Featuring Dr. Scott Nguyen
Show Notes:
In this episode, Dave Yarmosh sits down with Dr. Scott Nguyen to introduce the world of biocuration and why it matters in modern biology. Dr. Nguyen explains that biocuration is all about making sure scientific data is connected to the right information. In sequencing work, that means confirming that a genome is matched to the correct strain and that the strain’s background details, or metadata, are accurate. He breaks down why this matters: even the best sequencing data can become confusing or misleading if it is not connected to the right biological context. Dr. Nguyen closes by discussing how scientists need a clear starting point for understanding how careful data organization supports trustworthy science.
Guest:
Scott V. Nguyen, PhD
Senior Biocuration Scientist, Sequencing & Bioinformatics Center, ATCC
As a Senior Biocuration Scientist in ATCC’s Sequencing & Bioinformatics Center, Dr. Nguyen helps lead the ATCC Genome Portal—a cloud resource of authenticated, traceable microbial genomes. Dr. Nguyen’s work spans microbial genomics, comparative genomics, and data provenance, with recent projects covering Yarrowia lipolytica strain sequencing, pangenomics, and structural variation. He has authored conference posters, application notes, and manuscripts advancing standardized hybrid assembly and ISO‑compliant workflows for reference genomes. Earlier in his career, Dr. Nguyen’s identified multiple SARS‑CoV‑2 variants, including the Delta–Omicron recombinant XD (“Deltacron”), and held research roles at USDA‑ARS, University College Dublin, and the DC Public Health Laboratory. He earned his PhD in Microbiology & Immunology from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Dr. Nguyen’s current focus is enabling reliable, engineering‑grade genomic data for bioprocessing and industrial biotechnology.
Host:
David Yarmosh, MS
Lead Bioinformatician, ATCC
David Yarmosh is a lead bioinformatician in ATCC’s Sequencing and Bioinformatics Center. He’s a graduate of New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering. He has been working in large data aggregation and analysis since 2013 and microbial genomics with a focus on biosurveillance R&D efforts since 2016. David has led international training exercises in Peru and Senegal, sharing metagenomic analytical capabilities. His interests include genomics database construction, metadata collection, drug resistance mechanisms, bioinformatics standards, and machine learning. Since joining ATCC in 2020, David has worked extensively in SARS-CoV-2 classification, epidemiology, and genomics evaluation, including enhanced and uniform variant reporting. He has contributed more broadly to genomics reporting and analytical standardization and he has helped develop the podcast Behind the Biology, which he now hosts.
Find more resources on the ATCC Genome Portal
Podcasts
Hear experts discuss the importance of data provenance and biocuration.
