“To do this job, you must be curious .... it's really that curiosity, that drive to know, what is the answer to this question? Is this an interesting question? Is this an important question?” – Dr. Rick McLaughlin

In this episode of PNRI Science: Mystery and Discovery, PNRI CEO Jack Faris interviews PNRI Assistant Investigator Dr. Rick McLaughlin on what your genome and an IKEA bookshelf have in common, zombie parasites in our DNA, "junk" DNA, and what makes Darwin smile.

Rick McLaughlin, PhD, is an Assistant Investigator at Pacific Northwest Research Institute. He earned his PhD in molecular biology and protein evolution at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He did his postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Harmit Malik at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, researching the genetics of evolutionary conflict. Dr. McLaughlin also holds faculty positions with the University of Washington’s Department of Genome Sciences and the Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program.

Dr. Rick McLaughlin’s Lab explores the uncharted territory of the human genome, using new technologies to understand how variation in DNA might drive disease. A new project launching soon will investigate how viral genes may contribute to pregnancy outcomes and fetal development.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• [0:00] Meet Dr. Rick McLaughlin
• [2:23] The mystery and importance of the placenta
• [4:47] Gene evolution and placenta development
• [10:25] Placental biology and genome sequencing
• [14:50] Why these are exciting times for biologists
• [20:11] Paths to scientific discovery
• [31:01] Genome stability and mutations
• [37:15] "Junk" DNA
• [42:17] Immune system dysfunction and "incurable" diseases
• [52:30] Curiosity-driven research

From transposable elements, to Shakespeare, to evolutionary biology, to placentas: Rick is truly exploring the unknown and walking on the dark side of the genome. The McLaughlin Lab embodies PNRI’s spirit of intellectual freedom to drive medical breakthroughs. We provide the freedom for scientists to follow where the science leads, and that culture creates incredible discoveries.

To learn more about Dr. McLaughlin, read his in-depth Q&A: https://pnri.org/rick-mclaughlin-dark-side-of-genome or check out his lab webpage: https://pnri.org/mclaughlin-lab

Connect with PNRI, ask our scientists questions, or come on a lab tour! https://pnri.org/about/connect

This podcast is hosted by PNRI CEO Jack Faris and his daughter Anna Faris.

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