Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

In this special episode to commemorate BioBuilder's 15th year, the nonprofit's founder, Dr. Natalie Kuldell, reconnects with Dr. Alan Peterkofsky, her childhood mentor, to trace how one generous yes at the NIH helped turn a 15-year-old student into a lifelong scientist. Along the way, they discuss what made early molecular biology so electric, why curiosity needs freedom, and how we can build more doors into science today.  • Natalie’s first walk into an NIH lab at 15 and the moment that changes her path  • Alan’s unexpected career arc from military obligation to a permanent NIH role  • Life inside a world-class research lab during the birth of molecular biology  • RNA experiments that hint at what we now call epigenetics  • The power of lab community, trust, and hands-on responsibility  • Why today’s internship rules make early access harder for young students  • Curiosity-driven research examples that later reshape medicine  If you're a student and you're curious, ask. If you're a scientist or a teacher, be the one who always says yes. Learn more about BioBuilder's programs for students, educators, and industry professionals here 👉 https://biobuilder.org/And follow BioBuilder on social media: https://www.facebook.com/BioBuilderFoundation/https://twitter.com/SystemsSallyhttps://www.youtube.com/@BioBuilderhttps://www.instagram.com/systems_sally/https://www.linkedin.com/company/16132078

We talk with Jasmine Thompson about building a biotech career from the ground up, starting with BioBuilder and expanding into biomedical engineering, lab research, and software engineering. She shares how research habits, teamwork, and communication skills transfer across internships in biotech, pharma, and tech. • early spark for science through school, movies, and staying busy • discovering the BioBuilder apprenticeship and getting first wet lab experience at Ginkgo Bioworks • learning practical lab skills like pipetting, protocols, calculations, and cell culture • creating the Reject Rejections project to address bone marrow transplant rejection using synthetic biology concepts • building research instincts through literature review, experimental design, and thinking through immune pathways • presenting a poster and growing confidence in scientific communication • interning at Blueprint Medicines and measuring drug lipophilicity using lab workflows and UHPLC • joining Amazon via the Amazon Future Engineer scholarship and shipping software engineering work • using research and teamwork habits to handle high-pressure, customer-facing code • adding business and networking skills through the Takeoff Institute fellowship • advice to students on mistakes, curiosity, questions, and saying yes to opportunities If you'd like to learn more about today's conversation with Jasmine, please check out the show notes. Join me for the next Biobuilder Podcast.Learn more about BioBuilder's programs for students, educators, and industry professionals here 👉 https://biobuilder.org/And follow BioBuilder on social media: https://www.facebook.com/BioBuilderFoundation/https://twitter.com/SystemsSallyhttps://www.youtube.com/@BioBuilderhttps://www.instagram.com/systems_sally/https://www.linkedin.com/company/16132078

Micro-credentials sound small until they change what you can do with your hands and what you believe you can do in a real lab. We sit down with Hannah, a Northeastern bioengineering student with a strong interest in neuroscience, to unpack how early, hands-on synthetic biology training helped her move from “no lab experience” to doing serious research work with confidence.Hannah walks us through her neuroradiology internship and the practical skills behind the title: maintaining a brain cancer cell line, using histological staining and immunofluorescence, working with microscopy, and analyzing images in Fiji/ImageJ to quantify results. We also talk about the realities of research training, including why getting certified matters, how mistakes happen (and what you learn from them), and what it looks like to step into more responsibility over time.We then rewind to her BioBuilder Apprenticeship Program experience, where wet lab skills like micropipetting, serial dilutions, PCR, and gel electrophoresis become measurable micro-credentials. Hannah explains how those certifications didn’t just help her land opportunities, they helped her feel steady in the room once she got there.The conversation ends with the bigger mission: She Does STEM, Hannah’s outreach initiative focused on mentorship, resources, and community for first-generation, low-income, and female students navigating an uneven system. If you care about STEM education, women in STEM, mentorship, or how to get research experience early, this one is for you. Subscribe, share with a student who needs a boost, and leave a review with the skill you wish you’d learned sooner.Learn more about BioBuilder's programs for students, educators, and industry professionals here 👉 https://biobuilder.org/And follow BioBuilder on social media: https://www.facebook.com/BioBuilderFoundation/https://twitter.com/SystemsSallyhttps://www.youtube.com/@BioBuilderhttps://www.instagram.com/systems_sally/https://www.linkedin.com/company/16132078

In this episode, Zeeshan talks with Will about how creative world building turned into a real drive to solve problems through biology and synthetic biology. Their conversation traces how BioBuilder helped Will gain mentors, lab confidence, and a clearer path from high school projects to Stanford bioengineering and early industry exposure.This episode includes a conversation about Will's• early curiosity rooted in ecosystems, energy flow, and creativity • why biology feels like a place he can build and contribute • what drew him to quorum sensing and bacterial communication • how reading about CRISPR sparked interest in synthetic biology • why BioBuilder matters for access and first-generation students • how he helped design projects that protect ecosystems • projects related to coral reef protection and tackling fertilizer runoff• mentorship moments that reshape what it means to be a scientist •  presenting lightning talks, building communication skills, finding community • internships and research experiences that clarified industry versus academic paths • choice of Stanford for challenge and choosing bioengineering to translate research into impact • advice for 16-year-olds who feel intimidated, namely: show up, learn by doing, ask questions If you'd like to learn more or hear some of the other podcasts we've recorded, please go on to the BioBuilder website. Learn more about BioBuilder's programs for students, educators, and industry professionals here 👉 https://biobuilder.org/And follow BioBuilder on social media: https://www.facebook.com/BioBuilderFoundation/https://twitter.com/SystemsSallyhttps://www.youtube.com/@BioBuilderhttps://www.instagram.com/systems_sally/https://www.linkedin.com/company/16132078

In this episode, our host talks with Vivien Marmerstein about her path from BioBuilderClub student to educator and how synthetic biology helped her build confidence in her teaching. She traces the moments that pushed her toward microbiology, research, and ultimately a return to Western Reserve Academy to lead the next wave of student teams. Learn more about BioBuilder's programs for students, educators, and industry professionals here 👉 https://biobuilder.org/And follow BioBuilder on social media: https://www.facebook.com/BioBuilderFoundation/https://twitter.com/SystemsSallyhttps://www.youtube.com/@BioBuilderhttps://www.instagram.com/systems_sally/https://www.linkedin.com/company/16132078

A year-end reunion with artists, educators, and students shows how curiosity becomes practice, projects, and careers across bioart, education technology, diagnostics, and materials science. We share real tools, honest challenges, and clear next steps for learning and building.• Bioart as living practice and display challenges• Automation shaping creative and scientific workflows• At-home and classroom biotech kits scaling access• Simulators and free curricula overcoming logistics• Bioplastics, biomanufacturing, and practical AI modules• Student paths into labs, diagnostics, and publishing• Double majors and interdisciplinary momentum• Moving from competitions to peer-reviewed research• AI’s risks and value in authentic learning• Materials science pivots from first principlesIf you're listening to this and you're a student wondering if you belong in science, you do. If you're a teacher wondering if this work matters, it does. Keep asking questions, keep building, keep being curious.Learn more about BioBuilder's programs for students, educators, and industry professionals here 👉 https://biobuilder.org/And follow BioBuilder on social media: https://www.facebook.com/BioBuilderFoundation/https://twitter.com/SystemsSallyhttps://www.youtube.com/@BioBuilderhttps://www.instagram.com/systems_sally/https://www.linkedin.com/company/16132078

What happens when a pharma trainer, academic workshop lead, and high school teacher are all the same person? You get a blueprint for science education that actually prepares students for real biotech work. We sit down with Maria Bennes, a biotech instructor at Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational High School, to unpack how tailored communication, hands-on practice, and community support turn nervous ninth graders into lab-ready talent.Maria traces the throughline of her career—education as audience-aware communication—from teaching doctors and patients about new therapies to running stem cell workshops for researchers, and now guiding teens through tissue culture, ELISAs, and bioreactors. She explains why BioBuilder stands out: a soup-to-nuts ecosystem of curriculum, purchasing pathways, troubleshooting support, and an active community that helps teachers deliver impactful labs under real-world constraints. The result is a PD model that’s flexible, accessible, and grounded in biomanufacturing fundamentals like aseptic technique, upstream processes, and quality mindset.We also dive into the vocational program design that mirrors a workday: safety briefings, lab coats on, then hours of wet lab practice. Students earn OSHA 10, ACS safety, and Six Sigma micro-credentials while mastering pipetting, chromatography, Western blots, gel electrophoresis, transformations, and transfections. With equipment like biosafety cabinets, CO2 incubators, spectrophotometers, and small bioreactors, learners build muscle memory and judgment—not just vocabulary. The culture reframes “failure” as iteration, so confidence grows alongside competence.If you care about STEM pipelines, workforce readiness, or simply making science feel possible, this conversation offers practical takeaways for teachers, students, and industry partners. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review with the one lab skill you think every student should learn first.Learn more about BioBuilder's programs for students, educators, and industry professionals here 👉 https://biobuilder.org/And follow BioBuilder on social media: https://www.facebook.com/BioBuilderFoundation/https://twitter.com/SystemsSallyhttps://www.youtube.com/@BioBuilderhttps://www.instagram.com/systems_sally/https://www.linkedin.com/company/16132078

Edwin Gonzalez shares his journey from a BioBuilder apprentice to becoming a lead scientific support specialist at Thermo Fisher by age 23, highlighting how hands-on experiences and mentorship shaped his career path.• Middle school science teacher sparked Edwin's interest in science through engaging projects and supportive environment• First in his family to pursue science, without STEM role models at home• Joined BioBuilder apprenticeship program in 2019 after learning about it from a classmate• Gained first hands-on lab experience learning aseptic technique, pipetting, PCR, and bacterial transformation• Worked on biodesign project to create a device detecting airborne allergens• BioBuilder experience helped him decide to major in biology at Suffolk University• Skills learned at BioBuilder created foundation that made college coursework easier• Landed first industry position at Novo Nordisk through connections from a LabCentral internship• Currently works at Thermo Fisher as a lead scientific support specialist• Role combines lab operations, facilities management and direct research support• Recommends exploring multiple aspects of biology to build a diverse toolkit of experiencesLearn more about BioBuilder's programs for students, educators, and industry professionals here 👉 https://biobuilder.org/And follow BioBuilder on social media: https://www.facebook.com/BioBuilderFoundation/https://twitter.com/SystemsSallyhttps://www.youtube.com/@BioBuilderhttps://www.instagram.com/systems_sally/https://www.linkedin.com/company/16132078

In this inspiring episode of the BioBuilder Podcast, Dev and Joshua, co-founders of the startup AIVON, take listeners through their personal journeys of curiosity, innovation, and social impact. The conversation weaves through their formative experiences with science and technology, their time in the BioBuilderClub, and their ambitious venture into the world of AI-powered healthcare. Origins of Scientific CuriosityDev recounts how growing up in a science-loving household, with parents and an aunt deeply engaged in the subject, laid the groundwork for his fascination. From tinkering with technology alongside his dad to wondering about disease mechanisms, he developed an early love for biology and engineering. This curiosity eventually led him to Alliance Academy, where he joined the BioBuilder Club, a decision that would define much of his scientific identity. The BioBuilder ExperienceAs part of the BioBuilder program, Dev and his team designed a sustainable biofiltration system that uses genetically engineered bacteria (E. coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Pseudomonas putida) to remove heavy metals from water. The bacteria were enhanced with plasmids encoding metal-detoxifying enzymes and embedded in a biochar-based medium for stability and efficiency. Their modular, scalable filter design bridged biology and engineering in a way that was both educational and impactful. Dev credits BioBuilder for teaching him adaptability, technical rigor, and how to bring abstract ideas to life. Collaboration & DiscoveryThe episode explores how Dev collaborated with peers to develop their project, noting “aha!” moments when the science began to click. The iterative nature of their work, coupled with expert guidance from mentors like Dr. Grace Vezeau and Ms. Caroline Matarrese, helped deepen their understanding of real-world science. Soft skills like communication and teamwork were just as vital as technical prowess, a lesson Dev carries into his startup journey into career paths, possibly through an MD-PhD program.Building AIVON and MedisenseShifting to the theme of innovation, Dev and Joshua introduce their startup AIVON, based in Atlanta. Their flagship product, MediSense, is an AI-powered diagnostic platform that allows users to input symptoms and receive real-time health assessments. The idea was born from the intersection of their scientific training and the urgent need for accessible, intelligent healthcare tools.They share how conversations with patients, doctors, and mentors shaped MediSense’s design and functionality, emphasizing the importance of user feedback in product development. Their goal is to make fast, affordable, and intelligent diagnostics available to everyone, especially in underserved areas. Despite challenges—from building the tech to managing startup logistics—they remain focused on scaling the product and seeking potential partnerships with hospitals and schools.Learn more about BioBuilder's programs for students, educators, and industry professionals here 👉 https://biobuilder.org/And follow BioBuilder on social media: https://www.facebook.com/BioBuilderFoundation/https://twitter.com/SystemsSallyhttps://www.youtube.com/@BioBuilderhttps://www.instagram.com/systems_sally/https://www.linkedin.com/company/16132078

What happens when scientific curiosity meets life-changing opportunity? Nicole Mumbi shares her remarkable journey and provides a powerful answer to this question.Moving from Nairobi, Kenya to Boston in 2019, Nicole faced the challenge of cultural transition while nurturing her budding interest in science. Though initially experiencing culture shock and language barriers, her determination never wavered. A simple middle school experiment on atmospheric pressure had already planted the seed of scientific fascination that would shape her future path.When Nicole's high school guidance counselor suggested applying to the BioBuilder Apprenticeship Program, she seized the opportunity despite her fears and busy academic schedule. At Ginkgo Bioworks' Learning Lab, Nicole and her team developed "Break the Stigma" – an innovative at-home HIV detection project that engineered bacterial cells with CD4 receptors to detect the virus in blood samples. This first-hand laboratory experience transformed her understanding of science from textbook concepts to real-world applications.The technical skills Nicole gained – from PCR to scientific presentation – became the foundation for her subsequent internship at the prestigious Ragon Institute. Now thriving as a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology student at UMass Amherst, she gives back by tutoring other students in chemistry while contemplating whether her future lies in research, medicine, or a combination of both.Throughout her story, Nicole emphasizes the importance of pushing past imposter syndrome to take chances. "I remember having this imposter syndrome person talking to me saying, 'I don't think you have enough qualifications,'" she shares. "But I was grateful for my mom's encouragement to partake in opportunities without feeling like an outsider."Learn more about BioBuilder's programs for students, educators, and industry professionals here 👉 https://biobuilder.org/And follow BioBuilder on social media: https://www.facebook.com/BioBuilderFoundation/https://twitter.com/SystemsSallyhttps://www.youtube.com/@BioBuilderhttps://www.instagram.com/systems_sally/https://www.linkedin.com/company/16132078