3 chapters across the catalog
The normalization of mRNA technology is seen as a gateway to a trillion-dollar gene-editing industry using CRISPR. The hosts discuss the potential for customized treatments tailored to an individual's DNA, moving the pharmaceutical market toward selling to healthy people. They reference past efforts to develop vaccines for social issues like cocaine addiction and smoking.
Bill Gates discusses the evolution of CRISPR technology and its ability to correct 89% of genetic variants associated with human disease. He notes that this technology allows for vaccine development in months rather than years. The hosts highlight Gates' use of the word "variants" years before it became a household term during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The use of CRISPR to create "gene drives" in mosquitoes is explained, showing how a single genetic trait can be forced to spread through an entire population. In 2020, 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes were released in Florida to combat Dengue and Zika. The hosts express concern that these "red-eyed" mutations violate Mendelian genetics and represent a dangerous level of biological interference.
