I AM BIO

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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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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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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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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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. 

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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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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.