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As the Coronavirus disrupts nearly every aspect of our daily lives, medical professionals are working around the clock to develop treatments and a vaccine that will allow us to defeat this disease. Although we're still months away from a vaccine available for mass distribution, we are moving at unprecedented speed to bring a solution to market thanks in part to synthetic biology -- a process that allows us to modify DNA and create new outcomes. But what really is synthetic biology and why is it important to the development of a vaccine? How can we use this type of technology in the future, and what are the economic and ethical questions that come with it? 

To explore these questions, this week on the NEW Look podcast Rep. Gallagher is joined by Matt McKnight, Chief Commercial Officer at Ginkgo Bioworks. Matt isn’t just a good dude – he’s a Harvard Business School graduate that has been at the forefront of synthetic biology in the private sector for some time, and full of insight into how the field will not only be used to defeat this virus, but also to revolutionize the future. In addition to sharing his insights on synthetic biology, Matt also discusses some of his favorite books, his experience in the Marine Corps, and lessons he’s teaching his kids from home school.