The Future of Science and Biotech

A lot has happened in the scientific field since the epic Covid-19 pandemic. Globally, scientists are now being recognized a lot more especially in general social gatherings and otherwise. Once a largely marginalized community is now being put up on a higher pedestal. And rightly so. Ok not at par with soccer stars and movies stars but we will get there. ;) The speed at which we developed vaccines, diagnostics and drugs to combat the pandemic and save lives is unprecedented to say the least. A dear author friend of mind was astonished when one of my own scientific venture was progressing rapidly as to how can science move so fast. He must have been surprised to see how the vaccines that usually took 10 years to make could be made and delivered in under a year!! Science and technology is progressing much more rapidly than you can grasp was my response. Of course, it also depends on the will and tenacity of the researchers behind the translational project.

Academic and fundamental research takes tremendous effort, time and numerous failures and successes to prove a certain hypothesis, sometimes decades. However, translational research that works on the back of proven scientific hypothesis requires careful planning of experiments that result in the end product that becomes a drug, diagnostic or a medical device. Data shows FDA has significantly increased its approval times of all these scientific products since 2011. The notoriously slow and behemoth organization has realized the importance of bringing inventions that serve public, quicker, as the delays will only result in worsening health or even worse increased death count which puts significant burden on healthcare systems.

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