Podcasts evolve. So do viruses and other biological threats. In response, the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense at Atlantic Council has taken its examination of scenarios involving biological weapons, accidents, and naturally occurring pandemics to the next level and created The Biollywood Podcast. In this podcast, we talk about biological threats and the popular culture media they appear in.
Learn more about the Commission at https://biodefensecommission.org/
Artistic Direction by Nate X. O’Brien
In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense at the Atlantic Council, Asha M. George, Associate Director for Research, J.T. O'Brien, Associate Director for Government Relations and Policy, Robert Bradley, and Wendy Villalta, Assistant Director for Operations, discuss the 2022 foreign language film "Virus 32" and its implications for disease outbreaks, transmission, and mutation. Premise: A virus spreads throughout the city, causing the infected to become vicious hunters. Iris and her daughter become caught in the massacre, discovering 32-second periods of calm before each attack.
The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense is within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at Atlantic Council. Learn more about the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense here.
Follow us on X (@Biodefensecomm), LinkedIn, and Facebook for more updates.
Email us with recommendations on what to review next: biollywood@biodefensecommission.org
27 Aug 2026
Doom (2005)
In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense at the Atlantic Council, Asha M. George, Associate Director for Research, J.T. O'Brien, and Associate Director for Government Relations and Policy, Robert Bradley, discuss the 2005 film "Doom" - starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Karl Urban - and its implications for astrobiodefense, biosafety and biosecurity, and genetic modification.
Premise: In the year 2046, the Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC) operates a top-secret research facility on Mars called Olduvai. When a distress signal reports a containment breach, a squad of Marines known as the Rapid Response Tactical Squad (RRTS) is deployed via "the Ark" (a teleportation gate) to secure the facility.
They arrive to find the staff slaughtered or mutated into grotesque creatures. The threat isn't supernatural, but biological: an ancient Martian "24th Chromosome" (C24) that has been weaponized as a serum. The squad must contain the threat before it can spread to Earth via the Ark, leading to a brutal conflict between duty, ethics, and survival.
The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense is within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at Atlantic Council. Learn more about the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense here.
Follow us on X (@Biodefensecomm), LinkedIn, and Facebook for more updates.
Email us with recommendations on what to review next: biollywood@biodefensecommission.org
30 Jul 2026
NCIS: Origins S02E10 - Lean on Me (2026)
In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense at the Atlantic Council, Dr. Asha M. George, Associate Director for Research, J.T. O'Brien, and Associate Director for Government Relations and Policy, Robert Bradley, discuss S02E10 of NCIS: Origins, Lean on Me. We are joined by special guest, Patrick Cady, who directed the episode.
Patrick is an Emmy-nominated cinematographer-turned-director known for his visual storytelling on acclaimed series like Bosch and Insecure. He began his career working with legendary filmmaker John Sayles on films like Passion Fish and Sunshine State, and his cinematography credits include the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Girlfight. As a director, he has helmed pivotal episodes of Rectify, Interrogation, and the series finale of Bosch.
Premise: A Marine captain, Brian Polanco, stumbles into the NIS office at Camp Pendleton exhibiting symptoms that initially appear to be intoxication. When Gibbs attempts to place him in the drunk tank, Polanco begins seizing violently. Paramedics arrive and suspect the Lenkah virus—a fictional pathogen with a 95% mortality rate that last appeared in 1924—triggering a full office quarantine and lockdown. With Mike Franks sidelined by a thrown-out back and most of the team trapped at a bar offsite, Gibbs finds himself as the senior agent in charge during what appears to be a bioterrorism event.
The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense is within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at Atlantic Council. Learn more about the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense here.
Follow us on X (@Biodefensecomm), LinkedIn, and Facebook for more updates.
Email us with recommendations on what to review next: biollywood@biodefensecommission.org
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YouTube views
182,269
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 40 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
35
Social presence
0
YouTube
82
Engagement
32
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