DNA Today: A Genetics Podcast

#352 Why Biotech Will Define the 21st Century


Listen Later

In this bold and wide-ranging conversation, Ian Wendt and Na-Ri Oh sit down with Andrew Craig—British investor, entrepreneur, and author—to explore how biotechnology is poised to shape the next century in the same way physics and computing shaped the last.

 

Craig draws on his decades of experience as a London and New York investment banker and as a former partner at WG Partners, where he advised more than 60 biotech companies and worked on marquee deals like the $7.6B sale of Nordia Bank and IPOs for brands like EasyJet and Burberry.

 

But his latest passion lies at the intersection of finance and innovation: making the case that our future is biotech, without a question mark.

 

This episode originally aired on RealPharma, which is one of 10 shows in our new science podcast network, Gene Pool Media. Thanks to everyone who has supported the network by following us @GenePoolMedia on social. Shoutout to the podcasts in our network, you should check them out!


  • RealPharma
  • Beyond The Thesis with Papa PhD
  • DNA Dialogues
  • It Happened To Me
  • #ThroughTheGenes
  • Demystifying Genetics
  • PhenoTips Speaker Series 
  • All Access DNA
  • Parálisis Cerebral Respuestas
  • Two brand new shows debuting later this year 

  • If you have a science podcast and are interested in joining the network, go to GenePoolMedia.com and click the “Apply” tab at the top right. Or just email me directly at [email protected]. I’d love to chat with you about the benefits of joining the network.

    Here and there we have been sharing episodes from other podcasts in the Gene Pool Media network.

     

    Topics Covered

     

    • Why biology will define the 21st century: Andrew outlines the structural and technological reasons biotech is primed for exponential impact.
    • CRISPR, AI, and the "exponential stack": How data storage, ML, and sequencing speed make today's breakthroughs possible.
    • Fixing Europe's biotech lag: The cultural, capital, and regulatory headwinds slowing biotech innovation in the UK and EU.
    • Rebuilding trust in pharma: Why good actors in drug development don’t get headlines—and how that hurts innovation.
    • From Oxford Biomedica to DNA-based storage: Vivid examples of tech cost reductions and where we're headed next.
    • The case for optimism: How to resist the press's negative bias and invest in human progress—literally.
    • Resources & Links
      • 📘 Andrew’s latest book: Our Future is Biotech on Amazon
      • 📕 His first bestseller: How to Own the World on Amazon
      • 🌐 Plain English Finance: www.plainenglishfinance.com
      • 🔗 Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andrewcraigpef
        Memorable Quotes

        “The last century was about physics and tech. The next one will be about biology—and by extension, biotech.”


        “If success begets success, then a crop of billion-dollar biotech companies in Europe can kickstart a self-sustaining cycle of innovation and investment.”


        “People forget that the smartphone they hold was a $100 million science project in the 1990s. Biotech is heading the same direction.”


        “We need to fight the narrative that pharma is inherently bad. There are good actors, and we must do a better job telling those stories.”

        Key Takeaway

        Biotech isn't just a sector—it's a structural solution to some of humanity’s greatest problems. From disease treatment to environmental restoration, the converging forces of AI, genetics, and biological engineering make this the most consequential time in science since the industrial revolution.

        Connect With Us

        Get ready, genetic nerds—another brand-new episode of DNA Today drops this Friday! You can always count on us to deliver fresh content every Friday. 

        While you wait, why not dive into our library of over 350 episodes? Binge them all on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or wherever you love to listen—just search “DNA Today.”

        Prefer watching? We’ve got you covered! For the past four years, we’ve been recording episodes with video, including some filmed at the iconic NBC Universal Stamford Studios. Check them out on our YouTube channel

        DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen, MS, LCGC, CG(ASCP)CM . Our Video Lead is Amanda Andreoli. Our Social Media Lead is Liv Davidson. And our logo Graphic Designer is Ashlyn Enokian, MS, CGC. 

        See what else we are up to on Instagram, X (Twitter), BluSky, Threads, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and our website, DNAToday.com. Questions/inquiries can be sent to [email protected]

        ...more
        View all episodesView all episodes
        Download on the App Store

        DNA Today: A Genetics PodcastBy Kira Dineen

        • 4.7
        • 4.7
        • 4.7
        • 4.7
        • 4.7

        4.7

        152 ratings


        More shows like DNA Today: A Genetics Podcast

        View all
        Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

        Science Friday

        6,213 Listeners

        Nature Podcast by Springer Nature Limited

        Nature Podcast

        759 Listeners

        Science Magazine Podcast by Science Magazine

        Science Magazine Podcast

        810 Listeners

        The Moth by The Moth

        The Moth

        27,122 Listeners

        This Week in Virology by Vincent Racaniello

        This Week in Virology

        2,054 Listeners

        This Week in Microbiology by Vincent Racaniello

        This Week in Microbiology

        512 Listeners

        TED Radio Hour by NPR

        TED Radio Hour

        21,896 Listeners

        JAMA Clinical Reviews by JAMA Network

        JAMA Clinical Reviews

        498 Listeners

        Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

        Hidden Brain

        43,452 Listeners

        Science Vs by Spotify Studios

        Science Vs

        11,810 Listeners

        Code Switch by NPR

        Code Switch

        14,539 Listeners

        The Science of Happiness by PRX and Greater Good Science Center

        The Science of Happiness

        1,885 Listeners

        The Genetics Podcast by Sano Genetics

        The Genetics Podcast

        44 Listeners

        Chasing Life by CNN

        Chasing Life

        8,218 Listeners

        People I (Mostly) Admire by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

        People I (Mostly) Admire

        2,095 Listeners