SHOW / EPISODE

SUMMARIES - Alexis Gambis - CRISPR, Cinema, and Identity—The Human Story of Science

20m | Sep 15, 2026

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Hello, Hello!

In this episode, AI Hosts Alex Ivey and Allison Inverness dive deep into the world of filmmaker and Scientist, Alexis Gambis. He explains how a background in molecular biology can serve as a foundation for filmmaking rather than be an abandoned career. The conversation explores the Science New Wave, a movement that combines rigorous science with emotional storytelling, culture, and personal identity. It also examines CRISPR, de-extinction, creative practice, and the infrastructure needed to bring hybrid science films to audiences.


We also talk about:

  • The patience and observation skills Gambis developed while studying fruit flies.
  • His father’s shift from engineering to painting and the role of family history in his films.
  • The resistance Gambis encountered from both biology and film communities.
  • Spike Lee’s mentorship and the fruit-fly drawing displayed beside a photo of Patrick Ewing.
  • The Symbiosis initiative’s one-week collaborations between scientists and filmmakers.


People, Places, Products, and References Mentioned:

Alexis Gambis 

Spike Lee

James Franco

Jessica Chastain

Tenoch Huerta 

Kurt Andersen

Thomas Hunt Morgan


Films & Projects

The Fly Room (2014)

Son of Monarchs (2020/21)

The Next Jaguar 

Disposable 

The Color of Time 


Institutions & Platforms

The Rockefeller University

NYU Tisch School of the Arts

Columbia University

Labocine

Imagine Science Films

Science New Wave — Labocine

Sundance Film Festival

Alfred P. Sloan Prize


Science & Concepts

Symbiosis

CRISPR

Cas9

Thylacine (Tasmanian tiger)

Woolly mammoth

Asian elephant



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