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Nobel Prize Winner Reveals the Tiny Molecule Changing Medicine Forever

Harvard professor Gary Ruvkun, winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, joins Ben Kaplan to talk about the discovery of microRNAs, how it shattered scientific orthodoxy and sparked a biotech revolution.
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Daniel Hoffer

Managing Partner

Dan Hoffer has experience as a General Partner at seed fund Speedinvest and as a Partner at seed fund Tandem Capital (where 2 of his portfolio companies were acquired).

He also has experience as a Managing Director at multi-stage fund Autotech Ventures where 7 of his companies exited (3 IPOs + 4 acquisitions), and as a former Entrepreneur in Residence at Benchmark Capital.

He also served as co-founder and CEO of CouchSurfing (a global travel website with more than 25 million members). Daniel has appeared on the cover of Inc. magazine and has been a guest lecturer at Stanford GSB and Harvard Business School.

What do tiny worms, RNA strands, and a 9600-baud modem have in common?They all played a role in one of the most groundbreaking discoveries in modern biology.

Ruvkun breaks down how these microscopic molecules act like DNA hotfixes and why the next wave of biotech innovation might start in the most unexpected places. From antiviral therapies to the power of public science, this is a masterclass in curiosity, discovery, and the future of medicine.

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About Gary Ruvkun

Gary Bruce Ruvkun is an American molecular biologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Listen on Spotify:

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/ben-kaplan20/episodes/Nobel-Prize-Winner-Reveals-the-Tiny-Molecule-Changing-Medicine-Forever-e35u3lb/a-ac2k83r

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