Nina Fedoroff takes us around the world to understand where the Zika virus came from, what impact it is having on women and children, and how it is now spreading in the United States. She proposes a new solution for stopping the virus; not fumigation or pesticides, but by using biology and genetics to stop the infected mosquitoes from multiplying. But there are roadblocks in the way, driven by fear and bureaucracy.

Nina V. Fedoroff received her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the Rockefeller University and has served on the faculties of the Carnegie Institution for Science, the Johns Hopkins University, the Pennsylvania State University, and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. Fedoroff has published three books and more than 160 scientific papers. She is a member of the U. S. National Academy of Sciences and a 2006 National Medal of Science laureate.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx