What's Next? The Future with Bill Gates · Episode 5
What's Next? The Future with Bill Gates, Can We Outsmart Disease? What the evidence says about infectious disease
What the episode covers, where infectious disease stands on the 311 Starburst and what leaders should take from it.
What it covers
About the episode
The final episode asks whether technology and science can help eradicate infectious diseases, with contributions from public health experts.
- Broadcaster
- Netflix
- Made by
- Tremolo Productions
- Episode
- Series 1, episode 5
What the evidence says
Where infectious disease stands in 2026
The 311 Starburst maps when each emerging technology and trend is expected to reach wide use. These are the entries that match this subject, with their status today.
- Technology · BiotechDNA Vaccines
DNA vaccines carry a small piece of DNA that tells your cells to make part of a germ. Your body learns to fight it without meeting the live germ.
- Expected wide use
- 2035
- Status in 2026
- Explore
- Readiness
- TRL 9 of 9
- Technology · BiotechSelf-Amplifying mRNA
Self-amplifying mRNA is a vaccine or drug molecule that copies itself inside cells. It makes more protein for longer, so much smaller doses are needed.
- Expected wide use
- 2036
- Status in 2026
- Watch
- Readiness
- TRL 8 of 9
- Trend · SocietalEpidemics and Pandemics
- Expected wide use
- 2020
- Status in 2026
- Act now
- Trend · SocietalPandemic Preparedness Retreat
- Expected wide use
- 2027
- Status in 2026
- Act now
- Trend · Pharmaceuticals & Life SciencesLate Stage AI Drugs
- Expected wide use
- 2031
- Status in 2026
- Explore
Source: the 311 Starburst, researched by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit (data built 2026-10-28). Status rings: Act now means wide use by 2027, Prepare 2028 to 2030, Explore 2031 to 2035, Watch 2036 or later. Explore the Starburst Centre.
311 analysis
What leaders should take from it
- Pandemic risk has not gone away while preparedness is in retreat; keep your continuity plans current.
- New vaccine platforms shorten the time from outbreak to protection; health and life sciences leaders should track them.
- AI-designed drugs are reaching late-stage trials; expect faster and cheaper discovery to reshape the pipeline.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
Next steps
Take this subject to your leadership team
A private briefing turns what is on screen into decisions for your organisation, in person first, anywhere in the world.
Answers
Common questions
Can we eradicate infectious disease?
Some diseases can be, but it takes decades. The 311 Starburst treats epidemics and pandemics as an Act now trend and places DNA vaccines in its Explore ring.
More episodes