Are life-saving medicines hiding in the world's coldest places? | Normand Voyer
TED Health
TED
4.2 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 19 December 2023
⏱️ 18 minutes
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Summary
Could the next wonder drug be somewhere in Canada's snowy north? Take a trip to this beautiful, frigid landscape as chemist Normand Voyer explores the mysterious molecular treasures found in plants thriving in the cold. These scarcely investigated organisms could hold immense medical promise, he says — so long as we work quickly enough to discover them.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Ted Audio Collective This is Ted Health. |
| 0:15.0 | Your host, Dr. Shoshona Ungerlighter. |
| 0:19.0 | Imagine trekking through the icy landscapes of Northern Canada, not just for the breathtaking vistas, |
| 0:26.6 | but in search of microscopic wonders. |
| 0:30.1 | No, this isn't the plot of a sci-fi novel. |
| 0:33.2 | Enter the fascinating world of Normand Voihi, |
| 0:37.0 | a natural product chemist who believes that our planet's |
| 0:40.2 | coldest corners hide some of its hottest secrets. |
| 0:44.0 | Norman's quest to find peculiar fungi and strange lichens in the Arctic |
| 0:49.0 | is also a search for medical solutions that may one day save lives. |
| 0:54.0 | Again, this isn't the plot of a sci-fi novel. |
| 0:57.0 | In this Ted at Destination Canada talk, |
| 1:00.0 | Norman's quest for molecular marbles is a tale of exploration, curiosity, and serendipity. |
| 1:07.0 | Norman's quest to find peculiar fungi and strange lichens in the Arctic is also a search for medical solutions that may one day save lives. |
| 1:16.3 | Again, this isn't the plot of a sci-fi novel. |
| 1:19.6 | In this Ted at Destination Canada talk, |
| 1:22.8 | Normand's quest for molecular marvels |
| 1:25.5 | is a tale of exploration, curiosity, and serendipity. |
| 1:30.0 | Get ready to challenge your notion of treasure hunting, |
| 1:33.2 | and join Normand on his adventure, |
| 1:35.3 | where even the tiniest molecules might hold world-changing potential. |
| 1:39.7 | Hey, it's Adam Grant. |
... |
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