I AM BIO

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.

As the global population approaches 10 billion by 2050, the challenge of providing safe, nutritious food is growing more urgent. Climate change is further straining food systems, impacting water availability, crop yields, and livestock health. In this episode, two experts discuss innovative biotech solutions aimed at addressing these pressing issues, offering hope for a sustainable path forward in feeding the world.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.