How medical dramas shape the way we think about genomics

Medical dramas have been a staple of television for decades, from iconic primetime hits like Grey’s Anatomy and HOUSE, to newer favorites like The Pitt. It’s easy to get swept up in the high-stakes surgeries, love triangles, and melodramatoc monologues– but when it comes to the science, a second opinion might be in order.

In this episode, host Dr. Kaylee Byers sets out to investigate how these kinds of TV shows shape our perceptions of science. First up, Watson script consultant Dr. Krysta Coyle breaks down some of the biggest genomic missteps medical dramas make, and dishes on what it’s like to be the science voice on set. Then, Ayden Eilmus, a bioethicist and medical drama scholar, explores the evolution of genetics on TV, from problematic eugenics-era storylines to the more complex and ethically rich portrayals we see today.

Hit "play" to uncover how our guilty-pleasure binge watches can have a bigger impact than just entertainment.

Click here for tickets and more information about the Nice Genes! Live podcast event on Tuesday December 2nd, 2025.

Resources

1. Eugenics and genetic screening in television medical dramas- BMJ Journals

2. Genetics in Television Medical Dramas- J Lit Sci

3. How Accurate Are Medical TV Shows?- Cleveland Clinic

4. Eugenics: Its Origin and Development (1883 - Present)- National Human Genome Research Institute

5. Watson Episode 12 recap: Bioengineered chaos, betrayal, and Moriarty’s return- Soap Central

6. Private Practice (2007, S1E6)

7. Chicago Hope S5E12

8. Grey's Anatomy, (2015, S11E10)

How new genomic approaches are helping diagnose and treat our tiniest patients

Welcoming a new baby brings boundless love, joy, and the usual sleepless nights of early parenthood. But in the NICU, when a newborn is unexpectedly sick, it’s the uncertainty that keep parents awake.

In this episode, our investigation takes us inside the neonatal intensive care unit, where genomic tools are mapping medical mysteries in record time. You’ll hear the remarkable story of “Baby KJ,” the first newborn to receive a personalized CRISPR treatment; insights from pediatric geneticist Dr. Tara Wenger on how new approaches to testing are changing care; and the story of Meredith Thomas– a mother whose fight for answers helped uncover a diagnosis that saved her daughter’s life.

From faster diagnoses to fairer care, join Dr. Kaylee Byers to learn how these genomic breakthroughs are redefining what’s possible for newborns and their families.

Click here for tickets and more information about the Nice Genes! Live podcast event on Tuesday December 2nd, 2025.

Resources

1. World's First Patient Treated with Personalized CRISPR Gene Editing Therapy at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

2. SeqFirst: Building equity access to a precise genetic diagnosis in critically ill newborns- The American Journal of Human Genetics

3. Implementation of First-Line Rapid Genome Sequencing in Non–Critical Care Pediatric Wards- The Journal of Pediatrics

4. Genetic Non-Discrimination Act- The Government of Canada

How wastewater surveillance is tracking diseases outbreaks

When you flush your toilet, where does the waste go? Down the pipes, through the sewers, and into a… lab? That’s right, hidden in our collective waste is a archive of genomic clues revealing our health, habits, and maybe even happiness levels.

In this episode, host Dr. Kaylee Byers teams up with Dr. Jess Steier from the Unbiased Science podcast as they dive into the world of wastewater surveillance. Along the way, they enlist a seasoned “poo detective,” Dr. Natalie Prystajecky, who wades through some wastewater 101, and how sewage can tip us off to disease outbreaks before symptoms even start. Then, Dr. Yemisi Bokinni brings the investigation to the not-so-small town of Makoko, Nigeria, where a new genome sequencing lab is chasing an old culprit: polio.

From your neighbourhood sewers to global health and future pandemics, we're using genomics to identify poo dunnit.

Click here for tickets and more information about the Nice Genes! Live podcast event on Tuesday December 2nd, 2025.

Resources

1. Wastewater Surveillance– BC Centre for Disease Control

2. Wastewater surveillance tells a quiet story of polio’s return– BMJ

3. Nigeria’s polio battleground'– Nature

4. Makoko: ‘Venice of Lagos’– SmartCities Dive

Every mystery leaves a trail of clues. Fingerprints, call logs, maybe some tire tracks… or, of course, DNA. And when it comes to mysteries about our health, there are no shortages of leads to chase.

This season, join host, Dr. –or Detective– Kaylee Byers and the Nice Genes! CSI unit as we investigate the genomic breadcrumbs shaping the way we age, treat diseases– and even watch TV. We’ll uncover how “poo water” can tip us off to pandemics before they spread, to why some of the fittest athletes suddenly collapse on the field. And if you thought you smelled a “rat,” well, you’d be correct. Because we'll also learn how our rodent sidekicks are helping us sniff out the world's deadliest infectious disease.

Explore these cases and more in Nice Genes! season 5: “DNA Detectives”– resolving the genetic riddles behind our health, one story at a time.

Click here for tickets and more information about the Nice Genes! Live podcast event on Tuesday December 2nd, 2025.

Houston, we have… a microbe? A mysterious bacterial species has shown up aboard China’s Tiangong Space Station, and Dr. Kaylee Byers and Sarah Lando are hopping into the Nice Genes! mothership to investigate. Where did this intriguing new organism come from? Did it evolve in orbit? And what does it mean for the future of space travel?

Click here for tickets and more information about the Nice Genes! Live podcast event on Tuesday December 2nd, 2025.

Resources

1. New Bacteria Have Been Discovered on a Chinese Space Station - WIRED

2. New space-adapted bacteria discovered on China’s space station - CBC

3. Unknown strain of bacteria found on China's Tiangong Space Station - Live Science

4. Niallia tiangongensis sp. nov., isolated from the China Space Station - International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Biology

German cockroaches are notorious for making themselves at home in our kitchens and bathrooms, but how did they become such persistent pests? Dr. Kaylee Byers and Sarah Lando explore the fascinating genomics behind this unwanted guest—and why we’re partly to blame.

Resources:

1.Solving the 250-year-old mystery of the origin and global spread of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica – PNAS

2. The world's most common cockroach is 'a monster of our own creation,' study finds - CBC

3. German Cockroach – Rutgers

4. Prevalence of Cockroaches, Bed Bugs, and House Mice in Low-Income Housing and Evaluation of Baits for Monitoring House Mouse Infestations – Journal of Medical Entomology

The Importance of Biodiversity

Description:

This episode was originally released on October 31, 2022

Conservation is often about protecting the species that still wander around our Earth. But what about those that once did but have gone extinct? In this Halloween-inspired episode, we take a look into how one spooky idea has gone from science fiction to science fact, de-extinction style.

Dr. Kaylee Byers takes us to the upside-down world of wild animals in Australia. She sits down with Dr. Axel Newton whose research addresses how to resurrect a species that has been extinct for nearly a century. Also joining her is Dr. Carolyn Hogg who uses the latest genomic technology to understand the impacts of reintroducing endangered species into their native habitats. In this wacky tale of resurrection and 'devils' will the spirit of scientific discovery mean incredible changes for the future, or is a line being crossed that we can't come back from?

References:

1. Lab takes 'giant leap' toward thylacine de-extinction with Colossal genetic engineering technology partnership | The University of Melbourne

2. Thylacine Integrated Genomic Restoration Research Lab (TIGRR Lab) | The University of Melbourne

3. Thylacine: How we plan to de-extinct the Tasmanian tiger | Colossal Laboratories and Biosciences

4. Extinction of thylacine | National Museum Australia

5. A year after Australia's wildfires, extinction threatens hundreds of species | Science News

6. Rewilding returns lost species to strengthen ecosystems | Science News

7. Park Conscious | U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

8. Endangered Tasmanian devils insured against future threats | The University of Sydney

9. The 9 Steps to De-Extincting Australia's Thylacine | The University of Melbourne

10. The Value of Reference Genomes in the Conservation of Threatened Species | Marsupial Genetics and Genomics

11. Assessing evolutionary processes over time in a conservation breeding program: a combined approach using molecular data, simulations and pedigree analysis | Biodiversity and Conservation

Mutton was one of the last of the Salish Woolly Dogs– a breed raised by Indigenous Coast Salish communities before colonization led to its disappearance. Sarah Lando and Dr. Kaylee Byers delve into how genome sequencing is helping uncover the Woolly Dog’s legacy—and could even lead to its revival.

Resources:

1. The history of Coast Salish “woolly dogs” revealed by ancient genomics and Indigenous Knowledge – Science

2. Salish Woolly Dog – The Canadian Encyclopedia

3. Extinct Woolly Dog was carefully bred for weaving, ancient DNA confirms – Washington Post

4. Extinct Woolly Dog Analyzed in Collaborative Study with Coast Salish Co-authors – American Museum of Natural History