logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2023
17m 26s

Business and science: How risky is SynBi...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

For all the exciting developments in the synthetic biology industry, there are also concerns.

People can edit genes in their garages these days, so who’s regulating this space?

Plus - we’ll hear about the exciting new business models with biology at their core, including one of the first synbio businesses to trade as a public stock - Ginkgo Bioworks.

Presenter: Gareth Mitchell Producer: Izzy Greenfield

(Image: A petri dish in a lab. Credit: Getty Images)

Up next
Yesterday
Too many offices, not enough homes: can conversions work?
John Laurenson reports from La Défense in Paris on how Europe's biggest business district is turning vacant office space into housing. As hybrid working leaves more offices underused, cities are rethinking the future of these buildings. We compare developments in Paris with effor ... Show More
17m 29s
Apr 2026
Headspace: from mindfulness app to military partner
Headspace started life as a mindfulness app. Now it's partnering with the US Navy and investing in artificial intelligence for mental health support.The company's CEO Tom Pickett speaks to us about therapy, the increasing role of technology, and tackling burnout at scale.If you'd ... Show More
17m 28s
Apr 2026
Anthropic: the $300bn AI firm at war with the White House
Anthropic’s rise from startup to one of the world’s leading players in artificial intelligence has been staggering, but so in recent weeks has been its row with the US Government.Today, we look at that journey to becoming a 380 billion dollar company, ask why Claude has become on ... Show More
17m 28s
Recommended Episodes
May 2022
Turning Cells into Tiny Factories
<p>Reshma Shetty is co-founder and chief operations officer of Ginkgo Bioworks. Her problem: How do you turn cutting-edge science into a sustainable business?</p> <p>Ginkgo is a synthetic biology company. The idea is to make industrial products -- fragrances, or food, or whatever ... Show More
16m 54s
Nov 2021
Genetic dreams, genetic nightmares
Professor Matthew Cobb looks at how genetic engineering became big business - from the first biotech company that produced human insulin in modified bacteria in the late 1970s to the companies like Monsanto which developed and then commercialised the first GM crops in the 1990s. ... Show More
27m 29s
Oct 2025
Making money in biotech stocks
How to trade and invest in the biotech space with ROTY Biotech Community's Jonathan Faison (0:35). Making money in biotech (5:40). Managing sector risk (9:20). Geron - a stock he never thought he'd own (17:10).Show Notes:Finding Winners In Biotech, Probably The Riskiest SectorSyn ... Show More
21m 44s
Aug 2022
Why We’re In a ‘Golden Age’ of Life Sciences Innovation
The business of life sciences came into sharp focus after the pandemic highlighted the effectiveness of mRNA vaccines in protecting people against COVID. But what exactly is life sciences and is the recent market weakness a threat to future innovation — or an opportunity? In the ... Show More
21m 41s
Dec 2018
Healthcare: China’s Biotech Revolution
China’s biotech industry is booming. Driven by vast government funding and Western partnerships, the country is introducing new commercial drugs at a faster pace than ever before. But could controversial topics such as human genetic engineering derail its accelerated growth? Shan ... Show More
36m 3s
May 2025
Business Plans and Science Projects
Do you have a real relationship or just a non-binding letter of intent? (00:21) Nick Sciple and Mary Long discuss: - The S&P’s turnaround and inflation’s slow month-over-month decline. - A stock pop from a nuclear reactor company that doesn’t have a working nuclear reactor. - Pri ... Show More
31m 9s
Jan 2023
AI: The good, the bad, and the transformative
Is it too late to secure the guardrails? More and more businesses are turning to AI for its efficiencies and revolutionary potential, but its proliferation has sparked widespread skepticism and questions about equity, privacy, liability, transparency, and security. AI expert and ... Show More
36m 23s
Jun 2025
23andMe's Fatal Flaw | Defying Gravity? | 2
Plagued by low sales of its genetic tests, 23andMe adopts a bold new plan: slash prices and enter the pharmaceutical industry. But with investors nervous, can CEO Anne Wojcicki keep the show going long enough to make her DNA dream pay off?Be the first to know about Wondery’s newe ... Show More
39m 17s
Jun 2024
Leading with science: A deep dive on biotech
In this episode, David Lebovitz, Global Strategist, Multi-Asset Solutions, is joined by Stephen Squinto, Chief Investment Officer, J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital, to discuss the alternative investment landscape, the private biotech market and areas of opportunity in 20 ... Show More
17m 43s