How biotech can prevent forest fires

The risk of forest fires is increasing—but biotech has solutions to put them out and even prevent them. For National Immunization Awareness Month, we have an exclusive interview with GSK’s Director of U.S. Vaccine Policy about how we can increase routine adult vaccination and access. (507 words, 2 minutes, 32 seconds)

How biotech can prevent forest fires

The tragedy in Maui is part of a trend of increasingly severe forest fires driven and exacerbated by changing climates. Biotech can help put them out—and prevent them.

A plant-based fire retardant: Stanford scientists developed a gel made from plant cellulose that does not wash away in the rain like traditional flame retardants. Though the gel eventually biodegrades, it can give months of protection.

Battling beetles: The pine beetle kills pine trees—and dead trees burn easiest and fastest. Scientists identified genetic variations in trees surviving the pine beetle and hope to develop trees resistant to the pest (and thus healthier and less likely to burn).

Most fires are started by people—but climate change doubled the number of large fires from 1984-2015 by creating warmer, drier conditions that increase the risk of fires, drying organic matter that burns and causes fires to spread, and lengthening the wildfire season.

Biotech is key to combating climate change—with solutions like low-carbon fuels, manufacturing, and agriculture, regenerative farming, low-emission fertilizers, and plants that capture more carbon, to name just a few.

Forests can be part of the solution: Genetically engineered trees can do more to pull carbon from the air, Bio.News previously reported.

Policy can enable biotech solutions for the planet—by streamlining regulation for gene editing trees and passing laws allowing small forest owners to participate in carbon markets. 

How data, policy, and public-private partnerships can boost immunization levels

We hear a lot about gaps in childhood immunization programs, but adults fall behind in vaccines, too. Bio.News spoke with GSK to learn what they’re doing about it.

The numbers: While many routine vaccines are federally supported, the 10% of Americans who are not insured miss out, said Thomas Acciani, Ph.D., Director of U.S. Vaccine Policy at GSK, in an interview with Bio.News.

The role of data: GSK partners with IQVIA on Vaccine Track, a platform to inform policy with data on vaccination rates. From 2019-2021, vaccinations for diseases like flu dropped 18% in adults over 19, the data shows, and by 2021, half of U.S. states had 30% reductions in overall claims for recommended vaccines, with Black and Hispanic populations hardest hit.

The role of the private sector: As federal support for vaccination measures wanes post-COVID, GSK’s COiMMUNITY Initiative partners with NGOs and community groups to maintain momentum and support vaccinations and data tracking.   

The role of policy: Billions in funding is now available via recent legislation, including the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which incorporated the Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act and the Helping Adults Protect Immunity (HAPI) Act, designed to eliminate cost-sharing for vaccines.

Why it matters: Although we need vaccines to maintain public health and prepare for future threats, vaccination rates still lag behind pre-pandemic levels. National Immunization Awareness Month is a good time to highlight the importance of vaccination.

Read more in Bio.News.

President Biden’s Tuesday: Promoting “Bidenomics” in a campaign stop at Milwaukee’s Ingeteam factory, which makes EV charging stations, days before GOP presidential hopefuls visit for their first primary debate, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: The House and Senate are in recess through Labor Day.