As we approach our one hundredth episode, travel back with us to the origins of the podcast in our premiere episode, "Team and Jam and Protein Separation." In this debut, we explored the vital process of protein separation—an essential technique in biochemistry and pharmaceuticals that continues to impact human health in significant ways.

Join us as Dr. Aravind Asokan from Duke University explores cutting-edge technologies revolutionizing advanced therapies, including CRISPR, mRNA, viral vectors, and cell therapies. He shares key lessons from past challenges, discusses scalability, product quality, and how integrating various therapeutic approaches is shaping the future of disease treatment.

This episode covers exciting advancements in AAV with CRISPR, CAR T cell therapy, circular RNA, and virus-like particles (VLPs).

Show notes:

Asokan A, et al. ‘An evolved AAV variant enables efficient genetic engineering of murine T cells’. Cell. 2023 Jan 19;186(2):446-460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2022.12.022

Dive into the fascinating world of virology as we welcome Nobel Prize-winning virologist Dr. Michael Houghton on this episode of Discovery Matters. We explore Dr. Houghton's groundbreaking work in identifying the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and his enduring quest to combat this global health threat.

From the monumental discovery of HCV in 1982 to the revolutionary diagnostic tests that nearly eradicated transfusion-related hepatitis C by the mid-1990s, Dr. Houghton provides an engaging and insightful journey through decades of scientific innovation.

Show notes

• Richard D Roberts, Patrick C Kyllonen, ‘Morningness–eveningness and intelligence: early to bed, early to rise will likely make you anything but wise!’ Personality and Individual Differences, Volume 27, Issue 6, 1999. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(99)00054-9.
• Taquet, MaximeLone, Nazir et al. ‘Cognitive and psychiatric symptom trajectories 2–3 years after hospital admission for COVID-19: a longitudinal, prospective cohort study in the UK.’ The Lancet Psychiatry, Volume 11, Issue 9. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(24)00214-1

Eco-design, collaboration, circular economy. These are the bywords of sustainability in biopharma.

Join Ryan Walker, Senior Director of Sustainability at Cytiva, and Aude Arkham, Global Head of Eco Design and Circular Economy at Sanofi, as they explore how eco-design and circular economy initiatives are shaping the future of healthcare.

We delve into challenges, achievements, and the transformational potential of sustainability efforts within biopharma. From Sanofi’s life cycle assessments to industry-wide data difficulties, this episode navigates the complex landscape of creating greener solutions without compromising innovation and compliance.

In this episode of "Discovery Matters," we dive into the powerful intersection of big data and artificial intelligence. Joined by Matej Macak, a partner from McKinsey, we unravel how AI and machine learning are revolutionizing our approach to finding new, effective medications.

With Tom Yankeelov, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Diagnostic Medicine, Oncology at the University of Texas for Austin, we'll explore the "problem of averages" and much more.

What does 'the body as a bioreactor' mean? In this discussion how scientists use the body's machinery to produce therapeutic proteins. Scott Ripley, General Manager of Nucleic Acids at Cytiva, explains that traditional bioprocessing uses external bioreactors, while the new approach leverages the body's natural processes. This method offers benefits like longer protein half-life and the ability to express multiple proteins simultaneously. Justin Eyquem, assistant professor at University of California San Francisco, discusses the potential of in vivo CAR T cell therapy, which could simplify manufacturing and reduce costs. Both approaches face challenges in quality assurance and regulatory approval but hold promise for personalized and more effective treatments.

We're diving into advanced therapies with industry leaders. Emmanuel Abate, President of Genomic Medicine at Cytiva discussed the strategies to accelerate clinical work and reduce costs. Nathaniel Wang, CEO and Co-Founder of Replicate Bioscience highlighted their ground breaking self-replicating RNA technology, showcasing impressive clinical results for a rabies vaccine. Both experts emphasized the momentum in biotech, the potential of AI in advancing science, and the importance of making innovative therapies accessible globally. Stay tuned for these insights.

Show notes

• Beneath Everest, a lone caretaker struggles to keep one of the world’s highest laboratories alive
• Integrating human endogenous retroviruses into transcriptome-wide association studies highlights novel risk factors for major psychiatric conditions

Keywords: vaccines, advanced therapies, mRNA, manufacturing, technology, patients, innovation, new modalities.

From gene and cell therapies, to the use of CRISPR and other precision engineering technologies, this episode dives into the opportunities and challenges of the emerging field of advanced therapies.

On Discovery Matters this week, Dodi and Conor are joined by Daria Donati, Chief Scientific Officer of Genomic Medicine at Cytiva, as well as Jen Moody, Vice President of External Innovation of Genomic Medicines at Danaher, to discuss the science, progress, and potential of advanced therapeutics.

Demaris Mills, Group Executive of Genomic Medicines at IDT, and experts Fyodor Urnov, Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Director of Technology & Translation at the Innovative Genomics Institute, cover the technologies used in gene and cell therapies as well as CRISPR to deliver powerful and precise treatments aiming for a healthier future.