Talking Biotech with Dr. Kevin Folta

Despite being over half of the population women's health care lags behind other areas of drug development. The problem is caused by many facets, but is augmented by the fact that many of the conditions are not life threatening or are functions of aging. Sabrina Johnson, CEO of Daré Bioscience, discusses how the disparity exists, the pipeline of drugs that seek to mitigate female-specific conditions, and how smaller, leaner businesses can have significant impacts in this space. 

The podcast discusses biotechnology innovations, collaborations with pharmaceutical data management software companies, panel discussions on business dynamics, debunking anti-GMO claims, advancements in gene therapy, and technological solutions in the citrus industry.

After 8.5 years of weekly podcasts I'm going to take a 5 week break and plan new episodes for 2024.  I'm going through a medical glitch that has me unable to do my normal work. On top of this we're going to switch to an audio plus video format to find a wider audience. So check back in 2024 for the next episode. Have a great rest of 2023, thank you for listening, and looking forward to better times. 

Todd Hauser, Founder of Trillium Ag, discusses his company's novel RNAi approach to crop protection. They use RNAi to target specific insect species, offering safety, effectiveness, and specificity. The podcast explores the use of RNAi in crop protection, challenges of stability and delivery, and Trillium's innovative approach using nanoparticles and aptomers. They highlight their progress in achieving biological activity in lepadoptera and fall armyworm.

There is tremendous variation in the plant kingdom, as plants have adapted to many ecological niches with discrete challenges. Part of adaptation is production of novel secondary metabolites, compounds not required for central metabolism that serve a role in the plant, such as defense or attraction of pollinators. The rainforest is replete with unusual plants and their resident metabolites. Indigenous peoples have identified therapeutic qualities of specific plants. How can this knowledge be transferred to aid those suffering beyond the rainforest? Lisa Conte is the CEO, President and Founder of Jaguar Health, a subsidiary of Napo Pharmaceuticals.  We discuss process of working with indigenous peoples to learn from their findings, then test and validate them in ways to identify novel mechanisms of action for use in modern medicine. 

Dr. Emma Kovak, a gene editing expert, discusses the proposed changes in gene editing regulations in the EU. She highlights the economic loss caused by the rejection of technology and the need for regulations that do not differentiate between gene editing and conventional breeding. The chapter also explores the potential risks of early breeding and the importance of safe use from traditional breeding.

Information has been weaponized, and the ability to create false information to achieve an ideological goal has never been more easy. Political polarization, science denial, and a shining, effective conduit of dissemination (the internet) allows anyone with an agenda to recruit the like minded, and produce compelling media to reinforce bankrupt ideas. Where did information warfare originate, what are its effects, and how do we fix it?  This week's podcast discusses the book, On Disinformation: How to Fight for Truth and Protect Democracy with author Dr. Lee McIntyre. The book presents a chilling description of who creates disinformation, how subscribes to it, and its long term effect on free society. Fortunately, solutions are proposed that can help curb the penetration of disinformation, particularly as it becomes more effective through artificial intelligence. 

Dr. Juliet WIlliams of Kymera discusses the use of molecular linkers to connect proteins that need to be degraded with the machinery to tag them for destruction, targeting proteins for degradation as a therapeutic approach, exploring the potential of targeted protein degradation in treating various diseases, and the exciting technology and sponsorship opportunities for the podcast.

Recombinant DNA technologies once confined to the laboratory are now available to just about anyone. Is this a good thing or an extreme risk? David Ishee is self-described biohacker, dog breeder and mad scientist, and merges these passions in cutting edge DIY projects and educational tools. We discuss the opportunities and risks in DIY molecular biology, biohacking and democratization of modern genetic plant, animal and microbial genetic tools.  

We're surrounded by microbes, many that are the basis of disease. Others have evolved resistance to our best antibiotics. Others may be weaponized for bioterrorism. Because microbial threats can evolve rapidly and grow quickly, early detection of a microbial threat is essential. Dr. Brad Perkins of Karius describes the threats of microbes, his company's novel approach to fast and easy test that can detect evidence of thousands of putative pathogens in a small blood sample, essentially overnight. We discuss the technology and its applications. The technology stands to be an important tool to ensure a lower-risk pathogen environment in medical facilities, as well as detect putative pathogens before they become major problems for a patient or broader population.