Talking Biotech with Dr. Kevin Folta

The COVID pandemic accelerated development of a new class of vaccines. This class, called mRNA vaccines, allows ease in manufacture, rapid response to disease or disease variants, and many other benefits.  But just like any technology, an industry has arisen to stand in its way, promoting false information that painfully mischaracterizes what these new veterinary tools truly are. A cadre of internet personalities now capitalizes off of the manufactured fear that can help farmers, consumers and the environment-- as well as fortify animal welfare.  University of California scientists Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam and Dr. Terry Lehenbauer discuss what the mRNA vaccines are, and how efforts to oppose them defy science, especially when codified into law by clueless politicians. 

In a rapidly changing technology environment, how do established businesses tackle smart growth and continue transformative change?  In this special edition of Talking Biotech Podcast we examine the business climate of Regeneron, and how growth in the era of genomics and massive data sets from human health changed the process of drug discovery, but also changed how the company would respond to new opportunities and challenges. Dr. Jeffery Reid, Chief Data Officer, explains where the company was, and how it has changed with the rocketing pace of data acquisition and integration. 

In this episode Dr. Kevin Folta shares a spontaneous conversation with Dr. Liza Dunn. Dr. Dunn is an emergency medicine physician with a specialty in medical toxicology, now working as the Medical Affair Lead at Bayer CropScience.  The discussion covers the current scientific environment in social media, and emphasizes the need for scientists to be engaging. Topics from communication about vaccines to genetic engineering are covered. Follow Dr. Dunn at @DrLizaMD

The potato is a world food staple, yet it is constantly threated by fungal and viral pathogens in all of its growing regions. Farmers combat these problems with chemistry, which cuts farmers profits and has potential consequences for applicators and the environment. Dr. David Douches from Michigan State University discusses the USAID project that installed a cassette of disease resistance genes from wild potato species in the cultivated potato. The result is a potato that can survive better in the Developing World, helping to ensure food security. 

Whereas we used to be challenged with finding information, today we are flooded with information, and our job has switched to vetting it's merits. Three students from the University of Florida spoke to me about their efforts in a national competition to study the origins of false information and communicate how to identify good information to the public. Tammy, Heather and Courtney were amazing guests that discussed their mission, along with a suite of online resources to help guide the public to quality information. 

Mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression are being diagnosed with increasing frequency. At the same time, treatment is frequently dependent on legacy drugs that oftentimes to do not work well, have drug interactions, or can lead to addiction or dependence. New therapies are also available, yet they they are systemic and can also have drug interactions and unfavorable side effects. New therapies are needed, especially those with more direct delivery to the relevant regions of the brain. Shawn Singh, CEO of VistaGen, describes their new drug candidates that target depression and anxiety. The novel compounds are delivered as nasal sprays, providing direct interaction with neurological pathways in the olfactory bulb that connect directly to the regions of the brain that affect mood and anxiety. These candidate therapeutics are less likely to drive side effects due to the low levels delivered and their direct interaction with the brain.   VistaGenwww.vistagen.com www.twitter.com/VistaGen www.facebook.com/VistaGen  

Lipid nanoparticles have been around for decades, but they took a spotlight in the delivery of the COVID19 mRNA-based vaccines. This chemical cage can fuse with cell membranes and deliver a specific payload to a cell. While the delivery to specific cells is routine, are there ways to improve the system to have more specific therapeutic benefit. Dr. John Lewis of Entos discusses lipid nanoparticle chemistry and new formulations that exhibit enhanced capacity to target specific locations and deliver payloads more effectively. We also discuss the current therapies that may benefit from the new technologies. 

There are many rare diseases that originate with a single letter change in DNA, and they can cause tremendous physical and financial hardship for families affected. Viral-based gene therapies have been a promise for decades, and modern technology is now bringing these concepts to fruition. Dr. Gaurav Shah, CEO of Rocket Pharma, describes the power of the current gene therapy approaches, along with the pipeline of potential therapeutics that could represent cures for rare disease. 

This week's podcast has two parts.  Dr. Leen Kawas , Managing General Partner at Propel Biopartners, speaks about how biotech startups can benefit from skilled oversight and capital provided from experts that understand the business/science ecosystem. In the second part we discuss the latest therapies for Alzheimer's Disease, and how trials and regulation can't follow traditional trajectories. Alzheimer's has variation in etiology, patients start treatments after a diagnosis which may be years after the disease is well established, and progression is dependent on many genetic factors. All of these variables make any assessments problematic. At the same time several new antibody-based therapies show promise. 

As the amount of plant genomic DNA sequence increases, scientists have detected DNA sequence information that simply does not conveniently fit into genome assemblies, and clearly appears to be from somewhere else. Dr. Lara Pereira from the University of Sheffield explains the surprising frequency of lateral gene transfer between grass species. The mechanism of crossing the species barrier is discussed, along with the frequency of horizontal transfer. We discuss the ramifications of unregulated integration of DNA into plant genomes and the perception of transgenic plants in the EU and other locations where crop genetic engineering is not viewed favorably. The results also suggest additional care when monitoring gene escape in transgenic grasses like maize.  Follow Dr. Pereira on Twitter at @LarrLarrr