRISPR perturbation and direct genotype–phenotype linkage in the same cell
27:33 Whole-transcriptome in situ sequencing and applications in patient samples
29:19 Simplifying single-cell transcriptomics with direct in-sample sequencing
30:31 Applying the single-cell spatial technology to different steps of the drug discovery process
36:43 Competition in the sequencing industry and recent news about Illumina filing a patent infringement case against Element
38:43 Lessons from building Element over eight years
40:32 Insight into maintaining a cohesive culture as Element has multiplied in size and across countries
42:06 The importance of input data quality for AI applications and excitement about the possibility of predicting biology
45:40 Closing remarks
Find out more
Element Biosciences (https://www.elementbiosciences.com/)
Pre-print (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.05.06.652479v1)
Please consider rating and reviewing us on your chosen podcast listening platform!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bp2_wVNSzntTs_zuoizU8bX1dvao4jfj/view?usp=share_link
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.