I AM BIO: Recent Episodes
Biotechnology Innovation Organization
Powerful stories of biotechnology breakthroughs, the people they help, and the global problems they solve. Hosted by BIO President & CEO Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath.
Since Watson and Crick discovered DNA's double helix structure in 1953, the US has been a leader in biotechnology innovation. American excellence in this field has greatly benefited people around the world. In this episode, we talk about why this leadership position may be threatened and why that matters to our national security.
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David Fajgenbaum was in his third year of medical school when he was diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening disease that began shutting down his organs, bringing him perilously close to death. Although he survived the initial episode, he faced four additional relapses, each pushing him to the brink of death. In this episode, we speak with David about his relentless journey to discover the treatment that ultimately put his disease into remission. We also explore how his personal battle inspired the creation of a groundbreaking approach to help others suffering from rare diseases.
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The gut microbiome, which consists of trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi, plays a crucial role in our health. However, there is still much to learn about this complex ecosystem. On this episode we talk with experts who tell us where the science is—how much we know, and how much we don’t. Two companies, Bloom Science and Seres Therapeutics, are leveraging the microbiome to develop new therapeutics. The potential of the microbiome is vast, and further research and technological advancements will continue to unlock its benefits.
2023 ended with an exciting biotech breakthrough for sickle cell patients. A gene-editing therapy using the revolutionary CRISPR technology provides new hope and options for the nearly 100,000 Americans with sickle cell disease. In this episode, we talk with the company behind one of the life-changing therapies, CASGEVY, and speak with two advocates for sickle cell patients.
YOU asked, and we answered. In this episode, we had our experts on standby to answer questions from you, our listeners. We discuss topics ranging from the safety of genetically modified foods (GMOs), to the new era of personalized medicine, feeding the world by 2050, and even what makes start-up companies attractive to investors.
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With its potential to expand the horizons of what’s possible for patients, CRISPR is the new darling of biotech. Reaching an important milestone in 2023 with the FDA approval of a sickle cell treatment using CRISPR, the technology is poised to break new barriers for treating patients in the near future. In this episode we talk with two companies working together on the next generation of CRISPR: editing cells within the body. We discuss the progress and the challenge in making this breakthrough a reality.
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Biotech companies are addressing climate change through innovation—from carbon neutral facilities to agricultural innovations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. BIO was on the ground at the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai to deliver the message that biotech is climate tech.
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More than half of U.S. households include pets, but there has been a lack of medical treatments developed specifically for small animals. Biotech companies are working to change that with new treatment options that both borrow from and, potentially, advance human health discoveries.
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The gut microbiome, which consists of trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi, plays a crucial role in our health. However, there is still much to learn about this complex ecosystem. On this episode we talk with experts who tell us where the science is—how much we know, and how much we don’t. Two companies, Bloom Science and Seres Therapeutics, are leveraging the microbiome to develop new therapeutics. The potential of the microbiome is vast, and further research and technological advancements will continue to unlock its benefits.
Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.
Visit us at https://www.bio.org/
2023 ended with an exciting biotech breakthrough for sickle cell patients. A gene-editing therapy using the revolutionary CRISPR technology provides new hope and options for the nearly 100,000 Americans with sickle cell disease. In this episode, we talk with the company behind one of the life-changing therapies, CASGEVY, and speak with two advocates for sickle cell patients.
Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.
Visit us at https://www.bio.org/
Bradley Burnam woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and found one ear twice it’s normal size and his face swollen and discolored. He would spend the next several years in and out of the hospital fighting a relentless infection that would not respond to available treatments. The experience took him from patient to mad scientist, to biotech company founder. In this episode, Bradley takes us through his desperate journey to find a cure. We also talk with the leader of an organization helping to get more antimicrobials to the marketplace.
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Visit us at https://www.bio.org/
Innovative companies are using synthetic biology to engineer organisms and create new materials that could transform every sector of our economy, from health care to food and energy production. Those companies say we’ve entered a synbio revolution, and it holds potential to improve the health of people and our planet. In this episode, we talk with three synbio experts about how this convergence of genetic engineering, computer science and other scientific disciplines is making our world more sustainable.
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Visit us at https://www.bio.org/
For biotech companies, the valley of death describes the difficult path from initial discovery to FDA approval and commercialization. It's a treacherous journey—one that even promising innovations often don't complete. Adequate funding, regulatory hurdles and the immense complexity of the biotech landscape are among the never-ending challenges faced by early stage biotechs. In this episode we talk with two biotech executives about what it’s like to struggle and survive in this rough-and-tumble industry.
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Visit us at https://www.bio.org/
The biotech industry offers unique opportunities for women to advance as executives and entrepreneurs. There are headwinds, however, including unequal access to venture capital. In this episode, we talk with three executives who are part of a wave of women-led companies in biotech. Our guests speak to why women’s leadership matters and the barriers that remain to breaking the glass ceiling. They also tell us about a new networking initiative—the biotech sisterhood—to catalyze women’s success in corporate leadership and mentor the next generation of women executives.
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Visit us at https://www.bio.org/
Bees and other pollinators are critical to our survival, with one out of every three bites of food we eat depending on pollination to produce. That’s why reports of a decline in bee populations and rising threats from pests, viruses and environmental pressures, including climate change, are alarming.
In this episode we talk with an expert on bees and other pollinators about how bees are doing and why it’s important to save them. We also talk with two biotech leaders whose companies are working to improve bee health through development of innovative treatments for some of the worst threats faced by bees.
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Visit us at https://www.bio.org/
The horseshoe crab has endured for over 450 million years. It has survived several mass extinctions including the one that killed off the dinosaurs. One reason for their incredible resiliency is their ability to fend off bacterial infection. Their blood contains cells that clot around invading bacteria, thereby protecting them from the attacking toxins.
In this episode we talk with three experts about how this animal’s unique blue blood has become essential to modern medicine. We also talk about why horseshoe crab populations are dwindling, and what biotech is doing to address the shortfall.
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Visit us at https://www.bio.org/
Bradley Burnam woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and found one ear twice it’s normal size and his face swollen and discolored. He would spend the next several years in and out of the hospital fighting a relentless infection that would not respond to available treatments. The experience took him from patient to "mad scientist" to biotech company founder. In this episode, Bradley takes us through his desperate journey to find a cure. We also talk with the leader of an organization helping to get more antimicrobials to the marketplace.
Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.
Visit us at https://www.bio.org/
Click HERE to watch the documentary-style film Race Against Resistance presented by the AMR Action Fund and funding support from Pfizer Shionogi and MSD.
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Visit us at https://www.bio.org/
Innovative companies are using synthetic biology to engineer organisms and create new materials that could transform every sector of our economy, from health care to food and energy production. Those companies say we’ve entered a synbio revolution, and it holds potential to improve the health of people and our planet. In this episode, we talk with three synbio experts about how this convergence of genetic engineering, computer science and other scientific disciplines is making our world more sustainable.
Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.
Visit us at https://www.bio.org/
For biotech companies, the valley of death describes the difficult path from initial discovery to FDA approval and commercialization. It's a treacherous journey—one that even promising innovations often don't complete. Adequate funding, regulatory hurdles and the immense complexity of the biotech landscape are among the never-ending challenges faced by early stage biotechs. In this episode we talk with two biotech executives about what it’s like to struggle and survive in this rough-and-tumble industry.
Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.
Visit us at https://www.bio.org/
The biotech industry offers unique opportunities for women to advance as executives and entrepreneurs. There are headwinds, however, including unequal access to venture capital. In this episode, we talk with three executives who are part of a wave of women-led companies in biotech. Our guests speak to why women’s leadership matters and the barriers that remain to breaking the glass ceiling. They also tell us about a new networking initiative—the biotech sisterhood—to catalyze women’s success in corporate leadership and mentor the next generation of women executives.
For more resources, visit Women In BIO, Lean In, and The Economist’s glass-ceiling index.
Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.
Visit us at https://www.bio.org/
Bees and other pollinators are critical to our survival, with one out of every three bites of food we eat depending on pollination to produce. That’s why reports of a decline in bee populations and rising threats from pests, viruses and environmental pressures, including climate change, are alarming.
In this episode we talk with an expert on bees and other pollinators about how bees are doing and why it’s important to save them. We also talk with two biotech leaders whose companies are working to improve bee health through development of innovative treatments for some of the worst threats faced by bees.
Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.
Visit us at https://www.bio.org/
The horseshoe crab has endured for over 450 million years. It has survived several mass extinctions including the one that killed off the dinosaurs. One reason for their incredible resiliency is their ability to fend off bacterial infection. Their blood contains cells that clot around invading bacteria, thereby protecting them from the attacking toxins.
In this episode we talk with three experts about how this animal’s unique blue blood has become essential to modern medicine. We also talk about why horseshoe crab populations are dwindling, and what biotech is doing to address the shortfall.
Wading through the torrent of information available online is challenging for everyone. It can be hard to know what and whom to believe. We talk with the FDA Commissioner and other leaders on the frontlines of health and science about how to be more aware of false and misleading information, and its risks to our wellbeing and future innovation. And we discuss ways to stand up for science and stop the spread of misinformation.
The International Space Station has been orbiting in lower earth since 1998 and has been continually inhabited since November 2000. The ISS was originally conceived as a staging base for future missions into deep space. As it turns out, lower earth orbit is an ideal setting for scientific research, from physics and meteorology to astronomy and the life sciences. In this episode we talk with three scientists whose projects are using lower earth orbit to deepen our knowledge of biotechnology and its benefits for mankind.
CRISPR has emerged as a powerful tool for altering DNA sequences with incredible precision, opening up new avenues of research into the treatment of disease. In this episode, we explore the science behind CRISPR, as well as its potential. From curing genetic disorders to creating new crop varieties, the possibilities seem endless. Our four guests today are scientists working to push these gene editing tools to the next frontier.
When people were dying from AIDS in the 1980s and 90s, Congress found a way to expedite the drug approval process and saved countless lives. Established in 1992, the Accelerated Approval Program allows the FDA to speed approval of drugs for patients with serious and life-threatening conditions. In this episode we talk with the father of children with a rare disease, a company CEO working to treat rare diseases and two policy experts on Accelerated Approval.
The convergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and biotechnology has emerged as one of the most exciting and transformative areas of science. Researchers are developing new tools and technology that could bring about breakthroughs to revolutionize the fields of medicine and health care. In this episode, we talk with scientists who are using AI to unlock new possibilities in the search for novel drugs, cures, and treatments.
Imagine living with excruciating pain that prevents you from walking or doing the things most of us take for granted. We all experience pain, and 50 million people cope with chronic, debilitating pain. The market for pain therapies is estimated at $74 billion. And yet, investment in new pain and addiction treatments is falling short of what is needed, according to a new BIO report, which shows a 44% decrease in clinical drug programs for pain over the past five years. Our guests on this episode talk about the challenges of living with and treating pain, as well as research and development on new, non-addictive and safer pain therapies.
During the last several decades Boston has become a biotech Mecca, with its Kendall Square attracting more than 120 biotech companies, both large and small. It is called the most innovative square mile on the planet. This June BIO will bring over 15,000 biotech leaders to Boston for its 2023 BIO International Convention. Speakers including award-winning journalist and health advocate, Katie Couric, will talk about how they will “Stand up for Science”—the Convention’s theme. MassBIO CEO, Kendalle Burlin O’Connell joins host, Rachel King in a wide-ranging discussion about how Boston became the largest biotech hub in the world.
Wading through the torrent of information available online is challenging for everyone. It can be hard to know what and whom to believe. We talk with the FDA Commissioner and other leaders on the frontlines of health and science about how to be more aware of false and misleading information, and its risks to our wellbeing and future innovation. And we discuss ways to stand up for science and stop the spread of misinformation.
The International Space Station has been orbiting in lower earth since 1998 and has been continually inhabited since November 2000. The ISS was originally conceived as a staging base for future missions into deep space. As it turns out, lower earth orbit is an ideal setting for scientific research, from physics and meteorology to astronomy and the life sciences. In this episode we talk with three scientists whose projects are using lower earth orbit to deepen our knowledge of biotechnology and its benefits for mankind.
CRISPR has emerged as a powerful tool for altering DNA sequences with incredible precision, opening up new avenues of research into the treatment of disease. In this episode, we explore the science behind CRISPR, as well as its potential. From curing genetic disorders to creating new crop varieties, the possibilities seem endless. Our four guests today are scientists working to push these gene editing tools to the next frontier.
When people were dying from AIDS in the 1980s and 90s, Congress found a way to expedite the drug approval process and saved countless lives. Established in 1992, the Accelerated Approval Program allows the FDA to speed approval of drugs for patients with serious and life-threatening conditions. In this episode we talk with the father of children with a rare disease, a company CEO working to treat rare diseases and two policy experts on Accelerated Approval.
The convergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and biotechnology has emerged as one of the most exciting and transformative areas of science. Researchers are developing new tools and technology that could bring about breakthroughs to revolutionize the fields of medicine and health care. In this episode, we talk with scientists who are using AI to unlock new possibilities in the search for novel drugs, cures, and treatments.
Imagine living with excruciating pain that prevents you from walking or doing the things most of us take for granted. We all experience pain, and 50 million people cope with chronic, debilitating pain. The market for pain therapies is estimated at $74 billion. And yet, investment in new pain and addiction treatments is falling short of what is needed, according to a new BIO report, which shows a 44% decrease in clinical drug programs for pain over the past five years. Our guests on this episode talk about the challenges of living with and treating pain, as well as research and development on new, non-addictive and safer pain therapies.
Not that long ago psychedelics were considered dangerous, and only enjoyed recreationally by a fringe element of society. Today, researchers are looking at drugs like psilocybin to develop treatments for depression, PTSD, addiction, and anxiety. This episode features guests steeped in the world of psychedelics who are finding new ways to treat mental health.
Guests:
Dr. Frank Wiegand, Chief Medical Officer, Beckley Psytech
Kurt Rasmussen, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Delix Therapeutics
Clara Burtenshaw, Co-founder and Partner, Neo Kuma Ventures
Last December, a United Airlines’ flight from Chicago to Washington DC was the first ever passenger flight powered with 100% sustainable aviation fuel. The achievement demonstrated the potential for the aviation sector to reduce its carbon footprint. Our guests in this episode each played a key role in in helping the airline reach this exciting milestone.
We are on the precipice of a looming crisis. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the evolution of deadly pathogens like bacteria and fungi to resist all current antimicrobial medicines. In this episode, we talk about how the dwindling supply of new antibiotics is fueling this silent pandemic, and why we need a continued pipeline of new antibiotics to avoid this crisis.
Guests:
Ankit Mahadevia, Spero Therapeutics
Henry Skinner, AMR Action Fund
Mary Dwight, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
I am BIO will begin a new season of exciting topics on Feb 28. During our hiatus, we are bringing back some of our most popular episodes beginning with “Hope for Alzheimer's.”
Alzheimer’s disease is a heartbreaking diagnosis and tragically there is no cure. But every day, researchers, scientists and the medical community are working to change that. In this episode, we speak with three guests who are fighting to bend the trajectory of Alzheimer’s disease and, in doing so, offering hope for the millions suffering from this devastating illness.
Talking about women’s health has been a taboo subject for some time, contributing to a lack of innovation in the sector. Still today, many are uncomfortable discussing the topic. Consequently, only 2% of medical products in the pipeline are for women’s health and only 2% of all venture capital dollars go into developing these products. In this episode, we talk with two women in biotech who are trying to change that narrative and infuse more investment in innovations that meet the needs of half the population.
Sabrina Martucci Johnson, CEO
Daré Bioscience
Elizabeth Baily, Managing Director
RH Capital
Plastic is polluting our waterways and oceans, but biotechnology may deliver solutions. Plant-based bioplastics that can break down in months are one solution. Another is mighty microbes bioengineered to speed up consumption of plastic. This episode spotlights scientists, companies and even a filmmaker and artist who are working in different ways to tackle the growing problem of plastic waste.
Guests:
Scott Tuten, Chief Marketing and Sustainability Officer, Danimer Scientific
Andrew Held, Vice President of Engineering & Business, Virent
Dr. Tae Seok Moon, Associate Professor of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Founder and head of the Scientific Advisory Board, Moonshot Bio
Ben Lear, Independent Film Producer/Director
Not that long ago psychedelics were considered dangerous, and only enjoyed recreationally by a fringe element of society. Today, researchers are looking at drugs like psilocybin to develop treatments for depression, PTSD, addiction, and anxiety. This episode features guests steeped in the world of psychedelics who are finding new ways to treat mental health.
Guests:
Dr. Frank Wiegand, Chief Medical Officer, Beckley Psytech
Kurt Rasmussen, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Delix Therapeutics
Clara Burtenshaw, Co-founder and Partner, Neo Kuma Ventures
Patient Advocates do more than raise money—they are active participants in the drug development process. While the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge garnered global attention, lesser-known patient advocates also flex their expertise to drive new treatments and cures. In this episode, we talk with two moms, one who is a patient herself, about their work as partners in research and development, helping bring treatments for two rare diseases to the market.
Susan Ruediger, Founder and Chief Mission Officer, CMT Research Foundation
Nasha Fitter, CEO, FOXG1 Research Foundation
Monkeypox hit our shores in May of this year. How did our public health agencies and infrastructure perform? What went right, what went wrong, and what needs to improve? We talked with three experts in public health and biodefense about the threats on their radar screens and how the U.S. can better prepare for the next inevitable outbreak or pandemic.
Guests:
Dr. Asha George, Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense
Dr. Lynn Goldman, Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University
Dr. John Redd, Medical Countermeasures Coalition
You might be surprised to learn that data storage currently requires huge amounts of land and energy, and we're running out of both. In this episode, we speak with a small group of researchers who are working to revolutionize the way we store the massive amounts of data we produce every day. Their solution: use DNA.
Speakers:
- Emily Leproust, Twist Bioscience
- Jeff Nivala, University of Washington
- Kyle Tomek, DNAli Technologies
Current market trends have put investors in a “flight-to-safety” mentality, especially when it comes to biotech companies. What does this mean for getting biotech innovations to the marketplace? This episode explores the daunting challenge of raising capital in a bear market.
Speakers:
- Bill Newell, Sutro Biopharma
- Dr. Lisa Drakeman, Biotech Entrepreneur
- Sougato Das, PRISM.science
A convoluted, confusing, and opaque system for pricing drugs has evolved that distorts the market and often limits patient access to the drugs they need to survive. In this episode, three experts explain how the system works—or doesn’t’—and the consequences of a dysfunctional pricing system.
Guests:
- Dan Durham, Senior Health Policy Advisor, Biotechnology Innovation Organization
- Anna Hyde, Vice President, Advocacy and Access, Arthritis Foundation
- Dr. Vinay Rathi, Resident Physician, Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Mass General Brigham
Alzheimer’s disease is a heartbreaking diagnosis and tragically there is no cure. But every day, researchers, scientists and the medical community are working to change that. In this episode, we speak with three guests who are fighting to bend the trajectory of Alzheimer’s disease and, in doing so, offering hope for the millions suffering from this devastating illness.
Last December, a United Airlines’ flight from Chicago to Washington DC was the first ever passenger flight powered with 100% sustainable aviation fuel. The achievement demonstrated the potential for the aviation sector to reduce its carbon footprint. Our guests in this episode each played a key role in in helping the airline reach this exciting milestone.
2021 was the unofficial year of mRNA—and deservedly so. But the science behind the technology is not always easy to understand. In this episode, we will dive into the miracle technology that saved countless lives and talk about what it holds for the future. We also speak to a biotech company about its non-mRNA vaccine technology for COVID and why the healthcare ecosystem will always need multiple options.
More than two-thirds of the Earth’s surface is water, and yet water that is safe enough for human consumption remains a finite resource. In this episode we speak to experts about the biggest threats to water—contamination, overuse, and plastic. We also learn how innovative new tools can ensure there is enough water to hydrate us, our plants, and our animals.
Guests
- Ameen Razavi, Microvi Biotech
- Joel Cuello, The University of Arizona
- Scott Tuten, Danimer Scientific
We are on the precipice of a looming crisis. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the evolution of deadly pathogens like bacteria and fungi to resist all current antimicrobial medicines. In this episode, we talk about how the dwindling supply of new antibiotics is fueling this silent pandemic, and why we need a continued pipeline of new antibiotics to avoid this crisis.
Guests:
Ankit Mahadevia, Spero Therapeutics
Henry Skinner, AMR Action Fund
Mary Dwight, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Not only do we need STEM students, but we also need them from every corner of the population, because innovation thrives through diverse perspectives; through the people who bring both their talents and backgrounds to the work. In this episode, we dig into the importance of kids learning about STEM early in their educations, the impact of the pandemic on students and teachers, and what the future of STEM education looks like.
Guests:
Barak Balva, Sanofi
Kimberly Bryant, Black Girls Code
Jen Colvin, Learning Undefeated
Jo Webber, STEMconnector
Today we have two powerful stories. Each one is as different as the disease that it’s about. Yet there is a common thread: patients want and need to be heard. You will hear from a mom who will do whatever it takes to save her son’s life. And you will learn about a young woman who is fighting for herself and her underserved patient community.
Guests:
Amber Freed, SLC6A1 Connect
Melodie Blackwell, COCCI
Every three minutes in the United States, an allergic reaction to foods sends someone to the emergency room. Today, we explore what life is like when you must avoid certain foods. But we also learn that there is hope for an escape from the food prison. Researchers like Clemson University's Sachin Rustgi are using cutting-edge genetic engineering tools to make foods safer for those living with allergies and food sensitivities.
Guests:
Sachin Rustgi, Clemson University
Lisa Gable, FARE
Emily Brown, Food Equality Initiative
They are not the household names, but the medications they are researching and developing could be the lifeline patients are waiting for. Today we explore how drug price controls—now making their way through Congress—could have unintended consequences for the small biotechs that are the engine of the drug development ecosystem. And even worse, for the patients who need them most.
Guests:
Ahmed Mousa, Pieris Pharmaceuticals
Daphne Zohar, PureTech Health
Peter Kolchinsky, RA Capital
Michele Oshman, BIO
Clare Thorpe, Library Services (AU)
For more than a year now, COVID has been society’s focus—and rightly so. But today we turn our attention to another virus—HIV. After 40 years, there is still no cure or a vaccine for the disease. In this episode, we hear from Dr. Anthony Fauci and CEO of innovative company American Gene Technologies, Jeff Galvin, about the past, present, and future of HIV treatments and medications. Is there a cure on the horizon?
Guests:
Jeffrey Galvin, American Gene Technologies
Anthony Fauci, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
We are on summer break as we work to bring you another exciting season this fall. So, for the next few weeks we’re sharing some of our favorite sessions from the June 2021 BIO Digital. Today, check out our session Breaking Barriers in Trade: A Conversation with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, World Trade Organization.
Speaker:
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, World Trade Organization
We are on summer break as we work to bring you another exciting season this fall. So, for the next few weeks we’re sharing some of our favorite sessions from the June 2021 BIO Digital. Today, check out our session Breaking Barriers in Science featuring Dr. Jennifer Doudna, Nobel Laureate and CRISPR Pioneer. This session is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson.
Speakers:
Seema Kumar, Vice President of Innovation, Global Health and Policy Communication
Dr. Jennifer Doudna, Nobel Laureate and CRISPR Pioneer
We are on summer break as we work to bring you another exciting season this fall. So, for the next few weeks we’re sharing some of our favorite sessions from the June 2021 BIO Digital. Today, check out our session Growing LGBTQ Leadership in Biotech.
Speakers:
Paul Hastings, BIO Chair and CEO at Nkarta Therapeutics
Matthew Fust, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc.
Todd Sears, Out Leadership
Denice Torres, The Ignited Company
We are on summer break as we work to bring you another exciting season this fall. So, for the next few weeks we’re sharing some of our favorite sessions from the June 2021 BIO Digital. Today, check out our session Fighting the Climate Crisis Through Supply Chain Sustainability.
Speakers:
Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath
Lord David Prior, National Health Service England
Rohin Mahtre, Biogen
Victor Dzau, MD, National Academy of Medicine
The banana is an interesting case study. It is the world’s most popular fruit, yet it could very soon go missing from our store shelves due to a disease we’ve seen once before—leaving a large nutritional and economic hole in our society. The banana helps tell the story of how biotech is a key tool in strengthening our food systems to make our favorite foods more resilient, more sustainable, and more accessible.
Featuring interviews with:
Anna Rath, President & CEO and Director of Vestaron
Dan Koeppel, author of Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World
Betsy Booren, SVP of Regulatory and Technical Affairs at the Consumer Brands Association
Tom Vilsack, Secretary of United States Department of Agriculture
Science—particularly biotechnology—helped change the course of COVID with the development of effective vaccines and therapeutics. However, it is also true that COVID has changed biotechnology. This I AM BIO podcast will look at the way biotech addressed the crisis and explores how the crisis, in turn, changed the biotech industry—its reputation, its exposure to a broader audience and its willingness to adopt lessons learned from the pandemic. This episode is sponsored by FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies.
Dr. William Karesh, EcoHealth Alliance
Dr. Cartier Esham, BIO
Aaron Sato, TWIST Biosciences
Dr. Ron Faucheux, Certus Insights
This is the I am BIO Uncut Series where we bring you a full interview from Monday’s podcast complete and unfiltered. In this episode, we’re joined by Richard Hatchett, CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations or CEPI, a global vaccine procurement initiative. Check out Monday's episode here: https://iambio.simplecast.com/episodes/we-can-and-must-share-vaccines-with-the-globe
Learn more about CEPI
As the good news about the decline of COVID infections in the US continues to reverberate, the threat of the pandemic still looms globally. “Nobody is safe until everybody is safe.” Sharing life-saving vaccines around the world as quickly as possible defies a simple solution. This episode explores the recommendations and best solutions to address global distribution challenges and questions a simplistic proposal offered by some countries to the World Health Organization: waiving Intellectual Property rights for the vaccines. Will the waiver of these protections threaten to undermine the very system that produced life-saving science in the first place?
This is the I Am BIO Uncut Series, where we bring you a full interview from Monday's episode complete and unfiltered. In this Uncut episode, we share the conversation we had with Gerren Wilson, Head of Inclusion & Partnering in the Chief Diversity Office at Genentech, the pharmaceutical biotech company. Check out the full episode here: https://iambio.simplecast.com/episodes/solving-an-unfashionable-problem
The COVID crisis has laid bare the inequities faced by certain populations in our health care system. It has become increasingly clear that the drug development process for a whole host of diseases often leaves these same populations behind through their absence or underrepresentation in clinical trials. This episode evaluates the problem and looks for ways to improve the process so that medicines and vaccines work for everyone who takes them. Hosted by Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath with interviews from Gerren Wilson, Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick, and RADM Richardae Araojo, Pharm.D., MS
This is the I am BIO uncut series, where we bring you a full interview from Monday's episode complete and unfiltered. In this uncut episode, we share the conversation we had with Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech, the company using carbon recycling to turn it into ethanol and other important tools and materials. Check out the full episode here: https://iambio.simplecast.com/episodes/solving-an-unfashionable-problem
The fashion industry is notoriously wasteful. As the climate crisis becomes more of everyone’s problem, scientists and designers are combining efforts to make fashion more sustainable. From using greenhouse gasses to create new materials to developing totally biodegradable clothing and accessories, big fashion houses are trying to produce sustainable materials and make fashion look good and feel great.
This episode features conversations with:
Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech
Alejandra Espinosa, head of content at Luxiders Magazine
Bridgett Artise, sustainable fashion designer and professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology
Doris de Guzman, biotech journalist
Emilie Burfeind, creator of Sneature and teacher at the University of Art and Design at Offenbach at the Institute for Material Design
This is the I Am BIO uncut series, where we bring you a full interview from Monday's episode complete and unfiltered. In this uncut episode, we share the conversation we had with Dr. Reed Tuckson, founder of the Black Coalition Against COVID-19. Check out the full episode Voices of Vaccine Hesitancy here: https://iambio.simplecast.com/episodes/voices-of-vaccine-hesitancy
Dr. Reed Tuckson is the founder of the Black Coalition Against COVID-19. Learn more here: https://blackcoalitionagainstcovid.org/
Learn more about the vaccines: https://www.covidvaccinefacts.org/
The I AM BIO podcast has gone on a brief hiatus while we reimagine the format, dream up interesting topics, and dive deep with riveting guests. Listen for a sneak preview into the new season.
Trailing in the polls this fall, President Trump dusted off the 2016 campaign playbook and went after the drug companies again. But channeling anger at the companies the whole world is depending on to end the pandemic was always dicey politics. Post-election, the Trump administration hastily issued a final rule setting Medicare Part B reimbursement rates at the lowest levels charged by counties in the developed world, which ration medicines and leave the sick untreated. BIO took the administration to court, and we won when a federal court issued an injunction blocking the rule.
The diversity of our adaptive immune system is why people are reacting so differently to the novel coronavirus. No two people present the virus the exact same way to their immune systems. We’ve evolved in this way as humans to ensure no virus can eradicate our species.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
Millions of travelers ignored public health warnings and packed into airports over the holidays to see their loved ones. As a result, U.S. hospitals are bracing for the deadliest COVID surge yet this month. Meanwhile, Sherlock Biosciences, which has already made history once with CRISPR, seeks to do so again with an inexpensive, accurate home test that could be a global game-changer.
One day before 16-year-old Izzy Thorpe-Wall takes her first dose of Vertex’s stunning Cystic Fibrosis breakthrough, Thorpe and her mother, Clare, open up about their emotional journey and one brave girl’s determination to stay healthy long enough to meet this day of her dreams.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
Historic distrust of government institutions, a growing partisan disdain for peer-reviewed science, Russian bots, physical threats against public health officials, and an open spigot of online misinformation and disinformation raise the troubling specter that tens of millions of Americans will forgo COVID vaccination and forestall herd immunity in the United States. Learn how believers in science are uniting to fight back.
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, which take its name from the center and brightest star in Orion’s Belt, is working on an RNAi therapy to destroy the genome of the novel coronavirus — and with it, its ability to replicate and kill.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
Dr. Nancy Messonnier leads the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s work to safely vaccinate the country. Whether the question is who to vaccine first, how to restore trust, or how to administer two doses of a vaccine stored at -70 degrees to a nation of 328 million people, she’s got the answers.
Covid threatens those whose immune systems can’t make enough neutralizing antibodies to fight off the viral invaders. But what if scientists could make super-potent antibodies in the lab and infuse them into newly infected patients? That’s exactly what the first FDA-authorized coronavirus antibody treatment has achieved. Its maker, Eli Lilly, has generated clinical evidence that their therapy can significantly reduce COVID hospitalization rates when taken early.
As the vaccine race enters the homestretch, Pfizer and Moderna both announced that their mRNA vaccines was 95 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 during Phase 3 clinical trials. Emergency use authorization could be just weeks away. The National Academy of Sciences released an influential report about who gets vaccinated first while companies scale up vaccine production. The Academy makes a compelling case that prioritizing those with risky healthy conditions and risky, essential jobs is the surest way to mitigate death, serious disease, rising case counts and growing socioeconomic crises in vulnerable communities across the country.
While Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has kindled a global dialogue about the ravages of climate change and the role of airline emissions, a Colorado biotech is putting forward a jaw-dropping alternative to flight shaming: actual jet fuel with no carbon footprint.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
Joe Biden’s election as 46th President of the United States is a chance to soothe our bitter body politic so we can unite to defeat an enemy that infects and kills without regard to partisan affiliation.
The 2020 election will be held both during and about a global pandemic. Democratic strategist Steve Elmendorf and Republican Rai Downs preview the stakes for the biotech industry and what the outcome will mean for America’s COVID response.
The first clinical study dedicated to preventing Alzheimer’s disease is now in its late stages. The participants are 300 members of the same Colombian family with a rare gene mutation that gives them a 100 percent chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Armed with this new data, could neuroscientists be closing in on an elusive breakthrough to defeat neurodegeneration?
As the pandemic lays bare the links between human and environmental health, neuroscience leader Biogen lays out the most aggressive fossil fuel elimination plan of any Fortune 500 company while doubling down on efforts to lead on clinical trial diversity and racial equity.
Biotechnology investors, armed with troves of data and “misfit” minds, have become key-decision makers in everything from when to open up the states to which medicines can turn the tide in this pandemic the quickest. As the BIO Investor Forum kicks off virtually today, a biomedical renaissance has Wall Street bullish on biotech’s future.
Overcrowded hospitals during the pandemic can pose treatment challenges for patients with other serious illnesses. As Kite Pharma CEO Christi Shaw says, “Cancer doesn’t stop in a crisis.” Neither do her company’s employees, who go to extraordinary lengths to get personalized CAR-T treatments to patients around the world.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
The I AM BIO podcast with host Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath explores the search for biotechnology breakthroughs and our progress in ending the pandemic, helping patients and carrying the mantle for science and sustainability.
The ability to produce COVID vaccines in record time only scratches the surface of what synthetic biology can do. Gingko Bioworks out of Boston is now 3-D printing millions of letters of DNA code and then using CRISPR to insert them into living cells, transforming what’s scientifically possible.
Two potentially deadly respiratory viruses — the coronavirus and the influenza virus — will test our health care system and American common sense this fall. As millions return to school, campus and work this fall, the 2020 flu season is shaping up to be something of a pandemic pressure test for our nation. Vaccinations, social distancing and mask-wearing will be the key to containing both flu and COVID and saving countless lives.
Guest hosted by Phyllis Arthur.
Need a dose of inspiration in a time of national tragedy? A remarkable biotech breakthrough from Global Blood Therapeutics offers fresh hope to patients living with sickle-cell disease.
For years, leaders on the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense told Congress and the White House that it wasn’t a matter of if, but when, a pandemic would happen. Exploring the panel’s unheeded recommendations can give the United States a blueprint for what to do going forward to protect us from the coronavirus and future threats.
The pandemic has unleashed overwhelming levels of fear, isolation, anxiety and loss in our society. A CDC mental health survey this summer found that 1 in 10 people had “seriously considered” suicide within the last month. As America comes to grips with the severity of our ongoing mental health crisis, telepsychiatry has emerged as a virtual lifeline to help patients access treatment from home.
The engine powering Maryland vaccine maker Novavax is a recombinant nanoparticle platform that is impressing vaccinologists as well as government and nonprofit funders. Learn about the innovative biotech generating big buzz in the global covid vaccine race.
Patients with autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis have been forced to ration or skip doses of hydroxychloroquine during the pandemic due to shortages caused by off-label prescribing. Yet despite multiple FDA clinical studies that concluded the drug offers no clinical benefit against covid and may increase dangerous side effects; President Trump continues to use the bully pulpit to suggest otherwise. It's not like autoimmune patients — at greater risk of serious COVID disease, stress-induced flare-ups and vaccine complications — didn’t have enough to worry about already.
As Moderna breaks the record for speed in starting the final stage of human testing for its covid vaccine, new BIO CEO Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath tackles the thorny issue of how to best structure the historic Phase 3 clinical trial. The Boston biotech’s Chief Medical Officer reveals the strategy to test vaccine efficacy on communities of color and others hardest hit by the coronavirus.
Hosted by Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath
As biotech researchers work around the clock on a covid vaccine, ill-informed, anti-science anti-vaxxers must be denounced and excoriated in the public square. BIO’s head of infectious disease policy Phyllis Arthur administers a vital dose of vaccine education, because none of us is safe until we all are.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
Viral pandemics can lead to secondary bacterial infections that kill millions, Dr. Anthony Fauci concluded after studying the 1918 Spanish flu. A century later, COVID and antibiotic resistance are proving to be a lethal combination. What are the biopharma industry and Congress doing to keep your loved ones safe from superbugs?
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
Long before COVID’s arrival, antibiotic-resistance was a quiet global pandemic. Now that secondary bacterial infections are killing so many vulnerable patients in the COVID era, the pressure is growing for policy makers to finally address the antibiotics market failure. A cardiologist-turned-biotech entrepreneur explains why the superbugs always win.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
Fear and misinformation about how the coronavirus is transmitted has led to dangerous backsliding in society’s efforts to address plastic pollution. But we don’t have to lose this battle to win the COVID war. A Georgia biotech is first to market with a green biopolymer material that looks and feels like plastic but dissolves in ocean water.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
Biotech companies are working feverishly to develop antibody therapies to provide short-term protection against COVID-19. But what if the novel coronavirus mutates and outwits traditional monoclonal antibodies? Well, that’s where the super cows come in.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
The physician-wife of Roivant Sciences CEO Vivek Ramaswamy rushed back to the front lines at the pandemic’s peak — less than a month after giving birth to the couple’s first son. Meanwhile, dad cared for their newborn while testing a promising therapeutic that seeks to overcome deadly cytokine storms caused by the novel coronavirus.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
By studying our earliest evolutionary ancestors in the ocean, marine biotech researchers are gaining fresh insights about everything from anti-virals to coronavirus nasal swab testing to the inner workings of our adaptive immune systems. Learn what sea sponges, lugworms and sharks can teach us about improving human health during this crisis.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
How can global nonprofits like the Center for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) deliver a safe and effective vaccine against the novel coronavirus in just 12 to 18 months when the world record for vaccine approval is four years? CEPI CEO Richard Hatchett, a 9/11 hero, says it’s all about smart planning. By the time governments give the green light on the safety and efficacy of a covid vaccine, manufacturer capacity will be pre-scaled up and able to quickly churn out doses by the tens or hundreds of millions.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
The people of Iceland — a country of 360,000 — eagerly volunteered for genetic research on how the coronavirus affects a homogeneous population. Amgen’s work in the Land of Fire and here at home could deliver answers and antibodies to help mitigate the pandemic threat.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
Modernity is plowing new frontiers, bringing us closer to exotic wildlife rich in viruses that our immune systems have not evolved to fight. Preventing future pandemics will require global cooperation, local action and a comprehensive strategy to monitor infectious disease hotspots to reduce the risk of zoonotic disease.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
The diversity of our adaptive immune system is why people are reacting so differently to the novel coronavirus. No two people present the virus the exact same way to their immune systems. We’ve evolved in this way as humans to ensure no virus can eradicate our species.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
Overcrowded hospitals during the pandemic can pose treatment challenges for patients with other serious illnesses. As Kite Pharma CEO Christi Shaw says, “Cancer doesn’t stop in a crisis.” Neither do her company’s employees, who go to extraordinary lengths to get personalized CAR-T treatments to patients around the world.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
As the world waits for biotechnology to deliver COVID-19 treatments and a vaccine, Ambassador Deborah Birx tells BIO’s scientists: “Expectations are high because you’ve delivered for us before and I know that you can deliver for us again.” BIO chairman Jeremy Levin, a biotech pioneer, explains how the industry will rise to meet this moment.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
Biotech companies are working feverishly to develop antibody therapies to provide short-term protection against COVID-19. But what if the novel coronavirus mutates and outwits traditional monoclonal antibodies? Well, that’s where the super cows come in.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
There's a joke among ecological health scientists that if “you don’t believe one person can change the world, try eating an undercooked bat.” However, what EcoHealth Alliance’s Dr. William Karesh — a world-renowned expert on zoonotic disease transmission — reveals about the trend line for animal-to-human viral transmission is no laughing matter.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, which take its name from the center and brightest star in Orion’s Belt, is working on an RNAi therapy to destroy the genome of the novel coronavirus — and with it, its ability to replicate and kill.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
As biotech researchers work around the clock on a covid vaccine, ill-informed, anti-science anti-vaxxers must be denounced and excoriated in the public square. BIO’s head of infectious disease policy Phyllis Arthur administers a vital dose of vaccine education, because none of us is safe until we all are.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
There's a joke among ecological health scientists that if “you don’t believe one person can change the world, try eating an undercooked bat.” However, what EcoHealth Alliance’s Dr. William Karesh — a world-renowned expert on zoonotic disease transmission — reveals about the trend line for animal-to-human viral transmission is no laughing matter.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
For years, leaders on the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense told Congress and the White House that it wasn’t a matter of if, but when, a pandemic would happen. Exploring the panel’s unheeded recommendations can give the United States a blueprint for what to do going forward to protect us from the coronavirus and future threats.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
Vir Biotechnology CEO George Scangos is the scientist selected by his peers to lead the biotechnology industry’s efforts to mitigate and ultimately end the pandemic. He explains how and why the novel coronavirus is so contagious and potentially dangerous to millions.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
As the world waits for biotechnology to deliver COVID-19 treatments and a vaccine, Ambassador Deborah Birx tells BIO’s scientists: “Expectations are high because you’ve delivered for us before and I know that you can deliver for us again.” BIO chairman Jeremy Levin, a biotech pioneer, explains how the industry will rise to meet this moment.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
Only antibody testing can tell us who has been infected and recovered from coronavirus and when it might be safe to return to work. There’s a massive global shortage of these tests, and a Maryland biotech is racing to bolster the U.S. supply.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
Need a dose of inspiration in a time of national tragedy? A remarkable biotech breakthrough from Global Blood Therapeutics offers fresh hope to patients living with sickle-cell disease.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
Futuristic biotech Moderna is the first to clinically test a coronavirus vaccine, created in weeks using only the virus’ genetic code. The company’s messenger RNA breakthrough may be just in time as a former CDC director warns that animal viruses spilling over to humans is the new normal.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
Regeneron’s rheumatoid arthritis drug shows promise to treat coronavirus-related lung syndrome and stop the inflammation that leads to death. The company also expects to test a preventative antibody shot in June.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
As genetic sequencing gives scientists new tools to hone in on medical mysteries, Washington politicians flirt dangerously with policies that would stymie the genomic revolution while giving patients scant pricing relief at the pharmacy counter.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
While Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has kindled a global dialogue about the ravages of climate change and the role of airline emissions, a Colorado biotech is putting forward a jaw-dropping alternative to flight shaming: actual jet fuel with no carbon footprint.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
Incurable gonorrhea and the deadly hospital superbug C. diff offer a frightening window into the gathering public health menace of antibiotic resistance. If society doesn’t wake up and tackle the problem, we could be headed toward a calamity on the magnitude of climate change.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.
One day before 16-year-old Izzy Thorpe-Wall takes her first dose of Vertex’s stunning Cystic Fibrosis breakthrough, Thorpe and her mother, Clare, open up about their emotional journey and one brave girl’s determination to stay healthy long enough to meet this day of her dreams.
Hosted by Jim Greenwood.