Magic, Chocolate, and Nanomedicine: In Conversation with Prof. Robert S. Langer

As a prolific inventor and entrepreneur, Prof. Robert S. Langer’s discoveries enabled the development of long-acting therapeutics, tissue engineering, and mRNA vaccines amongst many others. He is the most cited engineer in history, and recipient of over 200 prestigious awards.

In a recent interview in ACS Nano Medicine, Prof. Langer outlined his scientific desire to combine a study of chemistry and engineering to improve medicine. This led him to embrace nanomedicine as means of innovating in drug delivery and diagnostics.

He discusses the challenges around translation of foundational discoveries into practical medical breakthroughs. Nanomedicine is ahead of many fields, yielding breakthroughs such as Covid-19 vaccines and new approaches to cancer treatment.

AI has the potential to provide new breakthroughs. But he cautions that the training data sets need to be robust, comprehensive, and well controlled. Many preclinical models are still not good representations of human biology.

No career in science is smooth running of course. It is inherently unpredictable. Prof. Langer discusses how mentors helped him keep positive and motivated to overcome the barriers. He provides practical advice to young researchers who will inevitably encounter tough challenges in their research life.

He also reveals his secret relaxation: magic tricks, especially for children. And his love for chocolate. There is even a chocolate treat named for him: "Dr. Bob’s."

Is there a future for therapeutic nano-encapsulated chocolate? That would surely be magic for the many people who share Prof. Langer’s sweet tooth and passion for scientific discovery.