bio/acc Podcast

Jay Rosanelli is the CEO and Co-Founder of Syenex, a biotech developing a platform for in vivo gene therapy delivery. While capital in the gene and cell therapy (CGT) space has grown over the last 5 years, there remain serious bottlenecks in delivery. In this conversation, we discuss what Syenex is building, the future of CGT, and what's next in AI-driven drug discovery and neurotech. Check out wh...

Michael Koeris is the Director of the Biological Technologies Office at DARPA, where he leads some of America's most cutting-edge biological research programs for defense. In this conversation, we discuss how AI is transforming warfare and what DARPA is doing to prepare for biological threats that may exist in the near future.

In this episode, I sit down with Jeff Coller, a professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, about how decades of foundational RNA biology laid the groundwork for mRNA vaccines--and what comes next for medicine. Check out the Coller Lab: http://www.collerlab.org/0:00 Background2:21 Maternal RNA7:12 mRNA Stability 8:35 The 2015 Discovery 25:31 RNA Medicines35:18 Biotechnology 40:28...

In this episode, I talk with John Quain, bioethics fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine and lead bioethicist at Manhattan Genomics. We talk about the ethics behind AI, germline editing, and the next wave of biotechnology. Check out the Manhattan Project: https://manhattangenomics.com/ 0:00 Intro 0:41 Background3:50 Artificial Intelligence 6:30 AGI11:16 AI in Medicine14:07 AI in Academic Science1...

In this episode, biotech founder Cathy Tie unpacks the realities of building in regulated industries and the promise of gene editing done right. From unicorns and dragons to disease-free babies, we explore the technical, ethical, and economic future of germline correction. Check out the Manhattan Project: https://manhattangenomics.com/ 0:00 Intro 1:16 Ranomics7:53 Deep tech 10:40 Biotech challenge...

In this episode, I sit down with Aubrey de Grey, one of the leading voices in longevity science, and Benji Leibowitz, founder of Pump Science, to explore two visions of the future: longevity escape velocity and scientific escape velocity. We dive into the biology of aging, the systemic bottlenecks slowing progress, and bold new ideas for accelerating discovery. Visit the LEV Foundation to learn mo...

In this episode, I talk to Charles Brenner, a leading biochemist and outspoken critic of hype in the longevity field. We discuss why many aging studies in model organisms don’t always translate to humans, the limitations of current NAD-related therapies, and how publication bias harms scientific progress. He also shares what excites him most right now—his lab’s work on citrin deficiency and its po...

In this episode, I talk to James Sinka, a YC 3-time founder who believes that biotech on-chain will be the next revolution in funding for academic projects. We discuss the challenges of being a deep-tech founder, the intersection of AI & medicine, and some of the key lessons founders need to learn along the way.

In this episode, biotech founder Cathy Tie unpacks the realities of building in regulated industries and the promise of gene editing done right. From unicorns and dragons to disease-free babies, we explore the technical, ethical, and economic future of germline correction. Check out the Manhattan Project: https://manhattangenomics.com/ ABOUT MEHi, my name is Shriya; I'm a sophomore at Harvard...

In this episode, I talk to Ethan Perlstein, a YC biotech founder who wants to make better drugs and financial incentives for curing rare diseases. We discuss the post-academic collapse in science careers, the financial abandonment of most rare diseases, and how crypto and AI could revolutionize drug development.

In this episode, I speak with Professor Francoise Baylis, a renowned Canadian bioethicist whose work lies at the intersection of applied ethics, health policy, and practice. We talk about the ethics of research on human embryos -- at what date the line should be drawn -- and whether it practically and morally makes sense to allow for human germline editing.

In this episode, I speak with George Church—pioneer of human genome sequencing, co-inventor of CRISPR, and founder of over 50 biotech startups—on the future of synthetic biology: virus-proof cells, multiplex gene editing, and what it takes to reverse aging. We talk Ginkgo’s trajectory, 23andMe’s missed opportunity, and why the next bio revolution will be built on AI, not pipettes. 0:00 Intro to Ge...

In this episode, I speak with award-winning NYT science writer Carl Zimmer (“Life’s Edge”, “She Has Her Mother’s Laugh”) on the verbs of biology—homeostasis, life being organized rebellion against entropy, and whether brain organoids might wake up while we’re not looking.

In this episode, I talk with Jamie Metzl — geopolitical futurist, former WHO advisor, and author of Superconvergence — about the future of gene editing, AGI, and the existential risks no one is talking about. We cover CRISPR will rewrite evolution and society, and why AGI is a myth (and what we're really building).

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Aubrey de Grey, a leading researcher in the longevity space and co-founder of the SENS Research Foundation, known for his groundbreaking work in developing therapies that reverse DNA damage at the cellular level. We talk about the latest breakthroughs in aging science, what aging research looks like in a post-AGI world, and the challenges facing the longevity movem...

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Robert Langer, co-founder of Moderna and PI of the world’s largest biomedical engineering lab at MIT. We talk about his background, how to raise money for biotech ventures, and whether innovation can be born from the lab.

In this episode, I talk with Dr. He Jiankui, a gene editing pioneer who used CRISPR/Cas technology to edit the infamous twin babies Lulu and Nana. We talk about his goals, ethics behind the technology, and the potential for a utopian and dystopian future.

Dr. Victor Nizet, Professor of Pediatrics and Vice Chair for Basic Research at UC San Diego details some of the innovative approaches being used in his lab to fight infectious disease, namely, host-targeted immune based therapies. We discuss many of the major problems in infectious disease, including antibiotic resistance, novel drug mechanisms, and the challenges of developing sepsis therapies (a...

Dr. Nathan, a leading expert in microbiology and immunology, summarizes one of the most pressing problems in medicine: antimicrobial resistance. We discuss the evolution of drug resistance pathogens as well as the scientific, public health, and business frameworks that govern this problem. We finally discuss how the UN can come together to build ethical frameworks to combat it. 

Dr. Stanley Plotkin is often hailed as the ‘Godfather of Vaccines.’ His pioneering work has not only led to the development of the rubella vaccine—critical in eradicating rubella across the Americas—but also propelled breakthroughs in vaccines for rabies, polio, and anthrax. We discuss breakthroughs in vaccine development, reducing public skepticism in the age of social media, and the ethical fram...

Dr. Alberto Giubilini, a philosopher and leading expert in bioethics, introduces one of the most pressing issues in public health: antibiotic overuse. We discuss how unchecked consumption of these life-saving drugs can lead to a “tragedy of the commons,” why some experts are calling for an antibiotic tax, and the broader ethica