Regeneron is showing off its science in a whole new light with its “Science Illuminated” series, a unique video podcast that envelops listeners into an immersive, meditative experience through human biology and health.
Each of the five episodes in the series debuted Aug. 3 on Spotify, covering a range of topics including cancer cells, the immune system, antibody-based therapies and more.
Upon pressing play on any of the approximately six-minute long episodes, listeners are greeted by calming music and the meditation-style narration of Regeneron staff engineer Michelle Mazzeo. On the screen, images taken by Regeneron researchers come to life with hypnotic, eye-catching zoom-ins to compliment Mazzeo’s scientific storytelling.
"Take a few calming breaths. Guide your attention to the image before you," Mazzeo says in one proteomics-focused episode, referring to the "vibrant display" of proteins depicted. "This is just one small example of the intricate activity continuously unfolding throughout your body. Allow yourself to connect to this grand symphony within you."
Mazzeo has been working in Regeneron’s labs for eight years and stepped up to the podcast plate coincidentally, after her voice stood out in an unrelated work meeting, executive director of corporate communications Alexandra Bowie recalled in an interview with Fierce.
The company’s creative twist on the standard podcasting format speaks to its science-centered, innovation-forward communications and content strategy and looks to reach its audience in multiple different ways across different mediums, Bowie said.
“Innovation doesn’t stop at the labs or in the scientific process at Regeneron,” she explained. “It applies across all our functions.”
“Science Illuminated” traces its roots to a print calendar Regeneron's science imaging employees have been putting together for years now as a way to showcase some of the artistic snapshots that the lab produces, Bowie said. The calendar sparked the idea of a social media series showing off the images and turning them into an educational game, asking viewers to guess what’s depicted in the photos before revealing the answer in a later post.
“See the beauty of innovation through the eyes of our scientists,” pop-up text over the social media posts reads.
Alongside social media promotion, Regeneron looks to expand the reach of the audio series at some of its upcoming events such as the high school talent search it sponsors, in the hopes of growing its audience to the wider STEM community. So far, the feedback has been “really good,” Bowie said.
“I think that opportunity to listen and take a break from your day while absorbing some science has been something people really appreciate,” she noted.
The latest series is a natural offshoot to Regeneron’s history of using its in-house pool of scientific experts to spread its messaging to a wider audience. Other than “Science Illuminated,” the company runs a science education series called “Tech Trailblazers,” which features Regeneron scientists explaining their work alongside a young child who acts as a “scientific simplifier.” Meanwhile, Regeneron’s “The Nucleus” podcast sees a revolving host of company leaders chatting with outside experts on hot science and technology topics.
“We always try to tap into that employee voice,” Bowie pointed out.
As “Science Illuminated” takes off, so does another one of Regeneron’s innovations with the recent approval of its ultrarare genetic disease drug Pasatru (garetosmab).
The monoclonal antibody is now the second to win the FDA’s blessing as a treatment for fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) and the first that can treat flare-ups in adults with the disease, marking a “huge milestone” for the company and the patients the drug will serve, executive medical director of clinical sciences Susan Rhee, M.D., told Fierce.