I AM BIO

As biotech researchers work around the clock on a covid vaccine, ill-informed, anti-science anti-vaxxers must be denounced and excoriated in the public square. BIO’s head of infectious disease policy Phyllis Arthur administers a vital dose of vaccine education, because none of us is safe until we all are. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

Viral pandemics can lead to secondary bacterial infections that kill millions, Dr. Anthony Fauci concluded after studying the 1918 Spanish flu. A century later, COVID and antibiotic resistance are proving to be a lethal combination. What are the biopharma industry and Congress doing to keep your loved ones safe from superbugs? Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

Long before COVID’s arrival, antibiotic-resistance was a quiet global pandemic. Now that secondary bacterial infections are killing so many vulnerable patients in the COVID era, the pressure is growing for policy makers to finally address the antibiotics market failure. A cardiologist-turned-biotech entrepreneur explains why the superbugs always win. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

Fear and misinformation about how the coronavirus is transmitted has led to dangerous backsliding in society’s efforts to address plastic pollution. But we don’t have to lose this battle to win the COVID war. A Georgia biotech is first to market with a green biopolymer material that looks and feels like plastic but dissolves in ocean water. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

Biotech companies are working feverishly to develop antibody therapies to provide short-term protection against COVID-19. But what if the novel coronavirus mutates and outwits traditional monoclonal antibodies? Well, that’s where the super cows come in. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

The physician-wife of Roivant Sciences CEO Vivek Ramaswamy rushed back to the front lines at the pandemic’s peak — less than a month after giving birth to the couple’s first son. Meanwhile, dad cared for their newborn while testing a promising therapeutic that seeks to overcome deadly cytokine storms caused by the novel coronavirus. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

By studying our earliest evolutionary ancestors in the ocean, marine biotech researchers are gaining fresh insights about everything from anti-virals to coronavirus nasal swab testing to the inner workings of our adaptive immune systems. Learn what sea sponges, lugworms and sharks can teach us about improving human health during this crisis. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

How can global nonprofits like the Center for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) deliver a safe and effective vaccine against the novel coronavirus in just 12 to 18 months when the world record for vaccine approval is four years? CEPI CEO Richard Hatchett, a 9/11 hero, says it’s all about smart planning. By the time governments give the green light on the safety and efficacy of a covid vaccine, manufacturer capacity will be pre-scaled up and able to quickly churn out doses by the tens or hundreds of millions. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

The people of Iceland — a country of 360,000 — eagerly volunteered for genetic research on how the coronavirus affects a homogeneous population. Amgen’s work in the Land of Fire and here at home could deliver answers and antibodies to help mitigate the pandemic threat. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

Modernity is plowing new frontiers, bringing us closer to exotic wildlife rich in viruses that our immune systems have not evolved to fight. Preventing future pandemics will require global cooperation, local action and a comprehensive strategy to monitor infectious disease hotspots to reduce the risk of zoonotic disease. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

The diversity of our adaptive immune system is why people are reacting so differently to the novel coronavirus. No two people present the virus the exact same way to their immune systems. We’ve evolved in this way as humans to ensure no virus can eradicate our species. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

Overcrowded hospitals during the pandemic can pose treatment challenges for patients with other serious illnesses. As Kite Pharma CEO Christi Shaw says, “Cancer doesn’t stop in a crisis.” Neither do her company’s employees, who go to extraordinary lengths to get personalized CAR-T treatments to patients around the world. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

As the world waits for biotechnology to deliver COVID-19 treatments and a vaccine, Ambassador Deborah Birx tells BIO’s scientists: “Expectations are high because you’ve delivered for us before and I know that you can deliver for us again.” BIO chairman Jeremy Levin, a biotech pioneer, explains how the industry will rise to meet this moment. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

Biotech companies are working feverishly to develop antibody therapies to provide short-term protection against COVID-19. But what if the novel coronavirus mutates and outwits traditional monoclonal antibodies? Well, that’s where the super cows come in. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

There's a joke among ecological health scientists that if “you don’t believe one person can change the world, try eating an undercooked bat.” However, what EcoHealth Alliance’s Dr. William Karesh — a world-renowned expert on zoonotic disease transmission — reveals about the trend line for animal-to-human viral transmission is no laughing matter. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, which take its name from the center and brightest star in Orion’s Belt, is working on an RNAi therapy to destroy the genome of the novel coronavirus — and with it, its ability to replicate and kill. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

As biotech researchers work around the clock on a covid vaccine, ill-informed, anti-science anti-vaxxers must be denounced and excoriated in the public square. BIO’s head of infectious disease policy Phyllis Arthur administers a vital dose of vaccine education, because none of us is safe until we all are. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

There's a joke among ecological health scientists that if “you don’t believe one person can change the world, try eating an undercooked bat.” However, what EcoHealth Alliance’s Dr. William Karesh — a world-renowned expert on zoonotic disease transmission — reveals about the trend line for animal-to-human viral transmission is no laughing matter. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

For years, leaders on the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense told Congress and the White House that it wasn’t a matter of if, but when, a pandemic would happen. Exploring the panel’s unheeded recommendations can give the United States a blueprint for what to do going forward to protect us from the coronavirus and future threats. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

Vir Biotechnology CEO George Scangos is the scientist selected by his peers to lead the biotechnology industry’s efforts to mitigate and ultimately end the pandemic. He explains how and why the novel coronavirus is so contagious and potentially dangerous to millions. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

As the world waits for biotechnology to deliver COVID-19 treatments and a vaccine, Ambassador Deborah Birx tells BIO’s scientists: “Expectations are high because you’ve delivered for us before and I know that you can deliver for us again.” BIO chairman Jeremy Levin, a biotech pioneer, explains how the industry will rise to meet this moment. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

Only antibody testing can tell us who has been infected and recovered from coronavirus and when it might be safe to return to work. There’s a massive global shortage of these tests, and a Maryland biotech is racing to bolster the U.S. supply. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

Need a dose of inspiration in a time of national tragedy? A remarkable biotech breakthrough from Global Blood Therapeutics offers fresh hope to patients living with sickle-cell disease. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

Futuristic biotech Moderna is the first to clinically test a coronavirus vaccine, created in weeks using only the virus’ genetic code. The company’s messenger RNA breakthrough may be just in time as a former CDC director warns that animal viruses spilling over to humans is the new normal. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

Regeneron’s rheumatoid arthritis drug shows promise to treat coronavirus-related lung syndrome and stop the inflammation that leads to death. The company also expects to test a preventative antibody shot in June. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

As genetic sequencing gives scientists new tools to hone in on medical mysteries, Washington politicians flirt dangerously with policies that would stymie the genomic revolution while giving patients scant pricing relief at the pharmacy counter. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

While Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has kindled a global dialogue about the ravages of climate change and the role of airline emissions, a Colorado biotech is putting forward a jaw-dropping alternative to flight shaming: actual jet fuel with no carbon footprint. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

Incurable gonorrhea and the deadly hospital superbug C. diff offer a frightening window into the gathering public health menace of antibiotic resistance. If society doesn’t wake up and tackle the problem, we could be headed toward a calamity on the magnitude of climate change. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.

One day before 16-year-old Izzy Thorpe-Wall takes her first dose of Vertex’s stunning Cystic Fibrosis breakthrough, Thorpe and her mother, Clare, open up about their emotional journey and one brave girl’s determination to stay healthy long enough to meet this day of her dreams. Hosted by Jim Greenwood.