How do shapes transform when stretched, twisted, or deformed, yet still retain key properties? In this episode, Sujai and Rhiannon sit down with Jonathan Pim, a curious doctoral student trying to figure out just this. Together, they explore how quasi-conformal geometry allows mathematicians to map and manipulate spaces in unique ways. They also tal…

Cancer has long been one of the most formidable challenges in healthcare, with traditional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation often coming with severe side effects and limited effectiveness. But now, synthetic biology is offering new hope. By designing and engineering biological systems at the molecular level, researchers are pioneering the…

Scientific misinformation is all around us. How can we tell fact from fiction when it comes to our health? Where can we find clear and credible sources of information to help us answer our questions? Join us in this week’s episode of The Science Basement podcast as Rhiannon and Rose learn all about iHealthFacts, a platform developed to do just that…

Ever thought how your fruits and vegetables are transported from field to supermarket shelf? And how does packaging play its role in keeping produce fresh? Join us in this week’s episode of The Science Basement podcast as Rhiannon and Rose chat to Kateřina to learn all about her research into active packaging and its role in extending the shelf lif…

Have you ever wondered how a COVID-19 or flu test works? Or how these types of biosensors are made? Join us as we dive into the fascinating world of biosensors and uncover why these tiny devices are revolutionizing healthcare and technology. In this episode, we explore the critical role of biosensors in monitoring health, the profound impact of the…

Ever wondered what happens within the first five days after conception? What genes are responsible for triggering the first few cell divisions of embryo development? And how can understanding this process lead to improved IVF success rates? Join this week's episode of The Science Basement podcast as Rhiannon and Rose chat to Nina Boskovic about her…

Let's take a journey into the afterlife of your closet. What happens to the clothes that do not go to the charity shops or second hand retailers? Who manages that waste and who is impacted by it? Find out the answers in this episode of the science basement as the hosts Rhiannon and Sujai speak to Anubhuti. Together we look at the ongoing research a…

Explore Alzheimer's disease with us on this episode of The Science Basement Podcast! Hosts Giuliano and Pritakshi chat with Alejandra Castilla B. Together, we dive into what causes Alzheimer's disease and all the latest research surrounding the models to study the disease. From animal models to 'mini-brains' grown in the lab from patients' blood ce…

Ever stubbed your toe and questioned reality? Buckle up, because this episode dives deep into the "ouch" that binds us all! Join us as we unravel the mysteries of pain perception. Our guest, Helena Hartmann shares her insights into the intricate anatomy of agony, drawing from her extensive research employing neuroimaging, neuromodulation, and behav…

As another productive year is coming to an end, we are reflecting on all the wonderful topics we got to explore. In this episode, Eleanna, Rhiannon, Sujai, and Anastasiia are sharing their favourite The Science Basement episodes of 2023. Undoubtedly, the hardest choices they had to make the whole year!Tell us what you think of our podcast!forms.gle…

While being captivated by the constant chase for publications, researchers should not neglect other aspects of their work. Every project is driven by a noble goal to improve lives and futures of people. It is not uncommon for research to translate beyond the lab bench applications. It also possesses the power to influence policymakers. To unwrap th…

Research excels when needs and wishes of the community are heard. It is through adept leadership practices that institutional heads address diverse needs, ensuring robust infrastructures. Join us and our guests, Juha Huiskonen and Maria Vartiainen, as we explore the nuances of academic leadership and the behind the scenes of establishing efficient …

Peer support, such as mentorship, is inarguably one of the keys to success in academia. Mentoring often comes from senior colleagues. Still, stay sharp since one can also receive that valuable guidance from someone unexpected. Everyone is in need of mentorship independent of their career stages too. In this episode, Prof. Eero Castrén and Dr. Olli …

Being absorbed in their work, how often do researchers think about transitioning their ideas beyond the scope of the main question?With ubiquitous university campaigns, it’s hard to overlook the business form of such enterprises. In this episode, our guests Johan Lundin and Andrea Ganna share their own experience with turning research into business…

We all know who they are, they listen to our voices yet we may not even have met them in person, they carry the weight of the community’s concerns while tackling the big problems - this is the regular perception of our directors. One thing is different, they are more accessible than you think. You don’t need to look any further, as in this episode,…

Data security is a hot topic and its relevance is increasing with advancing technologies. Because of that, scientists have been putting their minds to work out ways to deliver information quickly yet securely. One doesn’t need to go far to see one of the ways to do it. It’s light! Indeed, we can use a single light particle - photon - to package and…

Mitochondria are the irreplaceable assistants managing a myriad of cellular processes. Should they go out of hand, the cell will bear the consequences, often leading to severe disorders for which we have no found cures. In this episode, we delve into how mitochondrial diseases originate, daily tribulations faced by the patients, and the treatments …

We all have experienced the heat of the moment: utter words that weren’t meant to be said and often make things worse. It is natural to have rough days and can easily resolve such situations. Now imagine if this behaviour becomes a norm. When you, or someone else, find yourself under constant fire of such uncivil behaviour. These instances are labe…

Welcome back to the enchanting world of ants! This time, we embark on a journey to unravel the mysteries of how ants adapt to different temperatures. What makes hybrid ants the champions of temperature adaptation? And how does this help them overcome the struggles of climate change?The guest for this episode, Beatriz Portinha, is an expert on this …

Tell us if you are not confused when you scroll your newsfeed or change TV channels and see a whole array of opinions on each and every topic. One example you can probably relate to is the COVID crisis: vaccines or no vaccines, masks or no masks - which information is true? Who should we listen to in the end?The name of this problem is “infodemic”.…

Following a vegan diet is becoming more and more common these days for many reasons. In this episode, we are discussing veganism from a health science perspective! More specifically children following a vegan diet. To help us learn about this, we are joined by Topi Hovinen, who tells us about his ongoing research on the topic.Topi has completed an …

Academia like any other place comes as a package of good and bad traits. Sometimes, however, the frustration from the latter reaches the boiling point. In case of many, people start to abandon academia and switch to other career avenues (most commonly to industry). In our case, we decided to make this episode. Join us as we discuss what makes acade…

Do you know what tooth paste looks like? You might think so, but imagine peering into the finest details and seeing it beyond the capabilities of our eyes. That is what Dr. Chris Jackson has come to provide us with, joining our hosts to discuss microscopy and his new book unveiling a whole different perspective of the world.Dr. Christopher B. Jacks…

Nothing is done in vacuum - this very well applies to research. Good communication skills are often the key to success both in one’s career and personal life. The best way to hone these communication skills is through active networking. In this episode, we discuss how, where and why to network. Joining us is Erika Palmerio, a research scientist at …

Did you know that there are killer electrons in space? No need to panic though, here on the ground you are quite safe! The Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere shield us from them. But satellites in space and astronauts cannot say the same! In this episode Dr. Harriet George will explain all about these killer electrons trapped in a region in spac…

Eleanna and Anastasiia are back with the second episode of our spinoff series! This time they are talking about supervising in academia. Come listen to find out how to manage students, establish good dynamics with them, what the differences between supervisors and mentors are, and more.To assist in this discussion, we invited Aleksandra (Sasha) Dob…

In this episode Katja and Pritakshi interview Jason Rissanen about his PhD centred around insects familiar to us all: ants! Have you ever thought that just like us humans, ants might have ways to take care of their health? Turns out one’s hair lightener could be another one’s medicine.Jason Rissanen is a PhD student at the University of Graz in Aus…

Let's talk about choosing your future research group!Are you in the process of searching for a new research group to join? Are you wondering if you are making the best decision? Or maybe you don't even know where to start! In the first episode of "Let's talk about...", a new spin-off series of our podcast, Eleanna and Anastasiia zero in on all thes…

Interested in doing a PhD? Or curious to hear PhD advice from fellow students? Just feel like listening to a conversation? Well, you’re in luck, as Anastasiia, Katja and guest Laura Suominen discuss all about the upsides and downsides of doing a PhD, with some input from our lovely listeners.Laura Suominen is a second (almost third) year PhD studen…

Strap in for a fun episode on a very serious topic: diabetes. This week, postdoc researcher Tom Barsby joins in to discuss how diabetes could be treated with lab-grown cells. Given they can be made "quack"!Tom Barsby is a postdoctoral researcher in the Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program at the University of Helsinki. His research is focused…

Merry Christmas and happy holidays! In this end-of-the-year episode, TSB members discuss fun and interesting scientific articles from the past year (or at least that was the idea). We have a stocking filled with ice cream, attraction and bacteria. Make sure to listen or yule be sorry!References:Bacteria help cancer cells to metastasize:https://www.…

Look away from your phone for a moment and consider: are you happy? In this episode Anastasiia and Rhiannon join Jennifer De Paola, a postdoc in Social Psychology, to discuss happiness. How do we define it, how does it change over time and how can WE achieve it?Jennifer De Paola is a post-doc researcher at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University…

Welcome to the Halloween episode and happy ADHD awareness month! Now, don’t get spooked by the demon voice and join us to find out how VR could be used for the diagnosis of childhood ADHD. Giuliano and Katja interview Liya Merzon and learn it's all about keeping your eye on where the dragon tells you.Liya Merzon is a psychologist and I'm doing my P…

Welcome back!As every city has an energy station to drive our daily needs, our cells have mitochondria. And you really really don't want them to malfunction!Mitochondrial diseases are as frequent as childhood cancers, but people barely know of them. Do you know of them? Don't worry, we've got your back ;)In this episode, we invited Prof. Anu Wartio…

Welcome back!Today you're in for a special treat! In this episode, we have a chilled chat about science communication, what it means and why we care about itAnd we have a new member! And there's a cat at the end of the episode! How can this get any better?!Episode references:-PhD life call for the audience:https://www.speakpipe.com/TSBasksPhD_testr…

Welcome back!Feeling a bit of a "déjà vu"? Makes sense, 'cause we ar etalknig about psycedelic drugs! ...again!In this episode Giuliano & Eleanna interview Lauri Elsilä, Doctoral Researcher from the faculty of Medicine UH, trying to figure out how psychedelics might help in treating drug addiction.Lauri Elsilä is a pharmacist and a doctoral researc…

University branding... doesn't sound interesting does it? Well, it turns out that not only it's a really cool subject, but there's actual academic research studying it!Find out more about it in this episode where Eleanna & Katja interview doctoral researcher Ari-Matti Erjansola, from the University of Helsinki.Ari-Matti Erjansola is a doctoral rese…

Welcome back you science-lovers!Yes, you read the title right! Turns out recycling CO2, as in removing it from one place and re-use it in another place is possible, and scientists are working on making this happen! We interviewed one of them!Long live King Tomàs!Todd works as a PhD researcher in the chemistry department of the University of Helsink…

FInal episdoe of our TSB-iCAN series!In this episode Giuliano & Katja have the pleasure of talking with Prof. Vincenzo (Vince) Cerullo about the future of cancer research, where it's going and where it could go.We also had a nice conversation on how to boost creativity in research. Turns out that chatting about surfing is a good start! iCAN website…

Here's the fourth episode of our TSB-iCAN mini Series!We are collaborating with iCAN for 5 episodes about cancer and cancer research.Today Eleanna & Rhiannon have the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Dmitrii Bychkov from the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland - FIMM, University of Helsinki, talking about the use of Artificial Intelligence in Canc…

Here's the third episode of our TSB-iCAN mini Series!We are collaborating with iCAN for 5 episodes about cancer and cancer research.Today we have the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Anniina Färkkilä, talking about personalised cancer care and how it can improve cancer treatment.iCAN websiteican.fiAnniina Färkkilä, MD PhD, is a gynecologist, and a Prin…

Here's the secod episode of our TSB-iCAN mini Series!We are collaborating with iCAN for 5 episodes about cancer and cancer research.Today we have the pleasure of interviewing Prof. Sirpa Leppä MD PhD, talking about cancer treatment and how to translate cancer research into new innovative weapons against cancer!Full transcript of the episode:https:/…

The TSB Podcast is back with a new Mini Series! We are collaborating with iCAN for 5 episodes about cancer and cancer research.Today, on the World Cancer Day we have the pleasure of interviewing Prof. Tomi Makelä MD PhD, asking the questions that are on everyone’s mind: What really is cancer? And importantly, can we defeat it?Full transcript of the…

Hello everyone! This is our very first holiday special! No special guest this time, just four members of the TSB podcast team chatting about sciency fun-facts, evil christmas decorations and ...bird dress code!This is the last episode of the year 2021.We will take a short break but we'll be back at the end of January 2022! Amazing science ahead!Ful…

“Always question your own morals” is the key message of our new episode, where Eleanna and Giuliano interview Marianna Saartio-Itkonen, doctoral student at the University of Helsinki, investigating evil as a mass phenomenon.Listen through to find out how group dynamics can affect our ethics and drive our actions.Full transcript of episode:https://d…

In this episode Giuliano and Eleanna interview Manlio Fusciello, PhD student working on anti-cancer tharepies.Did you know that some viruses hate cancer cells and they like to destry them? And killing cancer cells is ...good!Turns out that many scientists like Manlio are looking for ways to use viruses to cure or, even better, prevent cancer...."Th…

Spiders, pumpkins and witches... it's THAT time of the year, and the Science Basement is here to get you through this dark scary night. Are you scared? Well that's just fine (got the quote?), 'cause turns out that scientists can treat your phobias in many creative ways: spiders, the eiffel tower and... your smartphone!Are you curious? Well that's j…

Gold! Gold! That sweet yellow metal that shines and makes people rich. It also makes fancy spoons, tacky teeth, and… dragonflies?! Well not exactly, we are cheering in that last one; but we promise it's useful! In today’s episode we will tell you some unexpected ways in which we can use gold.Eduardo is a PhD candidate at the laboratory of Prof. Ant…

Aaaaaand we're back! After a nice (and long) break, we're back to provide you your bi-weekly dose of science!In this interview, we jump down the rabbit hole of psychedelic drugs and their potential use in treating depression, with the help of our very own mad-hatter Rafael Moliner.Rafael is a PhD candidate in the laboratory of Eero Castrén at the U…

Sweet, sweet sleep... We all love a good nap. That moment when we switch off the lights, get cozy in our beds, close our eyes and fall in the blissful arms of Morph... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz......zzzz...Sorry! I'm awake! Where were we? Sleep! Right! So, we all love it, but what is it exactly? What do our brain actually do when we sleep? Do they shut do…