The Biorevolution Podcast with Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow – father and daughter, journalist and biologist, talking about the technologies of the biorevolution. Can genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence save humanity from disease, climate change, and overpopulation, or are these technologies the first step towards its downfall?
Content and Editing:
Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler
Disclaimer:
Louise von Stechow, Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics but do not claim to give medical, investment, or life advice in the podcast.
Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:
scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
Image: Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash
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Into the dark – finding meaning within the depth of our proteome
2026/02/05
For decades, biology treated the human genome as a tidy instruction manual—genes neatly encoding proteins, surrounded by vast stretches of supposedly irrelevant DNA. As sequencing and molecular tools advanced, that picture fractured: scientists uncovered transposable elements, viral remnants, regulatory RNAs—and even unexpected, tiny non-canonical proteins, often called the “dark proteome.”
Today, we know that much of this presumed “junk” DNA is biochemically active under specific conditions, forming an interconnected network of regulatory elements, mobile sequences, non-coding RNAs, and largely uncharacterized proteins. Some scientists believe this dark genomic layer acts as an adaptive reserve, helping genomes respond to stress, disease, and environmental change.
In this episode Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow have a fascinating discussion with Dr. Sudhakaran Prabakaran, Associate Teaching Professor at Northeastern University, CEO of biotech NonExomics, and author of the upcoming book Eclipsed Horizons, which explores the dark genome, the proteome, evolution, and speculative futures for both humanity and the planet.
Find Dr. Sudhakaran Prabakaran https://www.linkedin.com/in/sudhakaranprabakaran/
Find the Eclipsed Horizons https://sites.google.com/view/sudhakaranprabakaran/book
Disclaimer:
Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.
Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:
scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow
Image Unsplash via NASA
Further Reading on the dark genome, proteome and beyond
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5065367/
2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2998295/
3. https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/educational-resources/fact-sheets/human-genome-project
4. https://www.nature.com/articles/538275a
5. https://www.nature.com/articles/512009e
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7366731/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15496913/
8. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982212011542
9. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/genomics/encode-project.html
10. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269899103_Junk_or_functional_DNA_ENCODE_and_the_function_controversy
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19213877/
12. https://www.nature.com/articles/520615a
13. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11311765/
14. https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pmic.202100211
15. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12701996/
16. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9757701/
17. https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms6429
18. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32139545/
19. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38176414/
20. https://panspermia.org/mcclintocknrg2023.pdf
21. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1912725116
Everything Everywhere All at Once: Mapping the Bigger Picture with Macroscopes
2026/01/19
We’re living in the big data age, surrounded by personal, scientific, and societal data that could help us understand the world, make decisions, and even forecast what comes next. But complex systems don’t fit neatly into human intuition, and we can’t “see” meaning in massive datasets without help.
That’s where macroscopes come in: software tools designed to make complexity interpretable, explorable and allow users to “make sense” out of big, complex data.
In this episode of the BioRevolution podcast, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow have Katy Börner as a guest. Katy is Professor of Engineering and Information Science at Indiana University, leads the international Human Reference Atlas, and is one of the founders and curators behind the long-running Places & Spaces: Mapping Science exhibit.
Together they discuss why visualization + interpretation + communication of data matter just as much as data collection—and how macroscopes can help us make sense of our complex world.
Find Katy here:
https://cns-iu.github.io/katy
https://www.bihealth.org/en/notices/prof-dr-katy-boerner-connects-anatomy-and-disease-with-the-multiscale-human-reference-atlas
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katy-b%C3%B6rner-a03837/
Read more about data visualization and macroscopes here:
https://scimaps.org/macroscopes
https://bigthink.com/hard-science/macroscopes/
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1807180116
https://dl.acm.org/doi/epdf/10.1145/1897852.1897871
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3093338.3106387
https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262014458/atlas-of-science/
https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262028813/atlas-of-knowledge/
https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262045957/atlas-of-forecasts/
https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262049924/atlas-of-macroscopes/
https://mcn.edu/resources/meet-the-macroscopes/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0894439316643050
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27032088/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24626916/
https://archive.org/details/macroscopenewwor0000rosn
dagstuhl.de/21152/places-spaces/
Envisioning Intelligences exhibit call is at https://scimaps.org/call-for-submissions
Disclaimer:
Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.
Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:
scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow
The Rare Lens: AI-based image recognition for rare disease diagnoses
2025/12/01
The Rare Lens: AI-based image recognition for rare disease diagnoses
There are around 6000 rare diseases, which affect over 300 million people worldwide. Rare diseases are often difficult to diagnose, and people affected by a rare disease wait an average of five years or more for a correct diagnosis, which can be a heavy burden on patients and also hinders rare disease research and drug development.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help address these diagnostic challenges. One promising approach is Next-Generation Phenotyping (NGP), which uses AI to detect disease-specific phenotypic patterns – such as distinct facial features – commonly associated with rare diseases, to support diagnosis and guide genetic testing.
In the newest episode of the BioRevolution podcast, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow spoke to two researchers from the University of Bonn working on next-generation phenotyping approaches: Dr. Adele Ruder, MSL for GestaltMatcher, and Dr. Behnam Javanmardi, Group Leader: AI for Rare Diseases and Head of Bone2Gene. We explored the potential of AI-driven diagnosis for rare diseases and what this could mean for people affected by rare diseases, their physicians, and researchers and drug developers in the rare disease space.
Find Adele and GestaltMatcher here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adeleruder/
https://www.gestaltmatcher.org/
Find Behnam and Bone2Gene here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/behnam-javanmardi/
https://bone2gene.org
For further reading explore the following references:
1. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(24)00056-1/fulltext https://www.nature.com/articles/s41431-024-01604-z
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19627523/
3. https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-2110140/v1
4. https://elifesciences.org/articles/02020
5. https://www.face2gene.com/
6. https://facematch.org.au/home
7. https://cliniface.org/
8. https://www.gestaltmatcher.org/
9. https://bone2gene.org/
10. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-018-0279-0
11. https://www.nature.com/articles/s10038-019-0619-z
12. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-021-01010-x
13. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10030218
14. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41431-025-01787-z
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00112-024-02118-0
15. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36779427/
16. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-023-01469-w
17. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.06.23290887v4
18. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-024-02894-w
19. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-03050-7
20. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-024-01232-3
21. https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202414507
22. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.06.23290887v4.full.pdf
Disclaimer:
Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.
Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:
scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow
Virtual cells - Decoding life's basic units
2025/11/07
Cells are the basic units of life. For over a century, understanding cellular processes has been the basis for understanding human development and disease, and for deciphering the actions of novel disease treatments. But there’s a caveat: wet-lab studies in cells take time and money, they are often reductionist. To overcome those challenges of the wet lab, researchers have for some time tried to model cellular processes mathematically, in so-called virtual cells. With the availability of large-scale datasets and sophisticated AI models, virtual cells are advancing into useful tools for researchers.
In episode 41 of the BioRevolution podcast we spoke to Prof. Fabian Theis, Chair of Mathematical Modeling of Biological Systems at TU Munich and director of the Institute of Computational Biology at the Helmholtz Zentrum München. With Fabian we discussed the convergence of mathematics and biology into virtual cell models and their potential use cases in basic research and drug development.
You can find more on Fabian's research here: Theis Lab: https://www.helmholtz-munich.de/en/icb/research-groups/theis-lab
Disclaimer:
Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.
Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:
scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow
Image Aden Lao via unsplash
The 8 Essentials For Overcoming Cancer
2025/10/20
Every second man and every third woman will experience a cancer diagnosis during their lives. Getting the news can be devastating and paralyzing, but making the right decisions about treatment, care, mindset and lifestyle is a crucial part of finding a cure.
In her book “The 8 Essentials for Overcoming Cancer - Cancer, I can” medical doctor and pharma executive, Stefanie Walther describes her very personal journey and gives holistic advice for battling a cancer diagnosis, from finding the right treatment center and medical team, to finding the right diet, exercise plan and sleep schedule.
In the newest episode of the BioRevolution podcast Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow spoke to Stefanie Walther about her story, her book and about the outlook of eradicating cancer as a disease in the future.
Find Stefanie Walther:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-stefanie-walther-ab871966/
Order “The 8 Essentials For Overcoming Cancer - Cancer, I Can” here:
https://www.amazon.de/Essentials-Overcoming-Cancer-Can/dp/B0FNMDZT5Y
Disclaimer:
Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.
Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:
scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow
Further reading on the topics we discussed during the episode and found in the book can be found in here:
CANCER FACT AND FIGURES
https://www.cancer.org/cancer.html
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/understanding-cancer-risk/lifetime-probability-of-developing-or-dying-from-cancer.html
https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2025/2025-cancer-facts-and-figures-acs.pdf
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27196525/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/more-evidence-that-a-healthy-lifestyle-might-help-prevent-cancer
https://www.who.int/activities/preventing-cancer
ESSENTIAL 1: CALM DOWN
https://www.cancer.org/research/cancer-facts-statistics/survivor-facts-figures.html
ESSENTIAL 2: ASK FOR HELP
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31123497/
ESSENTIAL 3: NAME THE DISEASE
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30822350/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5038982/
ESSENTIAL 4: FIND A CANCER CENTER FOR ERADICATION
AND REHABILITATION
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12648693/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6132422/
ESSENTIAL 5: I STAY MENTALLY STRONG
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22438289/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31024362/
ESSENTIAL 6: CHOOSE HEALTHY FOODS
https://www.aicr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/summary-third-expert-report.pdf
https://www.aicr.org/cancer-prevention/healthy-eating/new-american-plate/
ESSENTIAL 7: ACTIVATE YOUR BODY
https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currents-blog/2019/cancer-survivors-exercise-guidelines-schmitz
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34213826/
ESSENTIAL 8: NORMALIZE YOUR SLEEP
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29032088/
OUTLOOK
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra1204479
https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534(19)37684-7/fulltext
Creative Matter: Where Art Meets Science
2025/10/01
This time Louise and Andreas invited the artist Annette Goessel into the show to discuss the once united forces of art and science that seem so seperate in our day and age.
And: For the first time since the beginnings of the show we speak German once more (apologies to the non German speakers)
In dieser Episode diskutieren wir die faszinierende Verbindung zwischen Kunst und Wissenschaft. Wir erkunden, wie Neugier und Emotionen sowohl Künstler als auch Wissenschaftler antreiben und welche Rolle der kreative Prozess dabei spielt. Zudem betrachten wir die Herausforderungen und Chancen, die Künstliche Intelligenz für beide Disziplinen mit sich bringt.
Disclaimer:
Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.
Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:
scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow
Image: Annette Goessel
You can find Annette Goessel's art here: https://www.annettegoessel.de/ or on socials:
https://www.facebook.com/annette.goessel
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annette-goessel-325153194/
https://www.instagram.com/annettegoessel?igsh=MXZoNXNhOGc3cWRxZw==
Out of the Lab, Into the Code: An Age of AI Scientists?
2025/09/01
It sounds promising: AI chatbots acting as scientists, condensing the work of weeks, months, or even years of reading, debate, and hour-long lab meetings into minutes.
Researchers at Stanford University and Google DeepMind have released multi-agent AI “scientist” systems. But how good are they, really, and will they overcome current limitations of large language models like OpenAI’s GPT or Google’s Gemini—such as the lack of robust reasoning capabilities, which are crucial for scientific discovery?
In the 38th episode of the BioRevolution Podcast, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow discuss the promise and the reality of AI scientists.
Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:
scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow
Image: Igor Saikin via Unsplash
Medical machines get smarter - AI in Medtech
2025/08/01
The $600 billion MedTech industry is undergoing a technological transformation. From AI-powered medical imaging to smart diagnostics and remote monitoring tools, artificial intelligence and machine learning are reshaping how care is delivered — and increasingly how patients manage their own health.
In this episode of the BioRevolution podcast, we are joined by our guest, idalab’s MedTech expert Julian Beimes to discuss how this AI-driven wave aligns with broader shifts in medicine: virtualization, personalization, and prevention. But alongside the innovation, we also unpack the challenges — especially the complex and often fragmented regulatory environment. Are policies like the EU AI Act promoting safety, or holding back progress?
Find Julian here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-beimes/
Find idalab here: https://idalab.de/team/julian-beimes
Disclaimer:
Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.
Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:
scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow
Image: testalize-me-SVmaaACzcJ8-unsplash
We are what we eat – The future of food
2025/07/02
Food is a topic that is both deeply personal and of global importance. What we eat affects our health and longevity, but also the lives of animals and the future of our planet.
New technologies and scientific discoveries are now enabling us to transform how we produce food and personalize nutrition in entirely new ways.
In this episode, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow speak with food expert and CEO of Berlin Food Campus, Lia Carlucci, about key trends shaping the future of food—from alternative proteins to personalized nutrition.
You can find Lia here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lia-carlucci-foodtech-entrepreneur-ceo-speaker/?originalSubdomain=de
And Berlin Food campus here: https://www.foodcampus.berlin/
Disclaimer:
Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.
Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:
scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow
Image: Markus Spiske via Unsplash
New tech, new talent, new challenges – pharma leadership in the age of AI
2025/06/02
Despite great hopes for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in biotech and pharma—with investments exceeding $50 billion over the past ten years—the question of when the technology will reach maturity remains difficult to answer. How can biotech and pharma leaders navigate this complex gray area, where hype around the technology obscures the outlook and few concrete milestones provide clear signposts for decision-making?
In this episode of the BioRevolution podcast, Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler speak with their guest, idalab founder Paul von Bünau, about the potential of AI in biotech. They explore how leaders can adapt internal processes, support their teams in facing the challenges AI brings, and examine whether AI has the potential to make us better leaders.
Find Dr. Paul von Bünau here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulvonbuenau/
and idalab here: https://idalab.de/
Disclaimer:
Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.
Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:
scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow
Image: Matteo Vistocco via Unsplash
Illuminating the Dark Genome – New Insights into the Genetic Basis of Disease
2025/05/05
More than 20 years after the Human Genome Project, enabled by new sequencing technologies, researchers are making progress in exploring the vast non-coding space that constitutes 98% of our genomes. This non-coding, or "dark," DNA harbors elements with important regulatory functions in health and disease. But pinpointing disease-relevant DNA elements within this massive DNA space can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. This difficult search can be eased by artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools, which predict the context-dependent relevance of certain DNA elements and highlight their role in different diseases, from cancer to rare neurodegenerative disorders.
For Episode 33 of the BioRevolution podcast, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow are joined by CTO and co-founder of Berlin-based biotech LUCID Genomics, Dr. Hossein Moeinzadeh, to discuss the exciting field of non-coding DNA and how LUCID’s AI algorithm can help make sense of non-coding DNA — and how this could improve diagnoses of rare diseases and beyond.
Learn more about LUCID genomics AI tool here: https://www.lucid-genomics.com/technology
Find Dr. Hossein Moeinzadeh here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mhossein-moeinzadeh/
Disclaimer:
Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.
Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:
scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow
Image:
via Unsplash.
The biochemistry of the mystical – a psychedelics renaissance?
2025/04/01
When the Swiss chemist synthesized and tested the psychedelic compound LSD in the 1930s, he knew he had found a tool to explore the human mind.
Indeed, before psychedelics became illegal in the late 1960s, a mountain of evidence had been produced, showing potential benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy for depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.
After a decades-long hiatus, research on psychedelics as a treatment for psychiatric diseases is experiencing a renaissance—and initial results look promising.
While the field has seen a setback with the recent request for more data by the FDA for the approval of MDMA for PTSD, research into different psychedelic compounds continues, promising new hopes to battle worldwide mental health crises.
In the newest episode of the BioRevolution podcast, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow discuss the history, the promise, and the risks of psychedelics as treatments for psychiatric diseases with neuroscientist, psychedelics expert, and executive coach Galyna Pidpruzhnykova
https://www.linkedin.com/in/galynapidpruzhnykova/
https://www.galynapipdpruzhnykova.com/
Galyna also outlines her efforts to develop a psychedelics strategy to battle the mental health crisis in Ukraine, where the Ministry of Health published a draft law for research on psychedelic compounds just a few days after we recorded this podcast.
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7308180815761330176/
Disclaimer:
Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.
Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:
scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow
A question of trust - Why we need science
2025/03/03
This time on the BioRevolution podcast: science itself.
While recent surveys show persistently high trust in science worldwide, certain scientific topics have become the subject of intense societal and political debate. This politicization of science puts scientists in a difficult position when they are trying to argue based on facts.
The value of facts and evidence-based science seems to be increasingly questioned by those in power and by those in control of assets. If those who make laws and regulate science don’t see evidence and consensus as reliable resources anymore, what will become of progress in biomedicine, which feeds innovation in biotech, pharma, and medicine?
Disclaimer:
Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.
Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:
scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow
Image:
via Photoshop AI.
Further reading:
https://nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/2023-04/EndlessFrontier75th_w.pdf
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-02090-5
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-024-03909-2
https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2024/11/14/public-trust-in-scientists-and-views-on-their-role-in-policymaking/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00525-1
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8793038/
https://www.wissenschaftskommunikation.de/wie-lange-vertraut-man-uns-noch-83325/
https://www.nopatientleftbehind.org/defending-the-foundation-of-american-science
https://theweek.com/science/distrust-science-politics-2024-public-trust-vaccines-milk-pandemic
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11004618/
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00238-x
https://www.forbes.com/sites/innovationrx/2025/02/19/innovationrx-recursion-launches-fund-for-biotech-startups-hit-by-nih-funding-cuts/
More Boom or…Bust – What to expect from AI in biotech in 2025?
2025/02/03
In some respects, 2024 has been a record year for AI in biotech, with the $1 billion founding of the antibody-centered biotech company Xaira and the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry to DeepMind researchers Demis Hassabis, John Jumper, and David Baker. However, despite years of investment and innovation, we still lack an answer to the most pressing question: Will AI revolutionize drug development, or are we in a bubble that is about to burst?
In episode 30 of the BioRevolution podcast, Andreas Horchler and Louise von Stechow explore various use cases for AI in biotech—from discovery to clinical development, from chemistry to biology, and from data-centric to algorithm-centric AI strategies—trying to assess where the biggest payoff will be.
Disclaimer:
Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.
Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:
scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow
Image:
Lucas Favre, via Unsplash.
Further reading:
1. OpenAI has created an AI model for longevity science | MIT Technology Review
2. https://www.techlifesci.com/p/a-google-maps-of-human-cells
3. https://www.cas.org/resources/cas-insights/scientific-breakthroughs-2025-emerging-trends-watch#:~:text=Scientific%20breakthroughs%3A%202025%20emerging%20trends%20to%20watch%201,7%20Quantum%20computing%20getting%20practical%20...%20Weitere%20Elemente
4. Biotech Stocks Prepare For Action In 2025. Weight-Loss Drugs, AI And Trump 2.0 Are The Catalysts. | Investor's Business Daily
5. Regeneron CSO George Yancopoulos on AI’s hype and potential
6. Science in 2025: the events to watch for in the coming year
7. Artificial intelligence and obesity management: An Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) Clinical Practice Statement (CPS) 2023 - PMC
8. Novo Nordisk expands AI partnership with Valo Health for development of obesity drugs | Reuters
9. Profluent Unveils OpenCRISPR-1, an AI-Designed Gene Editor
10. OpenAI has created an AI model for longevity science | MIT Technology Review
11. Clinical trial trends in 2025: Investments, wearables, and AI
12. What will be the key trends in AI innovation in the Pharmaceutical Industry in 2025?
13. Deep Genomics Introduces the Most Advanced AI Foundation Model for RNA Disease Mechanisms and Candidate Therapeutics | Deep Genomics
14. U of T researchers develop new approach using quantum computers to accelerate drug discovery | Temerty Faculty of Medicine
15. Quantum-computing-enhanced algorithm unveils potential KRAS inhibitors | Nature Biotechnology
16. What are AI 'world models,' and why do they matter? | TechCrunch
17. Empowering biomedical discovery with AI agents: Cell
18. https://youtu.be/CWEWBgVwFc8?si=dqLn2_qGflGf19xL
19. Virtual lab powered by ‘AI scientists’ super-charges biomedical research
20. A New Kid On the Block: AI World Models In Biotech
21. 2025 AI Trends: Life Sciences Leaders on Data, Digital and AI | ZS
22. Scaling gen AI in the life sciences industry | McKinsey
23. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/what-is-quantum-ai/
24. Key takeaways from FDA’s draft guidance on use of AI in drug and biological life cycle | DLA Piper
25. Navigating the EU AI Act: implications for regulated digital medical products | npj Digital Medicine
26. Isomorphic Labs CEO Demis Hassabis bets on biotech’s AI future
27. De novo designed proteins neutralize lethal snake venom toxins | Nature
28. A policy framework for leveraging generative AI to address enduring challenges in clinical trials | npj Digital Medicine
29. TrialGPT: NIH algorithm uses AI to match patients to clinical trials | Association of Health Care Journalists
30. The promise and perils of synthetic data | TechCrunch
31. Profluent | Edit
New year old me – no biohacks needed
2025/01/03
2025: For millions of people, the new year starts with the self-promise to improve, to quit smoking, alcohol, to get in shape, to stay young and attractive, to basically create and become a new me. While traditionally new year vows meant to relinquish, today there seem to be many helpers in the form of biohacking.
Beginning with diets and not ending with technical devices.
While there are real shortcuts and fake abbreviations to reach some of those goals, there´s also traditional ways. In "New year old me – no biohacks needed", Louise von Stechow and Andreas Horchler try to distinguish what´s worth trying and what to avoid.
Disclaimer:
Louise von Stechow & Andreas Horchler and their guests express their personal opinions, which are founded on research on the respective topics, but do not claim to give medical, investment or even life advice in the podcast.
Learn more about the future of biotech in our podcasts and keynotes. Contact us here:
scientific communication: https://science-tales.com/
Podcasts: https://www.podcon.de/
Keynotes: https://www.zukunftsinstitut.de/louise-von-stechow
Image:
Lucas Favre, via Unsplash.