I AM BIO Biotechnology Innovation Organization

Bees and other pollinators are critical to our survival, with one out of every three bites of food we eat depending on pollination to produce. That’s why reports of a decline in bee populations and rising threats from pests, viruses and environmental pressures, including climate change, are alarming.

In this episode we talk with an expert on bees and other pollinators about how bees are doing and why it’s important to save them. We also talk with two biotech leaders whose companies are working to improve bee health through development of innovative treatments for some of the worst threats faced by bees.

The horseshoe crab has endured for over 450 million years. It has survived several mass extinctions including the one that killed off the dinosaurs. One reason for their incredible resiliency is their ability to fend off bacterial infection. Their blood contains cells that clot around invading bacteria, thereby protecting them from the attacking toxins.

In this episode we talk with three experts about how this animal’s unique blue blood has become essential to modern medicine. We also talk about why horseshoe crab populations are dwindling, and what biotech is doing to address the shortfall.

Wading through the torrent of information available online is challenging for everyone. It can be hard to know what and whom to believe. We talk with the FDA Commissioner and other leaders on the frontlines of health and science about how to be more aware of false and misleading information, and its risks to our wellbeing and future innovation. And we discuss ways to stand up for science and stop the spread of misinformation.

The International Space Station has been orbiting in lower earth since 1998 and has been continually inhabited since November 2000. The ISS was originally conceived as a staging base for future missions into deep space. As it turns out, lower earth orbit is an ideal setting for scientific research, from physics and meteorology to astronomy and the life sciences. In this episode we talk with three scientists whose projects are using lower earth orbit to deepen our knowledge of biotechnology and its benefits for mankind.

CRISPR has emerged as a powerful tool for altering DNA sequences with incredible precision, opening up new avenues of research into the treatment of disease. In this episode, we explore the science behind CRISPR, as well as its potential. From curing genetic disorders to creating new crop varieties, the possibilities seem endless. Our four guests today are scientists working to push these gene editing tools to the next frontier.

When people were dying from AIDS in the 1980s and 90s, Congress found a way to expedite the drug approval process and saved countless lives. Established in 1992, the Accelerated Approval Program allows the FDA to speed approval of drugs for patients with serious and life-threatening conditions. In this episode we talk with the father of children with a rare disease, a company CEO working to treat rare diseases and two policy experts on Accelerated Approval.