GLP Podcast: Anti-smoking drug fights COVID; Designer babies unethical? Scientists invade social media GMO debate

• How snake venom and a smoking cessation drug inspired a nasal spray that blocks COVID

Chantix, a popular smoking cessation drug, could be turned into a COVID-fighting nasal spray. Preliminary research indicates that the quit-smoking pill’s active ingredient prevents SARS-COV-2 from attaching to ACE2 receptors on the surface of cells in our nose and eyes. The drug has already been shown to be safe in humans, potentially speeding its approval as a COVID-19 treatment, but its efficacy is a question yet to be explored in clinical trials.

• Separating hype from reality in the coming era of gene-enhanced ‘designer babies’

The day is coming when soon-to-be parents won’t have sex in hopes of conceiving a child; they’ll instead head to the IVF clinic to select embryos based on their propensity to develop genetic disorders. Several biotech companies already offer their customers rudimentary versions of this service, but the ethical debate over pre-implantation embryo screening is far from settled, especially at this early stage. Will it give prospective parents reliable results? And if it does, and we can spare our children life-threatening conditions, should governments require us to use it?

After years of watching anti-GMO and anti-vaccine groups dominate the conversation on social media, scientists have finally struck back. With increasing numbers of academics jumping into the debate, the activists are gradually losing their control over how society thinks about the safety of crop biotechnology and vaccines. How did this tremendous shift occur?

Recommended Twitter follows: @clgood and @cjsnowdon

Kevin M. Folta is a professor, keynote speaker and podcast host. Follow Professor Folta on Twitter @kevinfolta

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Follow ACSH on Twitter @ACSHorg