Bioengineer Michael Fischbach studies alternative vaccine delivery methods, like self-administered creams with no needles, health professionals, or side effects. He teases a day when vaccines that don’t make you feel bad come in the mail in ketchup-style packets. Such innovations would greatly improve vaccine uptake, especially in developing countries, and speed global response to novel viruses. It would change how we think about vaccines, Fischbach tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.
Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to thefutureofeverything@stanford.edu.
Episode Reference Links:
Connect With Us:
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Introduction
Russ Altman introduces guest Michael Fischbach, a professor of bioengineering at Stanford University.
(00:04:24) Cream-Based Vaccines
The discovery that revealed the skin’s ability to spark systemic immunity.
(00:07:36) Engineering Immunity
Modifying staph epidermidis to carry antigens and test immune response.
(00:09:38) Tumor Regression
How engineered bacteria triggered tumor-killing immunity in mice.
(00:12:53) Antibody Discovery
Evidence that skin exposure can generate long-lasting antibodies.
(00:17:02) Antibody Response in Humans
Whether humans show antibody responses to their own skin bacteria.
(00:18:42) Turning Bacteria into Vaccines
Embedding harmless pathogen fragments into bacterial surface proteins.
(00:20:55) Immunity Without Shots
How mice achieved vaccine-level immunity through topical application.
(00:24:00) Reimagining Vaccine Delivery
The potential for self-applied, needle-free, and multiplexed vaccines.
(00:26:50) Mechanism Behind Skin Immunity
How skin immune cells may constantly sample microbes for defence.
(00:28:14) Next Steps in Development
The path toward testing safety, dosage, and delivery in higher models.
(00:29:57) Choosing Vaccine Targets
Viruses and diseases that could be targets for early skin-based vaccines.
(00:31:11) Safety and Reversibility
Ensuring safety with reversible bacteria and limited trial participants.
(00:33:04) Transitioning to Biotech
Transitioning research from Stanford to large-scale biotech development.
(00:34:31) Future In a Minute
Rapidfire Q&A: creative science, vaccine innovation, and biology’s future.
(00:36:56) Conclusion
Connect With Us:
Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website
Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon
Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Future of Everything