Understanding Pregnancy Complications with AI and DNA Sequencing

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2 years ago

May 4, 2023

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Sponsored Content by BGI Genomics May 4 2023 Reviewed by Olivia Frost insights from industry Dr. Stephen Lye Interim Director Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health

In this interview, Dr. Stephen Lye, the Interim Director of the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Sinai Health, talks to NewsMedical about how AI and DNA sequencing can be used for understanding pregnancy complications. Please introduce yourself and your role at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Sinai Health? What inspired your career – both in science and in maternal health?

My name is Dr. Stephen Lye, and I am the interim director of the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Sinai Health, which is part of the University of Toronto. My interest in maternal child health can be attributed to when I undertook my post-doctoral training in London, Ontario.

I am originally from Bristol, England, but I moved to Canada to do this post-doctoral training in a hospital setting. The experience of being in a hospital and talking to clinicians as a basic scientist gave me a better understanding of how integral maternal health is to long-term health and well-being. This idea was partly borne of the integration of basic science with clinical practice, which I think is very powerful. As a research area, maternal health can be both underfunded and under-recognized. However, more technologies, such as AI and DNA sequencing, are being used in recent years to understand pregnancy complications further. Why is it so important to continue raising awareness of pregnancy complications?

Something that may not be immediately apparent is that a pregnancy carried to term involves two human beings – the pregnant patient and the baby. The health of the father is also relevant. It is now known that how an individual develops in utero and early infancy plays a critical role in establishing their lifelong health and well-being.

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If optimal, the pregnancy environment will help that individual to be healthy and reduce the risk of illnesses in later life.

Conversely, suppose that an individual is exposed to risks in utero. In that case, a challenge can be posed to their health trajectories, whether that is because of maternal ill health, such as preeclampsia, or whether the individual is born prematurely.

This can result in a greater risk of non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, as well as a risk to full intellectual development and pose difficulties for that individual to form optimal social relationships.

A research framework termed Developmental Origins of Health and Disease examines these connections.

As a result, science and government have become increasingly interested in the links between maternal health and child health and how, in pre-conception, the parents’ health can impact embryo development, fetal development, and child development in areas like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Despite this increase in medical advancement, there’s been no reduction in the occurrence of pre-term birth. Why is this, and what impact does pre-term birth have on infants and moms?

The reality is that the diseases of aging adults have garnered increased attention in recent years, whether we are talking about cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or dementia. This increased support could be partly political: older people are at the most risk of those disorders, and it is generally older people working in government funding and setting budgets for healthcare.

The idea of the developmental origins of health and disease is gaining traction. Currently, though, where the funding is based is where researchers are. In this vein, there are far more researchers in cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes than in reproductive health and development issues. Stephen Lye at ICG17 – Understanding Pregnancy Complications with AI and DNA Sequencing Play

There are typically fewer researchers in specific fields like mine, and much greater collaboration is needed to make changes happen.

At my own institution, Sinai Health in Toronto, within the larger institute, where researchers are involved in cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular diseases, we also have an infant health research group. This allows us to connect with those individuals and ensure we can identify some of the cutting-edge science and technologies. You are currently a senior investigator at Sinai Hospital in Canada. Can you tell us a bit more about the laboratory you work in and some of the current research in which you are involved?

The laboratory that I lead focuses on pregnancy complications. We are interested in examining the mechanisms responsible for preeclampsia and pre-term birth. Through this understanding, we seek more efficient and earlier diagnoses of which women are more likely to have those conditions to intervene.

We are also focused on developing interventions or therapeutics that can be applied once we have understood more about the disease. It is vital, in my opinion, to focus not only on mechanisms, therapeutics, or diagnostics but to recognize that these elements are all interwoven. Our group looks at each aspect to try and make a difference.

Image Credit: ShutterStock/Chompoo Suriyo

I am interested in these aspects of science closer to the patient because I tend to enjoy the broader picture. Rather than a career focused on one particular gene or protein and understanding everything I possibly can about that element, my research interest has been more broad.

The broad research aspect allows me to focus on how relationships and correlations happen between different sectors. If I were focused on one specific area, I might not see the connections in the background. I hope this broader approach will allow me to continue benefiting patients.

Most of the diseases and disorders we are interested in are very complex. As such, they are not single-gene or even multiple-gene but have genetic and environmental components and complex natures. Broad thinking must be employed to identify pathways that might be amenable to therapeutics. You are involved in the largest Canadian study of its kind to track the health of women and their babies. What are you hoping to learn from this, and what does this study involve?

We introduced this study to Mount Sinai Hospital, one of the hospitals in Sinai Health. A general hospital, Mount Sinai also has one of the largest reproductive and pregnancy programs in Canada. Our practice is to enroll women when they attend their first obstetrical visit after asking them if they would like to be involved in this study.

If they wish to be involved, the patient will consent to their health information being made accessible to us. When they have a blood sample or another type of sample collected for their routine clinical care, a small sample of the original is banked for research. This way, the study does not involve additional sampling, but the data is derived from their normal care.

Image Credit: ShutterStock/Africa Studio

The only additional requirement is for the patient to complete some detailed questionnaires about their life: their lifestyle, education, home life, economic activity, and past medical history.

We hope to learn more about what factors support a healthy pregnancy through this initiative. The information generated can be passed back to new patients to help them have better outcomes.

Currently, there are close to 4,000 women enrolled in the study. Over the study, we have obtained thousands of blood samples, urine samples, and different biospecimens, and the study is at the stage where we are now following the children born.

We have followed over a thousand children to about four years of age. We examine a range of various aspects of their early development, which provide us with insights into how we can improve pregnancy outcomes as well as how we can improve outcomes for the children. You are currently at ICG, and your earlier presentation was titled ‘RNA Sequence.’ RNA sequence identifies signatures of maternal blood that can predict imminent pre-term birth. Could you outline some of the key takeaways from this presentation?

As mentioned earlier, one of our core aims is to provide better care for women clinically diagnosed with pre-term labor. The condition known as threatened pre-term labor occurs when women start uterine contractions before ‘normal term,’ or 37 weeks of completed pregnancy.

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When threatened pre-term labor occurs, there is a risk of the baby being born pre-term. Indeed, if the delivery is too early, that baby can die because it is essentially a fetus born into an extrauterine environment. At about 24-25 weeks of pregnancy, which is a little over halfway through, such babies would be about the size of my palm.

Sadly, if born at that gestation period, many of them will die, and others might have significant disabilities that they will experience for the rest of their lives. Related StoriesThe Applications of Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) – 10 Years of ExperienceBGI cares – 2022 social responsibilities in reviewAsk the Expert: 7 Questions about Colorectal Cancer & Non-invasive Fecal DNA Testing

When a clinical diagnosis of pre-term labor is made, it is very difficult for clinicians to know whether a woman experiencing contractions will continue to experience them and go on to deliver within the next couple of days or if the contractions will cease and pregnancy will be maintained onto term. Only about 20% of women diagnosed with pre-term labor actually deliver pre-term.

Suppose the clinician is of the opinion that there is going to be a pre-term birth. In that case, it is firstly essential that the woman is kept in a hospital, hospitalized, or transferred from a community hospital to a hospital that has a neonatal intensive care unit.

This is important since high standards of care and capability are needed for looking after a premature baby, which is costly to the healthcare system. Often, particularly in countries like Canada, which are sparsely populated, this means that women will be transported long distances away from home.

Image Credit: ShutterStock/ALPA PROD

The next step is that the patient will be either treated with drugs to try and stop the labor or given hormones to mature the baby’s organ systems and hopefully allow that baby to survive. If the patient is in real pre-term labor, these methods are all perfectly suitable, but the reality is that 80% of them are not.

We have tried to develop a new test to better identify women that are in real labor and will deliver within the next 48 hours and those that are in forced labor and could instead be sent home.

Threatened pre-term labor is the second largest cause of being hospitalized during pregnancy other than giving birth. This takes up many healthcare resources and can cause women to have treatments they do not necessarily need. Are you hopeful that RNA sequencing could predict imminent pre-term birth? If so, what impact would this have on women, their children, and healthcare?

We had some pulmonary data of gene expression signatures in the blood of women experiencing threatened pre-term labor. These gene expression signatures were predictive of whether women would deliver or not.

cDNA microarrays were old technology deployed before sequencing came in. Its sensitivity and specificity were good, but it was not good enough to turn into a commercial test. When RNA sequencing came in and became cost-effective enough to do on a large scale, it allowed us to conduct the study we did before again and get much more resolution on the gene expression signatures.

Image Credit: ShutterStock/nobeatsofierce

In our current study, we have performed nearly 1000 RNA sequences – RNA sequencing on 1000 samples. This work has increased the sensitivity and specificity of our signatures.

If all the current signatures in new populations can be validated, these can likely be used to develop a commercial test. This project is one that my own hospital jointly funds, BGI, and Genome Canada, which is through a program called the Genomic Applications Partnership Program, our genomics funding agency in Canada.

It is essential to work closely with companies interested in pregnancy. Most companies are afraid of what might happen if a problem occurs, so they steer clear of pregnancy. BGI has had some experience in pregnancy and newborn health due to their newborn screening tests. If we successfully generate a screening test through the research program, this could be introduced into their line of products. Are you hopeful that the field of maternal health will soon see better outcomes with continued research, funding, and innovation? Could increased and improved testing generate better outcomes for pre-term birth? What more needs to be done before this can become a reality?

As an optimist, I would say we strive for and achieve positive outcomes for women. We are also trying to develop a similar type of test that will predict in early pregnancy whether a woman is likely to have a pre-term birth in addition to this screening test in development. In addition, other colleagues are developing the same approach to other pregnancy complications like preeclampsia.

Image Credit: ShutterStock/Petrovich Nataliya

There is a great deal of activity within the pregnancy research field that can improve outcomes, particularly in diagnostics. It is more complicated to introduce a new therapeutic to women during pregnancy than to give a cancer drug where someone is at imminent risk.

Most pregnancies are uneventful and ultimately lead to the birth of a remarkable new human being. For most parents, pregnancy and childbirth are low-risk, high-reward events. For a small number – approximately 10-15% – pregnancy can be more of a rocky road and potentially have a disastrous outcome. Having a baby die in utero or during the newborn period is devastating, and this motivates us toward our goals. As a recognized leader in the field of infant health and maternal reproductive health, what has been your proudest achievement?

When I reflect, the work that springs to mind is how the maternal immune system plays a role throughout pregnancy, which has been very exciting. From this, we have discovered that the interactions between the mothers’ immune cells and the developing placenta are critically important in forming the placenta.

In other words, as is well known, the placenta is the lifeline between the mother and the baby. The birth process also requires maternal immune cells, underlining this form of mutual communication between the mother and the baby throughout the pregnancy, which has been hugely exciting to find out.

Image Credit: ShutterStock/crystal light

The other aspect that has given me the most satisfaction in my career is building groups of scientists, conditions, and investigators that can work well together. Building teams is essential, as I firmly believe that a team will have greater expertise across disciplines. Such multidisciplinary expertise is vital in understanding complex medical issues like pregnancy complications.

The third thing I am proud of is training young scientists who come into my lab as students, several of whom now hold senior positions in their own labs around the world. Those three things – the groundbreaking research we have done, the teams we have built, and the trainees who have furthered their careers in the field – have brought me great fulfillment. What are the next steps for you and your career?

We aim to expand the research and innovation in the pre-term birth area. One element of this is the screening tests that we hope to develop further and lead to commercial products. Thanks to some early-stage therapeutics, there is also the potential to reduce pre-term birth in high-risk women. We are working to move those closer to human clinical studies.

Finally, we also have a large study in four different countries: India, China, South Africa, and Canada. I am mainly involved in the South African study, in which we are looking at interventions that start pre-conception.

Image Credit: ShutterStock/George Rudy

In this study, to see whether we can improve pregnancy health, women are enrolled before they have a baby so that we can follow them through pregnancy and their child’s infancy.

The study also aims to improve women’s health before they get pregnant, allow them to have healthier pregnancies, and enable their children to have better starts in life. Currently, about 24,000 women are being enrolled, which is going to be exciting over the next few years. Omix is VGI’s vision for their company. What does Omix mean to you as a scientist?

My priority is utilizing Omix to improve the lives of individuals, which in our case refers to women during pregnancy and their children during infancy.

The core of the vision is to make these expensive and large-scale technologies more affordable and accessible to more people. Our partnership with BGI takes us some way along that route. Simply having the technical capability without understanding the biology or having access to the patients is not viable, sustainable, or valuable; instead, partnerships are essential, as are collaborations. What are you looking forward to most at the conference, or what have you enjoyed most so far?

I have enjoyed hearing about the science that I am not necessarily familiar with. For instance, we have heard much about metabolomics and meta-genomics and how the microbiome is vital for mental and physical health. It has also been intriguing to learn more about population genomic studies research in the Baltics. This data can also help inform the rest of our work, which is invaluable. About BGI

BGI Genomics is the world's leading integrated solutions provider of precision medicine, now serving customers in more than 100 countries.

They provide academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, health care providers, and other organizations with integrated genomic sequencing and proteomic services and solutions across a broad range of applications spanning:

They have almost 20 years of genomics experience helping customers achieve their research goals by delivering rapid, high-quality results using a broad array of cost-effective, cutting-edge technologies, including their own innovative DNBSEQ™ sequencing technology.

Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments.

Sports

Week 3 takeaways: Texas A&M’s off to a hot start; UCLA … not so much

Published

26 mins ago

September 15, 2025

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Week 3 takeaways: Texas A&M's off to a hot start; UCLA ... not so much

Sep 15, 2025, 08:15 AM ET

Week 3 brought exhilarating last-minute wins, disappointing losses and two coaches getting fired Sunday.

Notre Dame dropped 16 spots to No. 24 in this week’s AP poll following a 41-40 loss to Texas A&M, which rose six spots to No. 10 on the strength of a 3-0 start. No. 2 Penn State has gone through the first three weeks with ease as it faced non-Power 4 opponents, and No. 4 Miami quarterback Carson Beck showed just how fun it is to play for the Hurricanes.

After starting the season 0-2, do the Fighting Irish stand a chance to make the 12-team College Football Playoff? After years of not getting the results it had hoped for, is Texas A&M reaping the benefits of its transfer portal additions? What does Penn State have to look forward to after its bye week in Week 4?

Our college football experts break down key takeaways from Week 3 performances.

Jump to:
Notre Dame’s CFP hopes | Texas A&M
UCLA | Beck having fun again
Penn State’s road | Stockton delivers
Vols’ QB swap

Could Notre Dame still make the playoff?

Notre Dame has lost control of its playoff path. Following an 0-2 start, the Irish are out of the playoff conversation and need perfection — and help — to get back into it. This is where being an independent hurts Notre Dame in the playoff era. The five highest-ranked conference champions are guaranteed spots in the playoff, which is why three-loss ACC champion Clemson was able to sneak in last season. Without the chance at a conference title, Notre Dame has 12 games to impress the selection committee — and its best opportunities to do that are already gone.

Even if Notre Dame were able to run the table — the way it did last year following the shocking home loss to Northern Illinois in Week 2 — it’s going to have a difficult time winning a debate against other two-loss teams with better résumés. And if Texas A&M and Miami don’t win their respective conferences, they would have the head-to-head edge on the Irish in one of several tiebreakers the committee uses to determine its at-large teams. — Heather Dinich

Texas A&M’s starting to cash in where it counts

Texas A&M often gets knocked for the contrast between its deep pockets and its mostly empty trophy case. No major program has spent more and reaped less over the decades. The Jimbo Fisher hire and subsequent firing and record payout — after no CFP appearances, SEC titles or 10-win seasons — is emblematic of the program’s financial failures.

But Texas A&M’s investments, both in coaches and players, are starting to pay off, and the program could finally start approaching its potential. The Aggies kicked down one important door, as coach Mike Elko put it, by stunning Notre Dame 41-40 on Saturday night. They did so largely with the help of transfers, including wide receivers Mario Craver (Mississippi State) and KC Concepcion (NC State), and tight end Nate Boerkircher, who had one touchdown catch in four seasons at Nebraska but hauled in the winner at Notre Dame on fourth-and-goal from the 11-yard line.

Craver, who had 368 receiving yards at Mississippi State and has a slight build at 165 pounds, wasn’t seen as a major pickup but has 443 receiving yards and four touchdowns through the first three games. He had 207 yards against Notre Dame, while Concepcion, ranked as ESPN’s No. 25 transfer, added 82 yards on four receptions.

“We felt like we would win outside,” Elko said.

The transfers also have brought a different mentality.

“One thing I said on the sideline, second-and goal or third, even, I looked at [tight ends coach Christian Ellsworth] and said, ‘I have no doubt we’re going to win this game,'” Boerkircher said.

Elko shared the belief. Although the end of his first season resembled so many at Texas A&M, there are signs things are shifting in Aggieland.

“Hopefully, what they’ll take from the game is, if they find a way to execute better, they can be something really special,” he said. — Adam Rittenberg

UCLA is a disaster

When UCLA opted to leave the Pac-12 and head to the greener pastures of the Big Ten, it was a decision rooted in money and football. At the time, maybe it was possible to reason that with a full share of the Big Ten media deal, there would be enough money to help the Bruins at least be competitive in their new conference. Keep in mind, they had not won a conference title in the Pac-12 since 1988. What has played out since then has been nothing short of an embarrassment for the school.

The Bruins’ latest setback came Friday night as they were demoralized in a near-empty Rose Bowl by New Mexico — a school that wasn’t even invited to the new-look Pac-12. It was UCLA’s second straight loss to a Mountain West team and delivered a clear verdict that DeShaun Foster was not fit to continue as the head coach. His firing became official Sunday morning.

According to ESPN Analytics, UCLA will be a heavy underdog in all 10 of its Big Ten games this season, with ESPN’s matchup predictor identifying its game against Maryland as the best shot at a win (34%). Under Chip Kelly in 2018, UCLA equaled its record for losses in a season (nine). This team has a chance to sail past that number. — Kyle Bonagura

Beck having fun again

South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown came into the Miami game as the dual-threat quarterback with the ability to make big plays in a variety of ways.

But what if we told you it was Miami quarterback Carson Beck who ended up finishing with more rushing yards? Miami ran Beck on designed runs more often Saturday than the first two games this season. In all, Beck had six runs for 28 yards and a score, becoming the first Miami player in the past 30 seasons to have three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown against an AP-ranked opponent.

The Miami defense, meanwhile, keyed on Brown and made his day far more difficult in a 49-12 win. Brown had 13 carries for 2 yards. If you don’t count the two times he was sacked and lost 16 yards, he had 11 carries for only 18 yards. In his first two games, Brown had 109 yards rushing and two scores.

Beck said during the week, coaches noticed that there would be opportunities for him to run more based on what the USF defense showed on tape.

“We knew that they were going to blitz the edges, try to defeat our run game, so [that] created some opportunities for me to be able to use my legs a little bit,” Beck said. “It’s just what was called for, and whatever coach needs me to do, I’m going to do, so glad I was able to showcase that a little bit tonight.”

Headed into the season, there were questions about Beck coming off an elbow injury that required surgery last December. Though he did not start throwing again until June, he has a comfort level in the offense and a chemistry with his receivers that has made his first three games look seamless.

Against USF, he threw for a season-high 340 yards, and for the season he has completed 78.3% of his passes, with seven touchdowns to two interceptions. Both picks came against USF — though one was the result of a miscommunication with his receivers. Still, for a quarterback who was largely written off after the season he had at Georgia in 2024, watching Beck take command of the Hurricanes and have fun again has been one of the biggest stories of the young season for the Hurricanes.

“I’m a Florida boy at heart, and just being here with these guys, I really fit in,” said Beck, who is from Jacksonville. “We have good people on this team that care and are genuine and it’s real love and brotherhood. A lot of teams across the country say that, but they don’t live it. And I really, truly believe that we live that, and it allows you to just be free and have fun on the field.” — Andrea Adelson

Penn State’s real season about to begin

The Penn State Nittany Lions, ESPN’s preseason No. 1 team, have flown under the radar through the first three weeks of the season. But that’s only because they’ve faced three non-Power 4 opponents (Nevada, Florida International, Villanova) and defeated them by a combined score of 132-17.

Now comes a bye — followed by a white-out, prime-time clash at Beaver Stadium against No. 6 Oregon on Sept. 27. A month later, on Nov. 1, the Nittany Lions travel to Columbus to face top-ranked Ohio State. The Ducks have been dominant. The defending national champion Buckeyes already have a win over Texas under their belt. And those two games will reveal whether Penn State looks the part of a true national championship contender.

So far, it has been smooth sailing for the Nittany Lions. The talented defense looks legit under new coordinator Jim Knowles. The running game remains awesome behind veteran backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. Even transfer receivers Trebor Pena (Syracuse) and Kyron Hudson (USC) have impressed.

But the Nittany Lions are about to be tested — and their chance is coming to make a statement. — Jake Trotter

Stockton proving he was the right choice

Kirby Smart was in a tough spot in late December. His Georgia squad was preparing for the Allstate Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame. Carson Beck was out for the season and hadn’t yet announced whether he’d go pro. Gunner Stockton was preparing for his first career start leading the SEC champs. Cal transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza was still available in the transfer portal.

Do you stick with the QB2 who has been in your program for three years or go get the proven starter with early-round NFL draft pick potential?

Smart was feeling pretty darn good about his decision Saturday afternoon. Stockton’s first SEC road start was as tough as it gets, but he didn’t flinch in the 44-41 overtime triumph over Tennessee. He put up 304 passing yards and 48 rushing yards (excluding sacks) and answered any doubts by leading a comeback win in a hostile environment. His 75-yard drive in the fourth quarter, rallying the Bulldogs back from an 8-point deficit with a perfectly thrown touchdown to London Humphreys on fourth-and-6, told everybody he was ready for the moment.

“I thought he grew up tonight,” Smart said. “He grew up a lot.”

We’re watching plenty of first-year starters, such as Arch Manning, Ty Simpson, CJ Carr and Austin Simmons, go through the ups, downs and growing pains of attempting to play and lead at a consistently high level. Stockton is going to have those moments too, with five more games on the schedule against teams currently in the AP Top 25. But if this is what he’s capable of after only four career starts, it’s hard not to be optimistic about the trajectory of Stockton and the Bulldogs’ offense moving forward. — Max Olson

QB swap looking good for Vols

Tennessee might owe UCLA a few players to be named later from its offseason quarterback trade. Vols quarterback Joey Aguilar, who left UCLA after former UT starter Nico Iamaleava enrolled there, has emerged as one of the top passers in the SEC.

While the Volunteers were on the short end of a 44-41 loss in overtime to Georgia on Saturday, Aguilar more than proved himself against what was supposed to be one of the SEC’s best defenses. He completed 24 of 36 passes for 371 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Aguilar became the first SEC player in the past 20 seasons to have four passing touchdowns and a running score in his conference debut, according to ESPN Research. He threw three long touchdowns to receiver Chris Brazzell II and ran for another score. In three games, Aguilar has completed 66.3% of his attempts for 906 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions.

Meanwhile, Iamaleava continues to struggle with the Bruins, who fired coach DeShaun Foster on Sunday. He threw for 217 yards with one touchdown and one interception on 22-for-34 passing in a 35-10 loss to New Mexico on Friday night. – Mark Schlabach

Sports

Who are MLB’s teams to beat this October — and who could take them down? Execs, insiders weigh in

Published

26 mins ago

September 15, 2025

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Who are MLB's teams to beat this October -- and who could take them down? Execs, insiders weigh in

Jesse RogersSep 15, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
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The MLB playoffs are just around the corner and shaping up to be a wide-open affair. For the second consecutive season, there is not a single team on pace to win 100 or more games. That means there is plenty of parity across the majors, which is bound to carry over to October.

With that in mind, we asked 19 baseball players, executives and scouts: Who is the team to beat in the National League? And who is the team to beat in the American League?

There was little uniformity to their answers, though most agreed on one thing: a sleeper team that people in both leagues agreed could make a run in October. Here’s how those in the game view the upcoming postseason.

The NL’s team to beat is …

(Phillies, 5; Dodgers, 4; Padres, 2; Mets, 1)

Voting was as tight as you might imagine, considering the Brewers are mixed in with the defending champion Dodgers and high-priced Phillies. Those teams dominated our poll, leaving few votes for anyone else.

All three teams can slug their way to the World Series, but the Dodgers have a distinct advantage in the power game, outhomering both Philadelphia and Milwaukee by a wide margin this regular season. However, Philly employs easily the best closer of the three — a crucial element that could help finish off those tight October games.

Still, it was the Brewers who won our poll because they’ve played at such a high level in all areas while also possessing a deep and healthy starting staff.

Why the Brewers

NL player: “They seem like a team that has a really solid plan and cohesive approach. And they seem like they’re on the same page. I just like how they play. And they’ve done it all year; why can’t they keep it going?”

NL scout: “They still have to figure out the back end of their pen, but in a short series, they have the luxury of sending one of their good starters to the bullpen. And they might just run into enough home runs to keep pace in October.”

NL exec: “Getting the bye will be huge for them. They’ve been knocked out in those short series several times; this will let them breathe a bit. Plus, their starting staff is so good. If I’m Milwaukee, I want the longer series.”

Biggest threats to Brewers

Philadelphia Phillies

NL player: “It’s simple for me. They still have good pitching, and they’ve been there before. Playoffs are about home runs, and they can hit them.”

NL player: “Their lineup is a little top-heavy, but they have enough at the bottom that can do the job. If those guys show up, then that lineup is really good. Their pen is incredible with [Jhoan] Duran.”

NL exec: “It’s their last hurrah, right? They have older players, some of whom will be free agents at the end of the season. I just can’t see [Bryce] Harper going his career without a ring, and this is their best chance, even without [Zack] Wheeler.”

Los Angeles Dodgers

NL player: “When we played them, they didn’t have a good series, but they seem to turn it on when they need to. That’s the sign of a champion. I think their offense will have a big October and lead them like it did last year.”

NL exec: “Talent will win out, and they have the potential for healthiest pitching staff all year in October.”

If not Milwaukee, Philadelphia or Los Angeles, then who?

Truth be told, these insiders responded before the latest Mets free fall became so dramatic — New York was on an eight-game losing streak that ended with an extra-innings win over Texas on Sunday. But, hey, anyone can get hot at the right time, right? The Mets proved that last year. But they have to prove they can even get into the October party before they can think about making a deep run.

The Padres are hard to figure out, but that doesn’t make them less dangerous than any other contender. Some days, their offense goes into hibernation, but they can shut anyone down in the late innings. Their bullpen is that good and could take them far despite the loss of Jason Adam.

San Diego Padres

NL player: “I like San Diego. They’re hungry. They made all the right deadline moves. And they have the experience of getting close but not going all the way.”

NL exec: “There’s a lot to like about San Diego, but they can still be pitched to even with their deadline additions. It’s like they disappear sometimes. If they survive a wild-card round and get some home games, Petco [Park]’s energy could wake them up. Still a great bullpen.”

New York Mets

NL player: “The Mets are really good. I know they’ve struggled, but I’m banking on them getting hot like they did last postseason. Sometimes you get your worst baseball behind you, then find your groove. I like the Mets to do that.”

NL scout: “Their lineup 1-9 has to carry them. I’m not sure how they’ll piece it together on the mound, but sometimes you find rookie magic in an arm or two. If two of [Nolan] McLean, [Jonah] Tong and [Brandon] Sproat can come through, why not the Mets?

The AL’s team to beat is …

(Tigers, 5; Yankees, 3; Red Sox, 3; Astros, 2)

The voting was even tighter in the AL than in the NL — four teams received three or more votes — but it was the Blue Jays who edged out the competition with just one more vote than Detroit.

Home-field advantage could make the difference for the AL’s top two teams, both of whom dominate at home but hover around .500 on the road. The Tigers play so well at Comerica Park, where they are able to run rampant on the bases and go first to third on teams. And, of course, they feature Tarik Skubal at the top of their rotation. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays can get the newly renovated Rogers Centre rocking as hard as any stadium in the majors. That top seed in the AL is up for grabs down the stretch — and one of these two teams is highly likely to get it.

Why the Blue Jays

AL player: “They’re one of the most rounded teams in the AL. They have some experience, especially in the rotation, and have a little bit of everything in the lineup. That’s tough to contend with in a series. I just think they have the most complete team.”

AL scout: “As good as [Bo] Bichette, Vlad [Guerrero Jr.] and [George] Springer have been, it’s the contributions from guys from the left side of the plate like [Nathan] Lukes and [Addison] Barger which make Toronto really dangerous. They have some balance, which has eluded them.”

AL exec: “I love their team, but I question their bullpen. It hasn’t been very stout in the second half. Tommy Nance might be a guy to lean on.”

Biggest threat to Blue Jays: Detroit Tigers

AL player: “Detroit is high up on that list [of teams to beat]. They know how to win. That’s the biggest thing. They proved that last offseason. And they’ve turned that park into a nice home-field advantage. I know they go first to third better than anyone. That’s a key, playing in that ballpark.”

AL scout: “Sometimes seeing a team play a lot you can get a more negative opinion than what their record is, and sometimes it can be a more positive opinion than their record. With the Tigers, it’s the latter. And they already have a pretty good record.”

AL exec: “I’ve tried to fill out playoff rotations without a true ace. It’s really tough. So having Tarik Skubal makes all the difference for me. Unless he runs out of gas, Detroit is my pick.”

If not Toronto or Detroit, then who?

A case can be made for any of the wild-card entrants — depending on where Houston finishes, as it remains in a tight division battle with Seattle — to pull off an October upset with big game experience oozing from the Astros and Yankees lineups. New York can also slug, of course, while the return of Yordan Alvarez makes Houston’s offense ever so dangerous again.

The Red Sox, on the other hand, have made the postseason only once (2021) since winning the World Series in 2018. However, they feature a balanced lineup with playoff leadership in the form of Alex Bregman. Plus, Aroldis Chapman is about as good as it gets on the closer front.

New York Yankees

AL exec: “I think their bullpen will get hot, and [they] have enough power bats to get through a weaker field in the AL.”

Boston Red Sox

AL player: “It’s the Red Sox. They are playing good baseball. They have formidable pitching starting with [Garrett] Crochet and their lineup is cohesive and looks like they have a good time together. They know how to win with Bregman there.”

Houston Astros

AL player: “Everyone is forgetting that Yordan Alvarez missed most of the season. He’s a difference-maker. And when we played them, Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown were as good as any two pitchers. Houston is my pick.”

Everyone’s October sleeper pick: Seattle Mariners

Until recently, the Mariners hadn’t shown the league their best hand, ending up in the sleeper category because of it. Those we spoke to said Seattle simply has more upside available to it than any other team.

AL player: “A team that can get really hot that isn’t playing its best baseball is Seattle. That pitching staff is legit. [Cal] Raleigh hit 50 [home runs] but they have other guys that are built for that moment — the spotlight moment. Randy Arozarena and [Eugenio] Suarez are two of them. They’re built to win late.”

NL player: “It’s one of those lineups where everyone is waiting for them to put it all together. Their rotation is very talented, and they have one of the best closers in the league. I think they’re one of those teams that, if they get hot at the right time, no one can beat them.”

AL exec: “Seattle has one of its best teams we’ve seen there in years. If there is a real sleeper in this entire playoff field, it’s the Seattle Mariners.”

AL exec: “Seattle is my ‘surprise’ team. I think a bad year for pitching in Seattle could get flipped on its head in the postseason with their starters picking it up.”

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5+ year review: The e-bike gear that’s lasted me half a decade or more

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September 15, 2025

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5+ year review: The e-bike gear that's lasted me half a decade or more

When it comes to e-bike gear, most of us have been burned before. That “waterproof” pannier that started leaking after the first storm, the multitool that rounded out on its tenth bolt, the lights that faded faster than a dying AA battery. I’ve had my share of disappointments. But over the past decade of nearly daily riding, there’s a small handful of e-bike tools and accessories that have stood the test of time. I’m talking half a decade or more of constant use, surviving rain, dust, sun, and the occasional crash, and still going strong.

As an e-bike reviewer who tests an untold number of new, shiny bikes and gadgets each year, I often share my early experiences with a new product. But rarely do I get to do a long-term review – and I mean years. So here’s a chance for me to look back at the gear I’ve incorporated into my car-free life for over half a decade.

These aren’t just “pretty good” products. These are the pieces of gear that have earned a permanent spot on my bike or in my toolkit. They’ve been with me through countless commutes, late-night rides, weekend tours, international trips, and enough roadside repairs to fill a small notebook. And even after years of abuse, they still do their job without complaint.

So, whether you’re building your first e-bike setup or replacing gear that gave up the ghost too soon, here’s my long-term, battle-tested list of e-bike products that have survived five years of heavy use and are still worth every penny.

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Topeak Ratchet Stick

The Topeak Ratchet Stick might just be my all-time favorite bike tool.

It doesn’t cover every possible repair, but it includes the hex driver sizes you’ll use for most routine jobs, like adjusting brakes, saddles, racks, and so on. There’s also a second plastic holder with extra bits, mostly Torx drivers, but I rarely need them. In fact, I’m not even sure where that holder is anymore. I haven’t seen it in years and I’d guess it’s probably buried somewhere in my parts bin. The five bits stored in the handle of the tool are all I use regularly (2, 3, 4, 5, and 6mm).

Even without the extras, the core tool is a game-changer. All your most-used bits are right there, ready to pop into the compact ratchet, which makes tightening bolts far faster than fiddling with a standard Allen key. No more lifting and resetting every partial turn – the ratchet lets you work continuously, and the quick direction lever flips between tightening and loosening instantly. Especially for bolts with Loctite that require spending a minute or two to slowly drive down a dozen threads a half turn at a time with an Allen key, the ratchet stick takes care of it in 10 seconds.

And for cases where you don’t want the ratchet part, the end of the tool holds the bits like a typical Allen key, so you get the quick turning feature for fast bolt driving, then the ratchet action for quick tightening.

At $45, it’s not cheap, and is in fact quite a bit more expensive than the free set of Allen wrenches that came with your bike. But if you work on bikes as much as I do, it’s worth every penny. Saving the skin on your knuckles is worth it, alone.

This tool isn’t as nice and time-saving as the Topeak Ratchet Stick above, but it is significantly cheaper at $12, and it has some advantages. While you still have to take it out, turn it 180 degrees, put it back in, tighten, and repeat, it’s also a lot shorter which make it better for carrying.

My go-to tool for riding, this one slips easily in my jeans pocket-watch pocket and that also keeps it riding higher so it doesn’t drop down near my thigh. As much as I love my Topeak Ratchet Stick, that one is awkward to carry in a pocket because of its length, so I find it spends more time on my tool shelf for stationary work like repairs and bike building than mobile work like trail-side adjustments.

The AWS tool, on the other hand, is the perfect grab-and-go Allen key set. It’s small, it’s well-made, and it just simply works.

I’ve got a few of these, but the longest-lived one has been with me for over five years. It’s the tool I reach for first when I’m heading out on a ride and want to make sure I have a tool in my hand.

AfterShockz Trekz Air bone conduction headphones

I refuse to wear earbuds or “normal” headphones on a bike under basically any scenario. It started in the military when we weren’t allowed to wear earbuds when off-base for situational awareness reasons, and the sensibility stuck with me.

There’s no situation where I’d be on a bike and think, “You know what would make this experience better? Not being able to hear dangers around me.” Whether commuting in the city or enjoying a nature ride, I either need to hear potential threats or I just want to be able to take in the sounds of my environment.

And yet, it can still be nice to listen to a podcast or music on a long fitness ride or run. So I prefer bone conduction headphones. These leave your ears open for ambient noises, and instead conduct the sound right through your skull. Is the audio quality as good as over-the-ear noise-cancelling headphones? Of course not. But I’d rather be alive while listening to moderate quality audio than get those deep bases right up to the moment I’m being pancaked by an Isuzu.

I’ve had these headphones since 2019, and they are still going strong. I don’t only use them for riding – in fact I use them even more often for running. I can get around five or six 45-minute running sessions in before they need a charge, so the battery is obviously worn down from when they were new, but the darn things just continue to work. Other than needing to charge more frequently, they’re as good as new.

I’m not sure they even make this exact model anymore, but Aftershockz seems to have many different models now, and this one looks close.

Cotopaxi Allpa 35 backpack

If I could have only one backpack in my life (I shudder at the thought), it would be this one. Cotopaxi is a great brand for a lot of reasons, chief among them the build quality and their commitment to sustainability, but the Allpa 35L is the creme de la creme for me.

This is more of a travel bag, and I’ve used it a ton that way. I’ve had this thing on countless trips to countless countries (I lost track at around 11 or 12) and I’ve beaten the hell out of it. I’ve taken it on jarring bikes rides, I’ve lashed it to the pillion seat on 100 MPH electric motorcycles, I’ve dragged it across airport floors, I’ve tossed it by the zipper pulls on the rare occasion that I’m in a rush and that’s the closest thing I can grab… Basically, it’s lived a hard life with me full of use and abuse. And yet, here we are, six years later.

The only wear it’s really showing is the rubberized coating on the front (and I’d even recommend getting the version without the rubberized front for that reason), but it’s merely aesthetic wear that doesn’t impact its functionality. The bag still works as well as the day I got it, which was nearly 2,000 days ago. Over $200 isn’t cheap for a bag, but when it lasts as long as this one, it’s a lot cheaper than buying a $45 bag every year.

This big boy probably isn’t the bag you want for a quick bike ride, but for longer trips like bikepacking and travel, it’s the only bag I take. Plus it also comes in smaller sizes if you don’t carry as much gear as I sometimes do.

See it in action on a motorcycle trip I took a few years ago, below.