As the world continues to grow, there are more mouths to feed. With emerging markets, biotechnology in the agricultural sector contributes to market stability and aids in providing the resources necessary to continue economic growth in the developing world. On every continent, these shifts are apparent and farmers and the agribusiness are striving to adapt accordingly. From drought resistant seeds in Africa to growing metropolitan areas in South America, agribusiness is engineering, not only...

The discussion of “designer babies” often revolves around gender or hair color, but the medical debate is far more complicated. Should we screen embryos for disease or other genetic modifications? These considerations raise ethical questions and call into question the validity of surrounding research. The lack of regulation and oversight make this particular biotechnology frightening to some, while the potential for disease eradicating techniques excites others. But how far is too far? What...

Maintaining an edge is one thing, but letting our edge in innovation dull has repercussions for the amount of food we can produce, the quality of life we live, and the potential for the next thing that will change the world. Are we keeping pace? Are the private sector, government, and the academy disrupting enough to innovate more or is there a stagnation that threatens continued development? Are certain parts of the world innovating better than other parts, who are the major catalyzers, and...

Understanding the “blueprint of life” is the key to applying technology to biology. Computing power and DNA sequencing have opened an entire new field in medicine, making it possible to customize treatment and combat disease based on personal genetic profiles. With the dramatically falling cost of sequencing, it is easier to perscribe preventative medicine based on known disease risk. Pairing an engineer with a cancer doctor, this conversation will explore new healthcare technologies and...

A microchip is an integrated circuit. What do you call a microchip integrated into the circuit of our brains? The answer is Dr. Theodore Berger’s research. It is not science fiction but complex science that is working to replicate the electrical and chemical codes that neurons send out when retrieving memories. Beginning with successful tests in rats and monkeys, Berger has now begun human testing in the last year. What will this research lead to in ten years and what does this mean for the...

What does it take to feed the next billion? How is it done sustainably and what innovations are being made to keep up the pace? Who is part of the dialogue and at seven billion and quickly counting, what have we already sacrificed to get here? The numbers are daunting. How, in the next decade and beyond, will we feed the next billion people with less land, less water, and a changing climate? Robert Fraley, Peggy Clark

Will open source platforms drive faster drug delivery to market? How do regulators keep up with those sorts of platforms? Kenneth L. Davis, Ezekiel Emanuel