Biopreparedness: Developing vaccines for an eradicated disease

The accidental discovery of smallpox vials at the National Institutes of Health earlier this year quickly attracted the attention of the health and security communities. Smallpox was officially eradicated decades ago, and is only supposed to exist in two carefully guarded labs – and the National Institutes of Health isn’t one of them! This interview focuses on a biotech company that has spent the last 10 years developing a vaccine against what has so far been a non-existent disease. It discusses possible avenues for the re-emergence of smallpox, including the impact of developments in synthetic biology, and it gives an inside view on the biodefence industry and its unusual business model.