Texas Biomed is featured in Scientific American’s podcast as part of deep dive into the ongoing bird flu outbreak.
(July 2, 2025) — Science Quickly, a podcast by Scientific American, has released a three-part series detailing everything you need to know about bird flu. The third episode invites journalists and listeners into Texas Biomed’s labs to learn about how our scientists research and develop potential vaccine candidates against bird flu. Reporters speak with Professor Luis Martinez-Sobrido, Staff Scientist Ahmed Elsayed and graduate student Ramya Smithaveni Barre.
The podcast description notes:
From visiting dairy farms to touring cutting-edge virology labs, we’ll explore what scientists have learned about bird flu—and why it poses such a potential risk to humans…H5N1 avian influenza infections have gone from flocks of chickens to herds of cattle and humans. Scientists at Texas Biomedical Research Institute are taking their best guess at the strains of the virus that could spread and are creating critical vaccine candidates.
Listen to: This is How We Fight Bird Flu If H5N1 Becomes the Next Human Pandemic
This San Antonio, Tex., lab takes biosecurity seriously. Suit up with its scientists and go behind the scenes of the science of vaccine creation.
Credit: Naeem Amarsy/Scientific American
Check out the complete series to see how different aspects of scientific research fit together to prepare for a potential bird flu pandemic:
Part 1: How Bird Flu Became a Human Pandemic Threat
The first hints that a new strain of avian illness is emerging could be found on this beach on Delaware Bay, where migrating birds flock. Here’s what virus detectives who return there every year know right now.
Part 2: Why Dairy Farmers Were Surprised by Bird Flu Cases in Their Herds
The bird flu was long known to poultry farmers. Here’s why the dairy industry was caught off guard by its jump to cattle.
Part 3: This is How We Fight Bird Flu If H5N1 Becomes the Next Human Pandemic
This San Antonio, Tex., lab takes biosecurity seriously. Suit up with its scientists and go behind the scenes of the science of vaccine creation.