In this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking to Prof. Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich from the Cluster of Excellence 'Physics of Life' at the Technical University Dresden, Germany, about The Role of Mechanical Forces in Health and Disease.

Prof. Fischer-Friedrich talks about her interdisciplinary research investigating how stress and mechanical properties influence biological function and delves into the interplay between intracellular forces, deformation, and dynamic mechanical properties.

Rare diseases rarely come alone.In this episode, we uncover how secondary diseases, infections, and treatment side effects often become as life-changing as the rare diseases themselves.🎧 Hosted by Dr Elisabeth Kugler, this discussion brings together two experts who live and lead in the world of rare conditions — exploring challenges, science, and the human stories behind them.👩‍⚕️ Guests:Sue Farrington• President, ‪@FESCAscleroderma‬ • Chair, ‪@PIF-PatientInformationForum‬ (PiF)• Co-Chair, RAIRDA (Rare Autoimmune Rheumatic Disease Alliance)• Chief Executive, ‪@WeAreSRUK‬ Scleroderma & Raynaud’s UK (SRUK)Dr Jesús Zurdo• Director, Ara Biosciences• #Leukaemia Survivor & Patient Advocate• Non-Executive Director, Telomere Therapeutics• Expert Jury Member, EIC Accelerator Programme

In this episode of Keep It Science, we shine a light on the rare autoimmune condition Scleroderma — and the human side of living with it.Host Dr Nick Gaunt is joined by two special guests:

• Prof. Dr Francesco Del Galdo — Susan Cheney Professor of Experimental Medicine, Head of the Scleroderma Programme at NIHR Leeds, Chair of the Scleroderma Forum, and President of EUSTAR.
• Dr Elisabeth Kugler — Director at Zeeks, co-host of Keep It Science, scientist, and patient living with overlapping rare autoimmune conditions including Scleroderma, Dermatomyositis, and Secondary Raynaud’s.

• Why Scleroderma is so difficult to diagnose and treat
• The importance of the clinician–patient relationship
• How patients can support their doctors during clinic reviews
• The role of self-management beyond medication
• Elisabeth’s personal journey balancing science, daily life, and chronic illness
• Breakthroughs in Scleroderma research and what’s on the horizon

• Patients: sruk.co.uk
• Clinicians & researchers: scleroderma-forum.com

Together, they explore:This candid conversation highlights both the science and the stories behind rare diseases, offering insights for patients, clinicians, and anyone interested in how research translates into real lives.🔗 Resources:

In this Keep It Science podcast episode, we talk to two experts building the research infrastructure of tomorrow: 🔹 Dr Karen Skinner, COO ‪@LifeArcOfficial‬ 🔹 Dr Gregory Gordon, CMO ‪@SRFCURE‬ What does the current research landscape look like in rare disease?And what does it take to make real progress in rare disease science?We also speak about how to tackle the core issues:

• Fragmented data
• Clinical trial bottlenecks
• Limited access to biosamples
• Patient representation in platform trials

In Episode 5 of Conversations on AFM, we interview Dr. Craig Prater about nanoscale chemical analysis using AFM-IR. Dr. Craig Prater is a leading expert awarded the Coblentz Society Williams-Wright Award for his contributions to vibrational spectroscopy in 2023.In this episode, Dr. Prater discusses how AFM-IR combines Atomic Force Microscopy with infrared spectroscopy to achieve nanoscale chemical analysis. He explores the technique's applications in materials science, life sciences, and beyond, highlighting how it enables groundbreaking discoveries at the molecular level.--🔬 Materials Research AFMshttps://www.bruker.com/en/products-an...

To start off season 2 of Keep it Science, we chat with Laura Eghobamien for exclusive behind-the-scenes insights into what makes ‪@elrig_science‬ Drug Discovery 2025 a must-attend life science event. Discover what’s new, why it matters, and what to expect from this year’s festival of life sciences, with over 3000 attendees in Liverpool, UK, 21–22 October 2025.

Welcome to the fourth episode of "Conversations on AFM", where we interview Prof Dr Sergei Kalinin about AI in the context of microscopy.Prof Dr Sergei Kalinin is a Professor at the University of Tennessee and Chief Scientist in AI/ML for Physical Sciences at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. In this podcast, he talks about how machine learning in microscopy helps us to automate experiments, the data needed for successful AI, and how we can get the most out of data we have already acquired.--🔬 Materials Research AFMshttps://www.bruker.com/en/products-an...

Welcome to the third episode of "Conversations on AFM", where we host Prof. Kusche-Vihrog, the Director of the Lübeck Institute of Physiology. Prof. Kusche-Vihrog explains how AFM is used to measure cell stiffness and its implications for cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. She discusses the importance of endothelial cell stiffness in health, the role of the glycocalyx, and the impact of inflammatory processes on endothelial dysfunction. The episode explores bench-to-bedside AFM application and potential future advancements in the field. -- 🔬 Life Sciences Research AFMs ⁠⁠https://www.bruker.com/en/products-and-solutions/microscopes/bioafm.html?utm_source=Social+Media&utm_medium=YouTube&utm_campaign=BioAFM+-+General+YouTube+2024