New England Biolabs® Launches "Lessons from Lab & Life™" Podcast

IPSWICH, Mass., April 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientists face many extraordinary crossroads in their careers, few of which have easy answers.

To give people a window into those pivotal moments, New England BioLabs (NEB®) today announced the launch of the "Lessons from Lab & Life" podcast, which consists of a series of short conversations between NEB staff and fellow researchers. The objective of each episode is not only to discuss the latest trends in science, but also to provide advice for obstacles scientists may face in their careers and lives.

"Scientists lead inspirational, yet demanding lives, but their stories are often obscured to the general public and the scientific community," said Deana Martin, Associate Director of Marketing Communications at NEB. "However, they also bring a unique lens on matters that extend beyond the laboratory, whether it's about finding passion in one's work, making a dramatic career move or challenging the status quo. With this new podcast series, we hope to share some helpful life lessons from successful scientists with the rest of the world."

In the podcast's inaugural episode, Sir Richard Roberts, Nobel Prize Laureate and Chief Scientific Officer at NEB, and his former student Sriharsa Pradhan, Distinguished NEB Scientist, discuss their love for bacteria in more detail, and push back on the public's misperception that bacteria are always harmful. Listen now.

"Historically, bacteria always had an unfavorable reputation because scientists were only studying ways that they can hurt us, which, sadly, caused them to overlook the good ones," said Roberts. "Fortunately, we're learning that bacteria are an essential part of our being, and thus our fear of them is greatly exaggerated."

The in-depth conversational format provided by podcasting is a wonderful avenue to not only share this message, but also to give listeners a chance to really think about very important issues.

Additional episodes currently available feature guests covering various topics, including:

• Angela Belcher, James Mason Crafts Professor of Biological Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, shares how she balances the different interfaces within the sciences, and gives advice to prospective students on how to approach science throughout their career.
• Becky Kucera, Applications and Product Development Scientist at NEB, recounts what it was like to be a molecular biologist before polymerase chain reaction (PCR) became a staple lab procedure, and imparts applicable life lessons she learned from Kary Mullis and his discovery of PCR.

"The launch of the NEB podcast series is an embodiment of our core foundational values, which includes using scientific mentorship to build a more compassionate world," stated Martin. "We're excited to engage our current customers through this alternative medium, as well as inspire new people to share our passion for science."

Future episodes are scheduled to be released on a monthly basis. To listen to the first episodes of the "Lessons from Lab & Life" podcast and download transcripts, visit www.neb.com/NEBpodcast. Episodes are also available for download on iTunes.

About New England Biolabs
Established in the mid 1970's, New England Biolabs, Inc. (NEB) is the industry leader in the discovery and production of enzymes for molecular biology applications and now offers the largest selection of recombinant and native enzymes for genomic research. NEB continues to expand its product offerings into areas related to PCR and qPCR, gene expression, sample preparation for next generation sequencing, synthetic biology, glycobiology, epigenetics and RNA analysis. Additionally, NEB is focused on strengthening alliances that enable new technologies to reach key market sectors, including molecular diagnostics development. New England Biolabs is a privately held company, headquartered in Ipswich, MA, and has extensive worldwide distribution through a network of exclusive distributors, agents and seven subsidiaries located in Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore and the UK. For more information about New England Biolabs visit www.neb.com.

New England Biolabs® and NEB® are registered trademarks of New England Biolabs, Inc.
Lessons From Lab & Life™ is a trademark of New England Biolabs, Inc.

CONTACT: Contact information: Deana D. Martin, Ph.D., Associate Director, Marketing Communications, New England Biolabs, 240 County Road Ipswich, MA 01938, Tel: 978-380-7464, Email: martin@neb.com