In Episode 20 of On AIRR, Dr. Lauren Williamson and Dr. Robert Carnahan, both from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Dr. Matthew Vogt, from the University of North Carolina, share extreme stories of sample collection that reveal how cutting-edge therapeutic antibody development depends as much on donor generosity and complex global logistics as on scientific innovation.

From dramatic efforts to secure the first U.S. donor samples in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, to rescuing lost samples from airport corridors and navigating international politics, these stories highlight the critical timing windows, global coordination, and human collaboration required to develop life-saving therapeutics. Throughout these extraordinary stories runs a thread of human generosity, demonstrating how crisis can bring out the best of human nature.

Comments are welcome to the inbox of onairr@airr-community.org or on social media under the tag #onAIRR. Further information can be found here: https://www.antibodysociety.org/the-airr-community/airr-c-podcast.

The episode is hosted by Dr. Ulrik Stervbo and Dr. Zhaoqing Ding.

Announcements and links

• Lauren Williamson https://www.vumc.org/crowe-lab/person/lauren-williamson-phd
• Robert Carnahan https://www.vumc.org/crowe-lab/person/robert-carnahan-phd
• Matthew Vogt https://www.vogtviruslab.com
• Other:
  • ReVAMPP https://revampp.org
  • Adaptive Immune Receptor Repertoire Community (AIRR-C) https://www.airr-community.org
  • The Antibody Society (TAbS) https://www.antibodysociety.org
  • AIRR-C Seminar Series: https://www.antibodysociety.org/the-airr-community/airr-community-seminar-series/