Talking Biotech with Dr. Kevin Folta Colabra

Wikipedia is the go-to source for many people when starting to research a subject. But is the information correct, or does the information even exist in Wikipedia at all?  Susan Gerbic has been training people to edit Wikipedia pages through the Gorilla Skeptics of Wikipedia project. They have edited tens of thousands of pages with over 16 million views. Susan describes the process as well as how you can be involved in correcting online false information. 

Crop genetic engineering has focused primarily on large-acreage crops like corn.  But what about the universe of specialty crops that tantalize consumers, things like blackberries or salad greens?  Pairwise has used precision twists on gene editing to change specific traits in fruit and vegetable crops. Pairwise founder and CEO, Dr. Tom Adams, discusses the current progress, general philosophy, and moonshot plans for bringing exciting new specialty crops to market. 

Advancement of a new drug from pre-clinical trials to clinical trials is a pivotal time in validation of its therapeutic effects and safety.  A panel of experts discusses the process. 

Today's episode marks the beginning of the 10th year of the Talking Biotech Podcast.  To celebrate, Drs. Liza Dunn and Kevin Folta discuss the last decade of biotech breakthroughs and communications efforts, the fight against technology and the amazing progress in gene editing and human genetic therapies. Plus, what you can do to help the effort going forward. 

Chronic inflammation goes hand-in-hand with many diseases, complicating symptoms and affecting routes of treatment. What is the molecular basis of inflammation, and can it be targeted by new drugs? Scientists have studied the molecular basis of the inflammatory response and have identified specific proteins that complex to initiate the response. New drugs are showing promise in breaking the inflammatory cascade. Studies of genealogical records revealed additional targets that modify known genetic pathways that contribute to Alzheimer's, cancers and cardiovascular disease. Dr. David Bearss from Halia Therapeutics explains the roles of inflammation and the mechanisms behind several drug candidates that are targeting chronic inflammation. 

Strategic partnerships are becoming more important in development and deployment of biotechnology solutions. Today's panel discusses the way partnerships are formed, some of the important considerations with IP and licensing, and how relationships are managed.