Heart disease is still the number one killer of Americans. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Americans who suffer heart attacks survive, but with a dramatically diminished quality of life. But now, the intersection of biotechnology and medical device development is making it possible to dramatically improve both long-term survival and quality of life for those who suffer serious heart attacks. Where does this technology stand? What are the implications for patients, investors, health care providers, and society in general?

The implications of the world's first "synthetic life form" rank with those of the first controlled nuclear chain reaction in 1942, or the construction of the first true digital computer, ENIAC, in 1946. Once again, mankind has transformed an enormously powerful scientific tool (in this case, genomics) into an earth-shattering, game-changing technology that can now be applied to extremely important, real-world problems. However, realizing the enormous benefits of this technology and minimizing its potential dangers require a proper response on the part of individuals, businesses, and government. How are policies and attitudes likely to evolve, and how should we think about these issues?

In less than 100 years, vaccines have utterly transformed the lives of billions of people. Pandemics like small pox and polio that once decimated entire civilizations are now unheard of in developed countries. Unlike antibiotics, vaccines work on viruses as well as bacteria, and they ensure that people never get a disease and spread it to others. Yet, despite the enormous progress that’s already been made, there are still huge opportunities for vaccines to save lives and generate big profits. We’ll examine what lies ahead and assess the implications for each of us as a human being, policy maker, and investor.