Christopher Jang

BioTime

About the show

Welcome to BioTime, a place for you to discover how our complex world works. From biology and chemistry crash courses to interviews with scientific researchers at the forefront of their field, this podcast hopes to help you not only learn more about the complexities of life but also gain an appreciation for the sciences. This podcast is hosted by Christopher Jang.

Newest episodes

Minds Behind the Science: Dr. Kate O'Toole and Her Role in the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative

Nov 10, 2026 39 min

During this episode, Dr. O’Toole shares with us a fascinating program here at Emory: the Tibet Science Initiative. The Dalai Lama initiated this program to educate Tibetan monks about modern science so they can incorporate this knowledge of the natural world, from biology to physics, into their own philosophies and understanding of the world. But the program is not just for the monastics; it is an intercultural exchange that brings Tibetan culture to Emory, enriching both sides. This is such a wonderful program and incredible to learn about. Dr. O’Toole is one of the professors who teaches the monks, and she shares with us her experiences as an instructor for this program. Let’s get right into this conversation.

Minds Behind The Science: A Conversation with MD/PhD Student Jordan Lee and His Path to Medical School

Oct 17, 2026 1 hr 6 min

In this episode, we are joined by Jordan Lee, a second-year MD PhD student at Emory Medical School. Jordan shares his nontraditional journey to medical school, from applying twice to taking multiple gap years. His journey shows us the ups and downs of the admissions process and the tenacity and grit that it takes to succeed. For those of us interested in medical school, I believe our conversation will offer great insights into what makes a successful medical school application. Additionally, feel free to learn more about Jordan's pre-med journey and time as an MD/PhD student through his Instagram: md.phlee

Minds Behind the Science: Dr. Garrett Cooper and Navigating the Biotech Industry Job Hiring Process

Sep 20, 2026 55 min

In this episode, I interview Dr. Garrett Cooper, a recent PhD graduate from Emory's Genetics and Molecular Biology program. He now works as a research scientist for Exact Sciences. Our conversation is perfect for anyone interested in pursuing an industry job in the biotech sector. We open with a conversation about how Garrett entered the field of genetics and what ultimately led him to pursue a career in the biotech sector. Additionally, a large portion of our conversation is dedicated to the advice he offers to others pursuing a job in the biotech industry. He provides insight into how to interview successfully, how to navigate the hiring process, and the unique experiences that made him a competitive candidate. Dr. Cooper also hosts a YouTube channel called Genomify with Garrett, where he teaches bioinformatics. The link is below to check it out! Genomify with Garrett: https://garrettc00per.github.io/tutorials/

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All episodes

Minds Behind the Science: Dr. Kate O'Toole and Her Role in the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative

Nov 10, 2026 39 min

Minds Behind The Science: A Conversation with MD/PhD Student Jordan Lee and His Path to Medical School

Oct 17, 2026 1 hr 6 min

Minds Behind the Science: Dr. Garrett Cooper and Navigating the Biotech Industry Job Hiring Process

Sep 20, 2026 55 min

Minds Behind the Science: Dr. Shana Burstein and Her Dual Role as a Computational Biologist and Physician

Dec 19, 2025 39 min

In this episode, I interview Dr. Shana Burstein, a second-year pediatric hematology-oncology fellow at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She received her MD from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 2021, followed by a residency in Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. Her current research interest is identifying novel genomic variants associated with pediatric cancer predisposition syndromes. During this conversation, Dr. Burstein shares the challenges and life lessons she learned along the way to becoming a physician. Further, she tells us about the incredible research she has performed from her work with calcium ion channels at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to the computational biology work she is spearheading at Emory University. Lastly, we close the interview with Dr. Burstein sharing valuable advice for those aspiring to have a successful and healthy career in medicine.

Minds Behind the Science: Dr. Caroline Li and Her Journey to Becoming a Cancer Researcher

Aug 31, 2025 27 min

In this episode, we have a discussion with Dr. Caroline Li, an assistant professor at City of Hope, a top ten cancer research center. She shares with us her academic journey from discovering her passion for science at a young age to establishing herself as faculty member of City of Hope. This episode gives great insight into the journey of a scientist, showing the successes and failures one encounters along the way.

Lac Operon

Mar 31, 2025 17 min

Our bodies love processing glucose, the primary energy source for many organisms. It is simple and easy to extract the energy contained within this simple sugar. But, there are other sugars that organisms can utilize such as lactose. One way that E. coli and many other bacteria harness lactose as an energy source is with the help of the lac operon. This episode explores the components of the lac operon and how the operon functions under varying levels of lactose and glucose.

Translation

Mar 11, 2025 17 min

In the early 2000s, news headlines were all reporting of the same terror: ricin laden letters. Once a person comes in contact with ricin and the poison is absorbed, cells lose the ability to perform translation. Without translation, the body is unable to synthesize proteins critical for life. In today’s episode, we will explore the step by step process of translation along with the structural components involved (ribosomes and t-RNA). Translation YouTube Video Link: https://youtu.be/Vu6LBOQSqiE

DNA Structure

Feb 24, 2025 21 min

DNA serves as the genetic blueprint for all living organisms. They hold all of the information that govern our very existence. Our growth and development as living organisms relies on this essential biological molecule. In this episode, we will be explore the structure of DNA. Specifically, we will analyze nucleotide structure, dehydration synthesis, complementary base pairing, and the double helix.

Darwin's Four Postulates

Feb 10, 2025 12 min

Today, we have Charles Darwin to thank for the theory of evolution and natural selection. His work has revolutionized our understanding of life on Earth. In his infamous novel, On the Origin of Species, he proposed a core concept that we refer to as Darwin's four postulates. These postulates serve as the foundation for how natural selection occurs. In this episode, we will explore each of these postulates and dive into how natural selection occurs.

Characteristics of Living Organisms

Jan 25, 2025 12 min

As biologists, we are responsible for the study of life. We study a vast range of topics from how cancer cells interact with each other to the origin of life. We study everything that is living. But, what does it mean to even be alive? Today, we will be discussing the 7 characteristics of living organisms.

Evidence for Evolution

Jan 7, 2025 16 min

Life around us is ever changing. If we were to time travel back a hundred thousand years, the many animals that we adore and love would not look the same. Dogs would not look the same. Cats would not look the same. Even plants like trees would not look the same. Why? The answer lies in evolution. In this episode, we will be exploring five major pieces of evidence that support the theory of evolution: artificial selection, intermediate forms, homologies, vestigial traits, and the hierarchical organization of life.

Lactic and Alcoholic Fermentation

Dec 25, 2024 15 min

Have you ever wondered how beer is brewed? How does yogurt gain its signature creamy texture? These delicacies owe their existence to fermentation. Today we will be exploring fermentation, a form of anaerobic respiration. Specifically, we will be exploring lactic acid fermentation and alcoholic fermentation. We will dive into why these processes are essential to life, the steps involved in each pathway, and how they are applied in the beer and yogurt industry.

Photosynthesis: Light Dependent Reactions

Dec 10, 2024 18 min

Looking out at the plants surrounding us, it might seem as if there is not much going on in their lives. But, if we were to zoom in on these plants and gaze into their interior, we would find the most intricate and complex biological processes that we are still far from fully understanding. One process that we can observe is the light dependent reactions of photosynthesis where plants harness the energy of the sun, converting it into a form of usable energy. Today, we will be explore how this process works.

Oxidative Phosphorylation

Nov 22, 2024 16 min

As humans, we have a constant need to breathe. With every breath, we fill our lungs with an essential gas: oxygen. But why is oxygen so essential to life? Oxygen is needed for a process called oxidative phosphorylation. This is a process that we as humans along with countless other organisms need to survive. Today, we will explore how oxidative phosphorylation works.

Fluid Mosaic Model

Nov 3, 2024 16 min

In the 20th century, there was an explosion in our understanding of cellular structure. Many of these recent finding have transformed the way biologists approach cellular function. In 1972, S.J. Singer and Garth L. Nicolsen, proposed a revolutionary cell membrane model called the fluid mosaic membrane. This episode dives into what the fluid mosaic model proposes, the structural components of a cell membrane, and how a cell membrane maintains its fluidity.

From the Inside: A Discussion With Dr. Eladio Abreu

Oct 12, 2024 36 min

This episode is the very first of our new series, From the Inside, where I interview high achieving professionals in the life sciences about their academic journey, advice they have for those interested in their field, and what life is like in their line of work. Our first speaker is Dr. Eladio Abreu, an associate teaching professor of biology at Emory University. In this episode, Dr. Abreu discusses his path to becoming a professor, advice he has for others interested in careers in academia, challenges he has faced in his career, work life balance, and more.

The Biology of Skin Color

Oct 5, 2024 14 min

Skin color is something that has baffled scientists for centuries. As we look around ourselves, we find tremendous amounts of variation in skin color, from black to brown to white. There is an entire spectrum of skin color to be found. Why does this variation exist? In this episode, we dive into the evolutionary origins of skin color. We will begin our discussion by exploring melanin and why it is important to humans. We will then move onto a discussion of how and why we are able to observe such a wide variety of skin tones. Finally, we will end the episode with a conversation on the importance of understanding skin color and how this knowledge can be applied to medicine.

Fibroblast Growth Factors and Their Receptors

Aug 17, 2024 15 min

From wound healing to cell growth to bone formation, fibroblast growth factors (FGF) and fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR) are responsible for a diverse range of biological processes. This episode begins with the basics: the functions of FGFs and FGFRs. We will then move on to an indepth dive into the structure of FGFRs and how they work with FGFs to initiate the desired cellular response. Finally, we will end the episode by exploring the three main pathways used by FGFs and their corresponding receptors. FGFR Model: https://images.app.goo.gl/FaZjvuh5H1QnTgfa8

Cancer Causing Genes

Aug 1, 2024 14 min

Cancer is a disease that has a chokehold on today’s society. With approximately 2 million new cancer diagnoses in the US every year paired with 10 million cancer-caused deaths worldwide, scientists have been struggling for centuries to find a cure. In today’s episode, we discuss the two main classes of genes that lead to cancer: proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. We will dive into the functions of these genes along with how and why they induce cancer.

Nitrogen Cycle

Jul 15, 2024 20 min

When we think about the air surrounding us, we often relate this gaseous mixture to oxygen, the giver of life. However, there is another vital element in the air that we too often disregard: nitrogen. The Earth’s biosphere would be nothing without nitrogen. Life as we know it today would not exist if it were not for this element. This episode will discuss the five different processes that convert nitrogen-containing compounds from one form to another: nitrogen fixation, nitrification, anammox, denitrification, and ammonification. We will then proceed to talk about why we even have this episode about nitrogen. Why is it important? Why is it necessary for life? Finally, we will close out the episode with a discussion on how we as humans have artificially inserted ourselves into the nitrogen cycle and the detriments this has led to for the environment.

Community Structure

Mar 19, 2023 14 min

In society, we have many different people with different roles and ecological communities are no different. All organisms are interconnected through a complex web of interactions and a way we can describe the composition of species in a certain geographic location is to look at community structure. Today we will be exploring community structures, species diversity, species richness, species evenness, keystone species, and foundational species.

Mitochondria

Mar 4, 2023 13 min

As humans, we walk, talk, run, and do an endless list of tasks a day, all of which require energy. Where is all of this power generated from? In this podcast, we will be discussing the structure of a mitochondrion, the function of a mitochondrion, and how cellular respiration takes place within the mitochondrion.

Origins of Life

Feb 22, 2023 17 min

13.8 billion years ago, our universe exploded into existence. But from that point on, how did life form? Today, we are going to be talking about the origins of life on Earth and hypotheses about how life came to inhabit this planet.

Endosymbiotic Theory

Feb 6, 2023 14 min

The Earth formed around 4.5 billion years ago. Over the past billions of years, evolution has greatly changed life as we see it today. If we transport ourselves back in time and look at cells, we will notice that they are extremely simple. But, in the present day, we notice that cells have become much more complicated beings with very complex processes that require many entities in order to function. The process of how this occurred is known as the endosymbiotic theory. This podcast will discuss what the endosymbiotic theory is and the evidence that supports it.

Active and Passive Transport

Jan 20, 2023 18 min

Our cells are very complicated and require and require many different enzymes, proteins, ions, and more in order to function properly. They need all of these different biological necessities to be at the right place and at the right time. How do our cells have so much control over all of these necessities? The answer lies in active and passive transport. This podcast dives into how active and passive transport work along with examples.

Multiple Alleles, Incomplete Dominance, and Codominance

Jan 6, 2023 7 min

Mendelian principles have served as a gateway into the functions of how our genetic information is passed on. Over time, we have discovered principles beyond mendelian genetics. In this episode, we review multiple alleles, incomplete dominance, and codominance. We discuss how they function and the examples of each form on inheritance. If you have any questions, feel free to send them to https://anchor.fm/christopher-jang/message or https://2255christopher.wixsite.com/biotime/questions

Cell Communication

Dec 28, 2022 12 min

Our cells are constantly sending messages to each other through a complex network of signaling molecules. In today's podcast, we will explore paracrine signaling, autocrine signaling, endocrine signaling, and direct contact in depth along with examples of each.

Law of Segregation

Dec 11, 2022 8 min

In the 1860s, famous scientist Gregor Mendel explored the laws that governed genetics and devised the Law of Segregation. This law is crucial to our understanding of genetics today. In this episode, we dive into the details of how Mendel made this revolutionary discovery and go into depth on the Law of Segregation.

Mendel's Experiment

Nov 24, 2022 8 min

In 1865, Gregor Mendel conducted an experiment on pea plants that transformed our understanding of genetics. In this podcast, we will explore how he conducted his experiment and what he discovered.

Endoplasmic Reticulum

Nov 2, 2022 18 min

In this podcast, a major organelle of the Endomembrane system is discussed, the Endoplasmic Reticulum. The episode opens with a discussion on the ER as a whole and then goes into detail on the structure and function of the ER's two counterparts, the smooth and rough ER. If you have any questions, feel free to send them to https://anchor.fm/christopher-jang/message or https://2255christopher.wixsite.com/biotime/questions

Preserving Variation in a Population

Oct 24, 2022 16 min

When we look at a species, oftentimes we notice that they do not all look exactly the same. Perhaps the color of their fur differs or the length of their legs varies. This variation is natural and is essential for survival. In this episode, we explore how this variation can be preserved in order to maintain a healthy population. The six mechanisms we discuss are balanced polymorphism, sexual reproduction, outbreeding, diploidy, heterozygote advantage, and frequency dependant selection.

Cell Cycle Regulation

Oct 9, 2022 17 min

Cell cycle regulation helps our cells control when they want to divide and when they do not. In this episode, we dive into cyclins, cyclin-dependant kinases, mautration-promoting factors, platelet-derived growth factors, and p53.

Mutations

Sep 25, 2022 15 min

Mutations are essential to the survival of organisms. It drives evolution, creating diversity. But, it also has its consequences. In this episode, we explore the benefits of mutations but also their pitfalls. We discuss gene mutations, chromosomal mutations, insertions, deletions, point mutations, and diseases caused by mutations.

The 3-Domain Classification System

Sep 11, 2022 12 min

With countless organisms roaming the Earth, it is important to have a system to classify them all. The 3-Domain Classification System is a way to sort organisms into 3 categories: bacteria, archaea, and eukarya. In this episode, we explore each of these classfications and the criteria each requires.

Inhibition of Enzymatic Reactions

Aug 21, 2022 6 min

Enzymes play a large role in enzymatic reactions so being able to control them is essential. In this podcast, we explore competitive inhibition, noncompetitive inhibition, and cofactors and how they affect enzymes.

Eukaryotes vs. Prokaryotes

Aug 5, 2022 16 min

What are the differences between Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes? This episode begins by discussing the essential components that all cells need and then transitions into in-depth explanations on Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes. The episode closes with a comparison between the two cell types. If you have any questions, feel free to send them to https://anchor.fm/christopher-jang/message or https://2255christopher.wixsite.com/biotime/questions

Community Ecology

Jul 26, 2022 12 min

Community Ecology is the discussion of all of the interactions between organisms in a community. Today, we will be going into depth on the 5 categories of community ecology: competition, predation, herbivory, symbiosis, and facilitation.

Biotechnology's Tools and Techniques

Jun 23, 2022 16 min

The world of science is advancing faster than ever, especially in biotechnology. With scientists pushing through the frontier, many innovations are being made and it is important to keep up. In today's episode, we will be discussing CRISPR, Polymerase Chain Reactions, Restriction Enzymes, Gel Electrophoresis, and DNA probes. Additionally, we will also be discussing the ethics involved in the biotech industry.

Atomic Structure and Properties of Water

Jun 3, 2022 15 min

Water is essential to life on Earth. Without it, no life as we know it would exist today. Water has many essential properties that allow for it to sustain life on this Earth and this podcast goes into detail on the 5 major properties: high specific heat, high heat of vaporization, universal solvent, strong cohesion tension, and ice is less dense than water. We will also be discussing atomic structure and types of bonds in order to better understand the properties of water.

Environmental Impacts on Enzymes

Jan 8, 2022 10 min

This podcast reviews environmental impacts on enzymes topic 3.3. Enzymes are incredibly important as they are what allow our bodies to complete the required reactions and keep us alive! We will be discussing denaturation and the three major environmental impacts on enzymes which are temperature, pH, and concentration of substrates and inhibitors.

Macromolecules

Sep 17, 2021 17 min

One of the basic components that support life are macromolecules with the four being carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. This podcast dives into the structure, function, and application of all of these macromolecules. In addition, we will also be discussing dehydration synthesis, hydrolysis, monomers, and polymers in order to have essential background information to understand macromolecules.

Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection

Jul 31, 2021 6 min

Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection has served as a basis to this day for the reasoning behind evolution. It has assisted us to answer our largest questions concerning how and why species look the way they do. In this episode, we explore Darwin's voyage on the HMS Beagle, the five major points on his theory of natural selection, and Lamarck's views on evolution and why they are incorrect.

Causes of Evolution

Jun 9, 2021 10 min

Every living organism you have ever seen has been the result of evolution. If we were to look back on humans millions of years ago, we would have looked drastically different compared to how we look today. In this episode, we discuss the five main factors that contribute to evolution: Genetic drift, gene flow, mutations, non-random mating, and natural selection. We explore the effects each factor and examples of how they allow a population to undergo evolution.

Griffith, Avery, and Hershey Chase Experiments

Feb 22, 2021 12 min

The road to discovering the genetic material of cells, DNA, was a long journey. In this episode, we explore the three experiments that led to this discovery: The Griffith experiment, The Avery–MacLeod–McCarty experiment, and the Hershey Chase experiment. If you have any questions, feel free to send them to https://anchor.fm/christopher-jang/message or https://2255christopher.wixsite.com/biotime/questions

Cell Signaling: Reception

Feb 9, 2021 18 min

Cells live in an ever-changing environment, always needing to be aware of their surroundings and reacting to an organism's needs. In order to understand when to take action, cells must receive a message from the outside world in a process called reception. Reception is the first of three steps in cell signaling. In this episode, we review how signaling molecules bind to receptors inside and outside of the cell, along with covering specific cell surface receptors like the G protein-coupled receptors, tyrosine kinases, and ion channel receptors. If you have any questions, feel free to send them to https://anchor.fm/christopher-jang/message or https://2255christopher.wixsite.com/biotime/questions

Vacuole

Jan 20, 2021 7 min

Vacuoles are an essential part of our endomembrane system. They deal with a variety of tasks like storage and getting rid of toxic waste! In this episode, we will explore the vacuole's structure and function. If you have any questions, feel free to send them to https://anchor.fm/christopher-jang/message or https://2255christopher.wixsite.com/biotime/questions

Lysosome

Dec 31, 2020 8 min

Lysosomes, an essential part of the endomembrane system, are reviewed in this episode. The podcast opens by discussing the structure and then transitions into a thorough explanation of the functions of a lysosome. Finally, the episode quickly gives a short review on Tay-Sachs disease. If you have any questions, feel free to send them to https://anchor.fm/christopher-jang/message or https://2255christopher.wixsite.com/biotime/questions

Golgi Apparatus

Dec 13, 2020 12 min

In this episode, we review a major organelle of the endomembrane system, the Golgi Apparatus. The podcast explores the structure, function, and how the cisternal maturation model works in complete detail. If you have any questions, feel free to send them to https://anchor.fm/christopher-jang/message or https://2255christopher.wixsite.com/biotime/questions

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Minds Behind the Science: Dr. Kate O'Toole and Her Role in the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative

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Podcast details

Created by: Christopher Jang
Status: Active
Latest episode: Nov 10, 2026
Episodes: 48
Release period: Monthly
Avg. episode length: 17 min
Explicit: No
Language: English

Links

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