Behind the Scenes of the Computomics Podcast

Brewing beer, the maximum growth rate of a plant, and machine learning – these topics all have something in common: they have been the subject of our Computomics podcast. Today we will have a look behind the scenes of how these podcast episodes come into being:

Co-creation with grasshopper kreativ and our guests

For the production of our podcast, we work closely with grasshopper kreativ, a creative agency specializing in communication consulting and media production. As a matter of course, we want to make the production process as hassle-free and as fun as possible for all our guests.

This begins with the interview setup. Our guest can choose their one-hour interview appointment directly through grasshopper's booking system. Once booked, the guest receives a confirmation email. It includes an FAQ section, and the link to the remote meeting on the date in question.

New guest: Kalliopi (Kelly) Rantsiou, Professor in Food Microbiology at the University of Turin, Italy

We use Zoom for our interviews, as it is the most convenient and technically stable, almost regardless of where our guest calls in from. Of course it's ideal if our guest has a quiet spot to take part in the interview. But Chris, Anna's colleague, has a lot of experience. “We can handle almost any recording situation. Whether it's in the airport lounge, at home, or in the plant lab," chuckles Anna Ross. Anna is co-founder of grasshopper kreativ, an experienced communicator, and host of the "Computomics" podcast. Her colleague, Chris Steinbrenner, handles the technical direction, audio direction, and post-production of the episodes.

During the entire production, Anna and Chris put a premium on ensuring that our guests feel completely at ease during the interview. That's why the interviews are scheduled for an hour, even though a podcast episode is usually only 20 to 30 minutes long. The two use the remaining time for technical optimization and "for the warm-up," Anna emphasizes. After all, "We have guests from diverse backgrounds. Some have tons of experience with interviews, some none at all. And regardless of their level of experience, the conversation is simply more productive and engaging if we can talk a little beforehand. Whether it's their favorite hockey team, how they get to work, or something else entirely."

Anna Ross interviewing Kelly Rantsiou for a new episode of our podcast

This approach makes the conversations flow naturally and loosely, and we can look forward to a new podcast episode every month. The new season starts in September 2023. Until then, feel free to listen to our previous podcast episodes on either Spotify, our YouTube channel, or on your favorite listening platform.