logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2025
20m 3s

Breaking Down AI's Role in Genomics and ...

Daniel Faggella
About this episode

Today's guest is Dan Elton, a Staff Scientist at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dan returns to the program to explore how AI is advancing genetic research, from protein engineering to gene editing and risk prediction. One of the most significant breakthroughs in this space is AlphaFold, DeepMind's AI model that predicts protein structures with unprecedented accuracy. While it does not analyze genetic sequences directly, its ability to model protein folding is transforming drug development and protein engineering. Dan also discusses the potential for AI to improve polygenic risk prediction, where machine learning models are being applied to assess disease risk based on genetic markers. If you've enjoyed or benefited from some of the insights of this episode, consider leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and let us know what you learned, found helpful, or liked most about this show!

Up next
Yesterday
Closing the Gap Between Commercial Plans and What Happens on the Shelf - with Stephanie Lilley of Reckitt
For consumer goods companies, the gap between the commercial plan agreed at head office and what gets executed on the shelf is one of the costliest disconnects in the business — investment goes out against activity that never happens, and revenue never arrives against activity th ... Show More
24m 14s
Sep 14
Why Traditional Training Can't Keep Technical Teams Current - with Nicola Lyons of Andela
Traditional, event-based training can't keep pace with technical skills that now shift every six to twelve months. ​ In this episode, Nicola Lyons, Senior Director of Talent Operations at Andela, breaks down why assessment-based, personalized learning is replacing one-time traini ... Show More
19m 47s
Sep 8
Responsible Generative AI in Healthcare and What Leaders Need to Know for 2026 - with Rhett Alden of Elsevier Health
Generative AI is entering clinical workflows just as healthcare institutions grapple with black-box outputs, unclear regulation, and the need for provable accuracy. In this episode, Rhett Alden, CTO at Elsevier, joins Emerj's Yolandi de Weerdt to articulate how claim-level valida ... Show More
21m 54s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2025
From AlphaFold to MMseqs2-GPU: How AI is Accelerating Protein Science - Ep. 273
Listen as two leading researchers at the cutting edge of computational biology explore breakthrough GPU accelerations that are changing how we understand life's molecular machinery. Chris Dallago, Research Lead at NVIDIA and Visiting Professor at Duke University, and Martin Stein ... Show More
34m 37s
Jun 2024
How AI is unlocking the secrets of nature and the universe | Demis Hassabis
Can AI help us answer life's biggest questions? In this visionary conversation, Google DeepMind cofounder and CEO Demis Hassabis delves into the history and incredible capabilities of AI with head of TED Chris Anderson. Hassabis explains how AI models like AlphaFold — which accur ... Show More
26m 21s
Oct 2023
DeepMind’s Latest AlphaFold AI Model Revolutionizing Drug Discovery
In this episode, we delve into how DeepMind's newest iteration of the AlphaFold model is revolutionizing the field of drug discovery. Explore the breakthroughs and potential applications that this cutting-edge technology brings to the pharmaceutical world. Invest in AI Box: https ... Show More
6m 34s
Oct 2023
When AI and Genomics Collide
<p>Today’s episode continues our coverage from a16z’s recent AI Revolution event. You’ll hear a16z Bio & Health GP Vijay Pande speak with Daphne Koller about the fascinating convergence of machine learning and genomics – two industries that have benefitted decades of investment a ... Show More
24m 16s
Apr 2024
How AI is unlocking the secrets of nature and the universe | Demis Hassabis
Can AI help us answer life's biggest questions? In this visionary conversation, Google DeepMind cofounder and CEO Demis Hassabis delves into the history and incredible capabilities of AI with head of TED Chris Anderson. Hassabis explains how AI models like AlphaFold — which accur ... Show More
24m 59s
Mar 2025
How AI is saving billions of years of human research time | Max Jaderberg
Can AI compress the years long research time of a PhD into seconds? Research scientist Max Jaderberg explores how “AI analogs” simulate real-world lab work with staggering speed and scale, unlocking new insights on protein folding and drug discovery. Drawing on his experience wor ... Show More
19m 15s
Apr 2025
Isomorphic Labs Discusses AI-Driven Drug Discovery and the Future of Medicine - Ep. 252
Max Jaderberg and Sergei Yakneen from Isomorphic Labs discuss how AI is enhancing drug discovery by treating biology as an information processing system. They share how advanced AI models like AlphaFold 3 are accelerating the pipeline and paving the way for a future of precision ... Show More
39m 25s