bio/acc Podcast

George Church, a pioneer of human genome sequencing and co-inventor of CRISPR, dives into the future of synthetic biology. He discusses groundbreaking innovations like multiplex gene editing and virus-proof cells. The conversation shifts to AI’s role in drug discovery and the lessons learned from 23andMe’s challenges. Church also reflects on strategies for improving human longevity and the rapid advancements in genome sequencing technologies, offering a glimpse into the ethical and economic implications of these revolutionary scientific developments.

In this episode, I speak with award-winning NYT science writer Carl Zimmer (“Life’s Edge”, “She Has Her Mother’s Laugh”) on the verbs of biology—homeostasis, life being organized rebellion against entropy, and whether brain organoids might wake up while we’re not looking.

In this episode, I talk with Jamie Metzl — geopolitical futurist, former WHO advisor, and author of Superconvergence — about the future of gene editing, AGI, and the existential risks no one is talking about. We cover CRISPR will rewrite evolution and society, and why AGI is a myth (and what we're really building).

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Aubrey de Grey, a leading researcher in the longevity space and co-founder of the SENS Research Foundation, known for his groundbreaking work in developing therapies that reverse DNA damage at the cellular level. We talk about the latest breakthroughs in aging science, what aging research looks like in a post-AGI world, and the challenges facing the longevity movement.

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Robert Langer, co-founder of Moderna and PI of the world’s largest biomedical engineering lab at MIT. We talk about his background, how to raise money for biotech ventures, and whether innovation can be born from the lab.

In this episode, I talk with Dr. He Jiankui, a gene editing pioneer who used CRISPR/Cas technology to edit the infamous twin babies Lulu and Nana. We talk about his goals, ethics behind the technology, and the potential for a utopian and dystopian future.

Dr. Victor Nizet, Professor of Pediatrics and Vice Chair for Basic Research at UC San Diego details some of the innovative approaches being used in his lab to fight infectious disease, namely, host-targeted immune based therapies. We discuss many of the major problems in infectious disease, including antibiotic resistance, novel drug mechanisms, and the challenges of developing sepsis therapies (and how the Nizet Lab is working to combat them). 

Dr. Nathan, a leading expert in microbiology and immunology, summarizes one of the most pressing problems in medicine: antimicrobial resistance. We discuss the evolution of drug resistance pathogens as well as the scientific, public health, and business frameworks that govern this problem. We finally discuss how the UN can come together to build ethical frameworks to combat it. 

Dr. Stanley Plotkin is often hailed as the ‘Godfather of Vaccines.’ His pioneering work has not only led to the development of the rubella vaccine—critical in eradicating rubella across the Americas—but also propelled breakthroughs in vaccines for rabies, polio, and anthrax. We discuss breakthroughs in vaccine development, reducing public skepticism in the age of social media, and the ethical frameworks of conducting research in vaccine development.

Dr. Alberto Giubilini, a philosopher and leading expert in bioethics, introduces one of the most pressing issues in public health: antibiotic overuse. We discuss how unchecked consumption of these life-saving drugs can lead to a “tragedy of the commons,” why some experts are calling for an antibiotic tax, and the broader ethica