Talking Biotech with Dr. Kevin Folta

Where many therapeutic compounds are raised in bacteria or fungi, plants sometimes offer many advantages as bioreactors. The problem tends to be standardization, and conditions that ensure that the desired proteins are produced This episode features Jim Wilson from Zea Biologics, where cleanrooms, precise regulation of all aspects of plant growth, and massive data collection allow for the production of biologics that treat everything from hemophilia to influenza. Using precision "pharming" drugs and be produced at a lower cost in less time, and the products tend to be stable at room temperature, allowing wider distribution at lower cost, with a lower carbon footprint. www.zeabio.com

Canada has a unique approach to plant genetic improvement that follows the product, not the process. In other words, if there is potential risk from any genetic manipulation technique, from polyploidization to transgenic to gene edits, Canadian regulators assess the relative risk in the final product. But what does the regulatory climate look like going forward as gene editing becomes more routine? Today's podcast is a conversation with Jennifer Hubert, Executive Director of Biotechnology at Crop Life Canada. 

Immunotherapy is weaponizing the body's immune system against cancer or other disease. One of the most promising approaches is CAR-T cell therapy, yet as this technology has been implemented, it's limitations have been identified. Dr. Andy Scharenberg described the current drawbacks of CAR-T cells and how his company, Umoja, is re-engineering CAR-T cells in vivo to create more effective therapies, including approaches that can address solid tumors. Co-hosted by Donald Coon. www.umoja-biopharma.com

How do new drug applications move forward to approval?  Four experts discuss the partnership between the FDA, the drug developer, and the data needed to move a product forward. It is a surprising discussion that reveals the depth of the FDA process.  Joined by Dr. Debra Webster, Dr. Julia Marre, Dr. Michael Matthews and Dr. Jonathan Helfgott. 

We live in amazing times of technological advance, but how are the real benefits of new tech lost to an inflated sense of risk?  Dr. Felicia Wu from Michigan State University shares her expertise in describing the psychological basis of risk and applying it to questions like glyphosate and aspartame. 

This is an update on the American Chestnut Restoration Project, as discussed previously on the podcast. The American Chestnut dominated the forests of Appalachia until an imported fungus destroyed the entire range. Efforts to restore the chestnut and its ecology have employed a biotechnology approach, integrating a gene from wheat that limits the mechanism the fungus uses to attack the tree. Dr. Andy Newhouse and Erik Carlson join the podcast to discuss progress in the project.  

Despite being over half of the population women's health care lags behind other areas of drug development. The problem is caused by many facets, but is augmented by the fact that many of the conditions are not life threatening or are functions of aging. Sabrina Johnson, CEO of Daré Bioscience, discusses how the disparity exists, the pipeline of drugs that seek to mitigate female-specific conditions, and how smaller, leaner businesses can have significant impacts in this space. 

After a three month hiatus the Talking Biotech Podcast is back. Today's episode is a visit with Colarbra CEO Aoi Senju about his view for the podcast, followed by synopsis of three major news stories that broke since the last Talking Biotech Podcast. The new format includes a video component, and I'll be speaking with panels and also discussing recent news stories. It is an exciting opportunity to capture a new audience, expand listenership, and provide new levels of programming to the popular format.  Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy the new episodes. Kevin

After 8.5 years of weekly podcasts I'm going to take a 5 week break and plan new episodes for 2024.  I'm going through a medical glitch that has me unable to do my normal work. On top of this we're going to switch to an audio plus video format to find a wider audience. So check back in 2024 for the next episode. Have a great rest of 2023, thank you for listening, and looking forward to better times. 

Even under the best conditions, crops need our assistance to survive the numerous threats that limit production. Classically, synthetic and natural compounds have been used to control insects, fungi and weeds, sometimes with negative collateral effects or fostering resistance of genetically tolerant genotypes. Todd Hauser from Trillium Ag describes his company's novel RNAi approach.  RNAi can be used to target specific insect species, and his company's design and particle-based technology appears to offer safety, effectiveness, and specificity. We discuss the use of RNAi and how it may be a key point of crop protection strategies, along with its inherent challenges.