Dr. Wangxue Chen is a research scientist at the National Research Council of Canada. Dr. Chen’s research focuses on vaccine developme against various bacterial pathogens, including Francisella tularensis. This bug is normally found in rabbits, but it is considered one of the most dangerous bacteria because if it gets into your lungs, it can lead to a fatal disease.  It was developed into a bioweapon by a number of countries, and has to be worked on under high-level biocontainment (BSL3) conditions. Dr. Chen discusses what makes particular organisms biothreats, and how scientists are trying to come up with vaccines and other therapies to neutralize these scary bugs.

Discussants (in alphabetical order):