The Learning Lab

Newsletters, podcasts, videos, courses, and books for exploring biotech, all hand-picked for quality and accessibility.

Newsletters

The Readout

A weekly biotech and pharma roundup from STAT News, the industry's go-to briefing.
ScienceDaily

Free daily digest of the latest science research across biology, health, medicine, and technology.
Fierce Biotech

Industry-focused biotech news covering drug development, clinical trials, and company moves.
Wall Street Journal: Biotech

Covers biotech stocks, funding rounds, and market-moving clinical trial results. Great for understanding the business side of the industry.
Bio Newsletter by Endpoints News

Daily biotech news covering drug development, FDA decisions, and company pipelines. Trusted by industry insiders.
Nature Briefing

Weekly digest from Nature covering the biggest stories across biology, medicine, and science policy.

Short Wave (NPR)

Short daily science stories from NPR: accessible, lively, and great for beginners.
Radiolab

Deep-dive storytelling on science and the human experience, covering genetics, ethics, and life itself.
Mindscape

Sean Carroll interviews scientists and thinkers about the big ideas in physics, biology, and the universe.
Hidden Brain

Explores the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, including how scientists think, make decisions, and navigate uncertainty. Surprisingly relevant for anyone in research.
Nature Podcast

The weekly podcast from one of the world's most respected scientific journals. Covers breakthrough research, emerging science, and what it means for medicine and society.
Ologies with Alie Ward

Deep dives into specific scientific fields with the experts who study them. Approachable, funny, and genuinely educational.

In the Pipeline by Derek Lowe

A medicinal chemist's honest take on drug discovery, lab failures, and what actually happens inside pharma.
Learn.Genetics

Interactive genetics tutorials from the University of Utah, thorough and freely available.
Scitable by Nature

Free science education articles from one of the world's top research journals.
Fortune: "Will AI Cure Cancer?"

A fascinating look at how artificial intelligence is transforming drug discovery and cancer research, and a perfect window into where biotech is heading and why it matters beyond the lab.
The Atlantic: How mRNA Technology Could Change the World

A compelling look at how mRNA technology went from obscure lab research to one of the most important medical breakthroughs in history. Essential reading for understanding the future of medicine.
The WIRED Guide to CRISPR

WIRED's definitive guide to CRISPR gene editing: how it works, where it came from, and what it means for the future of medicine, agriculture, and life itself.

Kurzgesagt

Animated science explainers; their episodes on genetic engineering and CRISPR are essential viewing.
TED-Ed

Short, beautifully animated lessons on biology, chemistry, medicine, and science history.
Veritasium

Science and engineering deep dives: thoughtful, well-produced, and always surprising.
Why Nvidia, Google and Microsoft Are Betting Billions on Biotech's AI Future

A clear breakdown of why the biggest tech companies are pouring billions into biotech and what it means for the future of the industry.
The Birth of Biotech: Recombinant DNA, Genentech, and Insulin Analogs

The origin story of the modern biotech industry: how recombinant DNA technology and Genentech changed medicine forever. Essential history for any biotech student.
Jared Friedman: Advice for Hard-tech and Biotech Founders

YC partner Jared Friedman shares honest advice for anyone building a hard-tech or biotech company. Great perspective on the startup side of the industry.

From lab fundamentals to data science, regulatory affairs, and industry business skills, all free.

MIT OpenCourseWare: Biology

Full MIT courses, completely free. Challenging, comprehensive, and the real thing.
Khan Academy: Biology

Self-paced, beginner-friendly, and covers everything from cells to evolution.
iBiology

Video talks by leading researchers, offering a window into how real scientists think and work.
Coursera: Bioinformatics Specialization (UC San Diego)

Covers algorithms, genomics, and computational biology. Perfect for students interested in the data and dry lab side of biotech.
edX: Regulatory Affairs in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Learn how drugs get approved, how to navigate the FDA, and what regulatory teams actually do day to day.
MIT OpenCourseWare: Biology of Mental Health

Explores neuroscience, drug development for psychiatric conditions, and the intersection of biotech and mental health. Completely free.

The Gene

Siddhartha Mukherjee

A sweeping history of genetics, written for a general audience by a Pulitzer-winning author and oncologist.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Rebecca Skloot

Science, ethics, and race: an essential read on how cell biology intersects with human dignity.
Spillover

David Quammen

How infectious diseases jump from animals to humans. Prescient, terrifying, and beautifully written.
Sapiens

Yuval Noah Harari

A sweeping history of humankind that puts biology, medicine, and biotechnology in deep historical context. Essential reading for understanding why biotech matters.
Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!

Richard Feynman

A Nobel Prize-winning physicist's memoir about curiosity, experimentation, and what it means to think like a scientist. Surprisingly funny and genuinely inspiring.
The Selfish Gene

Richard Dawkins

A foundational text in evolutionary biology that reshaped how scientists think about genes, behavior, and life itself. Challenging but rewarding.