83. Ultrasound Scanning Stickers & Autonomous Protein Discovery
Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss an MIT innovation: a postage-stamp-sized ultrasound sticker featuring rigid transducers embedded in elastomer layers to maintain image quality and hydration during long-term wear. They then examine a Princeton and Rutgers collaboration that uses machine learning and Hamilton M Star liquid handling robots to autonomously discover stable protein interactions, accelerating drug and material development. The hosts highlight how this automation solves trial-and-error bottlenecks in chemistry, enabling the discovery of molecules far more effective than human-designed ones.