Episode #13 Thinking Small and Big - Microencapsulation with Robert Langer

Body of Wonder

Dr. Robert “Bob” Langer joins us to discuss his work microencapsulating probiotics, micronutrients, and even human cells. Microencapsulating is the scientific process which creates a protective barrier around a cell and has been a lifesaving technology for a variety of conditions. Researchers are just on the cusp of nano-encapsulating technology. Dr. Langer, a chemical engineer and Institute Professor at MIT, has been called “the Edison of Medicine” by Times for his breakthrough innovations. He has over 1,350 patents and it’s estimated that over 2 billion people worldwide have been impacted by his innovations. From an early career as a chemical engineer working in Boston Children’s Hospital, where he developed the world’s first angiogenesis inhibitor (a medicine that prevents cancer growth by starving tumor blood vessels) to his present-day work developing a novel mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Langer’s career has been full of innovation. Dr. Victoria Maizes and Dr. Langer discuss how cross-discipline collaboration in the sciences and diversity play an important role in innovation. Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Langer discuss how microencapsulating probiotics will improve gut health and how microencapsulating nutrients could yield better long-term health outcomes in populations lacking nutrient dense foods. We also discuss tissue regeneration, the process of growing new skin, which is already being applied to treat burn survivors. Dr. Langer’s scientific contributions are testament to what’s possible when you think outside the status quo and nurture imagination.