Stanford Engineering
01 August 2025
Chemical engineer Beth Sattely studies the intricate chemistry of plant life. Plants are more than food, she says: They are living chemical factories churning out molecules that help plants do everything from adapting to climate change to fighting infections – or even producing valuable new cancer drugs. Lately, Sattely’s lab is working on ways to make crops more resilient to engineer more sustainable foods and environments. Some of our most exciting technologies already exist in nature, we just have to find them, Sattely tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast. Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to thefutureofeverything@stanford.edu. Episode Reference Links: Stanford Profile: Elizabeth SattelyConnect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / MastodonConnect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / FacebookChapters: (00:00:00) Introduction Russ Altman introduces guest Beth Sattely, a professor of chemical engineering at Stanford University. (00:03:10) Path to Plant Metabolism How chemistry and gardening led to a career in plant science. (00:03:54) Environmental and Human Health Using plants to improve both the planet and people’s well-being. (00:04:53) Engineering Climate-Resilient Crops Making crops more sustainable and nutritious amid global change. (00:05:58) Old vs. New Crop Engineering Comparing traditional breeding with modern molecular tools. (00:08:04) Industry and Long-Term Food Security The gap between short-term market goals and long-term environmental needs. (00:09:13) Tomato Chemistry Tomatoes reveal how plants produce protective molecules under stress. (00:12:26) Plant “Vaccines” and Immune Signaling How plants communicate threats internally and mount chemical defenses. (00:14:14) Citrus Greening and Limonoids The potential role of limonoid research on citrus greening. (00:16:59) Plants Making Medicine How plants like Yew trees naturally produce cancer drugs like Taxol. (00:21:19) Diet as Preventative Medicine Identifying plant molecules to understand their preventative health effects. (00:24:36) Food Allergies and Plant Chemistry Why the immune system tolerates some foods and rejects others. (00:26:42) Understanding Tolerance in Immunity Possibility of reintroducing tolerance through partial molecular exposure. (00:28:02) Engineering Healthier Plants Potential for designing plants to enhance micronutrient content. (00:29:04) Training the Next Generation Beth celebrates her students’ role in shaping a sustainable future. (00:30:39) Conclusion Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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