This week’s episode features Dr. Nadine Bongaerts-Duportet, whose professional passion is discovering the possibilities of engineering life at the smallest scale and designing cells with new functions. We discuss a range of topics related to genetic engineering and synthetic biology, science communication, and related topics such as:
How Nadine developed her expertise in both navigating the complexities of synthetic biology and also communicating about them in engaging terms accessible to general audiences
How Nadine communicates with the public or other non-expert stakeholders about the often emotional topic of synthetic biology without “freaking out” her listeners
Her research on tuberculosis and antibiotic resistance
The startup she joined after getting her Ph.D. – its mission and her role
How Nadine thinks the French government (she’s based in Paris) has handled the severe challenges associated with the pandemic and her assessment of the French public’s level of compliance with government-imposed public health mandates
Information about the organization Hello Tomorrow, which is focused on deep tech
The projects Nadine is working on and what pieces of work she is particularly excited about
