Benchtalk Volume 4: Life Science in the Time of COVID-19
Welcome to Benchtalk, a journal produced by Benchling. At Benchling, our mission is to accelerate life sciences for the benefit of humanity. As part of that mission, Benchling strives to engage the life sciences community in meaningful discussion and cross-discipline dialogue about the extraordinary goals of the field so that, together, we can work toward a better future. The quarterly Benchtalk Journal showcases the groundbreaking work of brilliant life scientists from academia to industry, facilitates discourse among members of the life sciences community, and connects them to revolutionary ideas.
This season, Benchtalk focuses on the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the field of life sciences, and the incredible response of the life science community to combat the virus. In this volume, we showcase life science R&D’s tireless work to bring tests, treatments, and vaccines to the public, as well as stories of how companies and labs are adjusting to these unprecedented circumstances.
Benchtalk features four categories of content:
- Spotlight showcases the lives and stories of life sciences community members, from scientists, to labs, to companies.
- Research includes articles written by Benchling users about their own exciting projects.
- Biotech features pieces about the state of the life sciences industry and how it will change the world as we know it.
- And last but not least, Benchling features announcements and updates about all things Benchling.
We post pieces of content to Benchtalk on a weekly basis and publish full volumes of Benchtalk on a quarterly basis, both in digital and print formats.
If you or someone you know is interested in being featured in Benchtalk, please email [email protected]
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Research When Away from the Bench: A Conversation with Dr. Colles Price Iris Fung Dr. Colles Price is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Cancer Program at the Broad Institute and a Research Fellow in Medicine at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Price shared with us his experience working away from the lab bench during the COVID-19 crisis and his hopes that scientists will take this time to think critically about experimental design. |
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Adapting to the New Normal: A Conversation with Dr. Aaron Sato of Twist Biopharma Aaron Steger Dr. Aaron Sato is the CSO of the Twist BioPharma division of Twist Bioscience, a biotech company that manufactures synthetic DNA for applications like synthetic genes, NGS preparation and antibody libraries. Dr. Sato shared with us how Twist is responding to the pandemic – from their COVID-19-related projects to adapting to the novel working conditions. |
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Generating FAIR – Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable – Resources with Marchantia, a Prototype for Plant Synthetic Biology Susana Sauret-Gūeto, University of Cambridge Dr. Susana Sauret-Gūeto, a biologist at the University of Cambridge, explains how she built a culture in her lab that prioritizes capturing and sharing well-characterized data. Though her work is in plant biology, the lessons she conveys are universally powerful – and especially applicable to this time. |
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How Biotech Labs are Adjusting to Current Events Lily Helfrich The COVID-19 pandemic has caused dramatic changes in workplaces across the life sciences. Biotech labs are responding in a variety of ways – from working remotely, to shifting to COVID-19-related projects, to devising new ways to maintain progress on essential projects. We interviewed our customers to build a framework of best practices for biotechs adjusting to this unusual time. |
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How Biotechs are Racing to Develop COVID-19 Tests Stella Howard The scientific and medical community is working around the clock to develop diagnostics and test patients for COVID-19. This is the first in a three part series on the life science community’s efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. |
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How Biotechs are Racing to Develop COVID-19 Treatments Kyrstin Lulow As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps the world, the scientific and medical community is searching around the clock for effective treatments. This is the second in a three part series on the life science community’s efforts to fight the pandemic. |
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How Biotechs are Racing to Develop SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines Kyrstin Lulow A vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 will be the most vital solution in the fight against the pandemic. Companies, academics, and governmental organizations are working at lightning speed to discover and develop vaccines. This article is the third in a three part series on the life science community’s efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. |
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Benchling Insights: Intelligence to Power your R&D Roger Pellegrini Benchling is excited to announce Benchling Insights, a new solution to help R&D companies make faster, more informed decisions. Benchling Insights allows teams to unlock insight into their operations, science, and administration. |
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Offering Benchilng pro bono for COVID-19 Testing Sajith Wickramasekara COVID-19 testing is of paramount importance when it comes to tackling the pandemic. We are offering the Benchling platform pro bono to academic, clinical, and industry labs for COVID-19 testing. |
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Requests for Testing and Medical Supplies
As scientists and healthcare professionals are fighting COVID-19, testing and medical supplies are in higher demand than ever before. To aid in this effort, Benchling has created a hub for scientists and organizations to make donations and request supplies. |
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COVID-19 Research Resources Collective Sajith Wickramasekara The life science community is banding together to find solutions to the COVID-19 crisis. To aid in this effort, Benchling has created a collective for scientists to share research resources with one another. |
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If you or someone you know is interested in being featured in Benchtalk, please email [email protected]