Nice Genes!

This episode was originally released on December 13, 2022

Stop the presses! New research shows that viruses locked in the Arctic permafrost for thousands of years have the potential to infect present-day organisms. Accompanied with a warming planet, this issue is really starting to thaw out. So what can brave scientists and institutions on the frontlines of tracking diseases do about it? And how can understanding our genomic history with diseases over thousands of years better prepare us in the fight to overcome them?

Dr. Kaylee Byers starts our journey by slinking into a disease-tracking genomics lab at Simon Fraser University to meet Dr. Michael Trimble and Dr. Will Hsiao to understand the challenge of outpacing the rapid evolution of viruses. Then she pops across the ocean to speak with Dr. Birgitta Evengård and Dr. Jean-Michel Claverie about whether the Pandora's box of ancient diseases frozen in the arctic have the potential to become the next global outbreak as temperatures warm. Plus, we unearth ancient burial sites in Vietnam with Dr. Melandri Vlok, to investigate how climate change exacerbates the tension between human health and pathogens.

Special thanks to Dr. Will Hsiao and Dr. Michael Trimble for allowing us to record with them at Simon Fraser University.

Resources:
1. Infection control in the new age of genomic epidemiology | British Columbia Centre for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory
2. The permafrost pandemic: could the melting Arctic release a deadly disease | Unearthed
3. Viral spillover risk increases with climate change in High Arctic lake sediments | The Royal Society
4. Healthy ecosystems for human and animal health: Science diplomacy for responsible development in the Arctic | The Nordic Centre of Excellence
5. Understanding and Responding to Global Health Security Risks from Microbial Threats in the Arctic: Proceedings of a Workshop | National Academies of Science, Engineering, Medicine
6. Next pandemic may come from melting glaciers, new data shows | The Guardian
7. Scientists Revived Ancient 'Zombie Viruses' Frozen For Eons in Siberia | Science Alert
8. A 48,500-year-old virus has been revived from Siberian permafrost | NewScientist
9. Anthrax outbreak in Siberia | euro news
10. CBC News: The National | Russia invades Ukraine | Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC)
11. National Geographic: Explorer Directory, Melandri Vlok | National Geographic
12. Paleoepidemiological Considerations of Mobility and Population Interaction in the Spread of Infectious Diseases in the Prehistoric Past | Bioarchaeology International
13. The Epidemiological Transition: A Theory of the Epidemiology of Population Change | Milbank Memorial Fund
14. Forager and farmer evolutionary adaptations to malaria evidenced by 7000 years of thalassemia in Southeast Asia | nature portfolio
15. CARD 2020: antibiotic resistome surveillance with the comprehensive antibiotic resistance database | Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University

Listening to and creating music is one of the most universal human experiences. It gets stuck in our heads, makes us cry in the car, and has the power to bring people together – sometimes without even a single word. So for something so deeply ingrained in us - IS IT... ingrained in us? like, in our DNA? it raises a big question: is our connection to music something we learn… or something written into our DNA?

In this special bonus live episode, host Dr. Kaylee Byers takes the pod on stage for the very first time to explore the science of music. Joined by neuroscientist Dr. Lara Boyd, clinical geneticist Dr. Alison Castle, and (virtually) behavioural geneticist Dr. Miriam Mosing, our panel unpacks how music shapes and rewires our brains, why it can be such a powerful tool for therapy and lifelong learning, what genes can (and definitely can’t) tell us about musicality– and why music even exists in the first place.

So warm up those vocal cords, and get ready to sway in your seat… this is Nice Genes! live.

Special thanks to musician (and recovering physicist) Dr. Martin Austwick for the live musical magic throughout the show.

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Highlights

(7:24) How Opera Training Influences the Brain
(10:30) Music’s Role in Memory and Dementia Prevention
(22:27) Heritability of Musical Behaviour
(36:24) If we could identify specific musical genes, should we?

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Show Notes/Resources:
1. Twin modelling reveals partly distinct genetic pathways to music enjoyment- Nature Communications
2. New multi-faculty research initiative weaves notes and neurons- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health

Why Tuberculosis is still the most deadly infectious disease.

Attention, DNA detectives! We’ve got a rat on the loose – but don’t worry, not the snitching, double-agent kind. We’re talking about the whiskered, hyper-skilled, tiny agents who aren't snitching - they're sniffing out one of the world’s deadliest diseases: tuberculosis (TB).

Tuberculosis might sound old-timey, but it’s still the globe’s top infectious killer– growing tougher, more drug-resistant, and hitting hardest where access to care falls short. So for our Season 5 finale, host Dr. Kaylee Byers digs into TB’s fascinating backstory, and teams up with microbiologist Dr. Jennifer Guthrie to figure out why this ancient disease still has such a tight grip, and how genomics is helping track its every move. Along the way, Dr. Zolelwa Sifumba shares her story as a multidrug-resistant TB survivor, and how her treatment journey fuels her advocacy today.

Buckle up: this investigation has it all : science, politics, global inequities… and a squad of extraordinary rats.

Special thanks to APOPO for sending us field recordings and interviews from their HeroRAT training program.

Highlights

(3:42) The history of TB
(8:19) Why TB sits at the top of the global disease podium
(15:30) Meet Zolelwa - a multi-drug-resistant TB survivor
(30:48) The power of education

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Show Notes/Resources:
1. Giant Rats Trained to Sniff Out Tuberculosis in Africa- National Geographic
2. The Making of a HeroRAT: From Tiny Pup to Life-saving Hero- APOPO
3. Tuberculosis: an ancient disease that remains a medical, social, economical and ethical issue- Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene
4. History of World TB Day- CDC
5. The history of tuberculosis- Respiratory Medicine
6. Chapter 12: An introductory guide to tuberculosis care to improve cultural competence for health care workers and public health professionals serving Indigenous Peoples of Canada- Canadian Journal of Respiratory, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine
7. Everything is Tuberculosis- John Green

Got a sec?

Kaylee’s popping into your feed with a teensy, weensy favour to ask: if you’re a fan of the podcast, would you do us the honour of leaving Nice Genes! a review?

Not only does it help the show, but it could also score you some very fun, one-of-a-kind prizes (details below).

How to leave a review:

Apple Podcasts: Scroll to the bottom of our show page, tap those five shiny stars, and tell us what you think.

Spotify: Tap the star rating at the top of our show page and leave a comment on your favourite episode this season.

Contest details:

If you leave the pod a review by December 31st and DM a screenshot to @GenomeBC on Instagram, you could win a swag bag, or the chance to maybe even be featured on the show next season.

Your feedback helps our beloved podcast reach new ears, supports the science stories you care about, and lets us know exactly what’s resonating most with you.

So… what are you waiting for? Show the pod a little love and earn yourself a shot at some exclusive Nice Genes! goodies!

Turning up the heat on a life stage science is still catching up to.

Ok, most of us may have gotten “the period talk.” But the “menopause talk?” Not so much. For something that half the world will experience, menopause and perimenopause are still wildly misunderstood. Luckily, the DNA detectives are finally reopening a mystery that’s been overlooked for too long.

In this episode, Dr. Kaylee Byers unpacks the science behind menopause. She calls on educator Shirley Weir to understand what menopause and perimenopause actually are– and why so many people feel dismissed when they try to get answers. Plus, reproductive genomics researcher Dr. Aspasia Destouni reveals what our genes (and a few unlikely informants– from orcas to naked mole rats) can teach us about the rebellious internal clock that drives ovarian aging.

Special thanks to Andrea Rathborne- creator, host and producer of the Half Betty podcast.

A note on language: This episode often uses the terms “women” and “female” interchangeably, but we want to acknowledge that menopause is not experienced exclusively by women. People of various gender identities can go through perimenopause and menopause, and it's important to be inclusive in how we talk about this life stage.

Resources: Menopause and perimenopause can feel isolating, and support isn’t always easy to find. Check out resources below for guidance and trusted support networks.

- Resources to help you on your menopause health journey- Menopause Foundation of Canada
- Menopause & Midlife Health- BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre
- Older Adults - Trans Care BC
- Balancing Your Health and Wellness During Menopause- First Nations Health Authority

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Highlights

(5:05) What are menopause and peri-menopause
(14:09) Why menopause ages on a different timeline than the rest of the body
(20:24) What genomics (and naked mole rats!) reveal about ovarian aging
(24:29) Which animals experience menopause and the evolutionary reasons why

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Show Notes/Resources:
1. Menopause and Perimenopause- Health Link BC
2. ‘Unprepared and Disoriented.’ New Findings on Menopause Impacts- The Tyee
3. IN HER WORDS Women’s Experience with the Healthcare System in British Columbia- BC Women’s Health Foundation, Pacific Blue Cross
4. Health and Economics Research on Midlife Women in British Columbia- Women’s Health Research Institute at BC Women’s
5. Menopause and Work in Canada- Menopause Foundation of Canada
6. Postreproductive killer whale grandmothers improve the survival of their grandoffspring- PNAS
7. Demographic and hormonal evidence for menopause in wild chimpanzees- Science
8. Naked mole rats defy the biological law of aging- Science