Relentless #41 - Jake Adler, Founder & CEO of Pilgrim
Aug 25, 2025
Jake Adler, Founder & CEO of Pilgrim, specializes in advancing military medicine and biosecurity. In their conversation, he tackles the complexities of bioweapons and the evolution of trauma care on the battlefield. Adler also discusses revolutionary virus detection through nanopore sequencing and its implications for public health. He reflects on the anthrax legacy and innovations in medical antidotes, alongside personal insights on sleep optimization. Lastly, he emphasizes the urgent need for enhanced biosurveillance systems to tackle emerging biological threats.
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Edisonian Engineering Beats Pure Novelty
- Pilgrim repackages existing academic advances into deployable devices using pragmatic engineering (e.g., Dyson impeller for intake).
- The company emphasizes rapid translational assembly over reinventing core science.
Sequence, Don’t Just PCR, For Real-Time Detection
- Argus uses air intake, nucleic-acid extraction and nanopore sequencing to detect and characterize pathogens without prior primers.
- Real-time sequencing lets you spot mutations (e.g., H5N1 spillover risk) that PCR-based systems miss.
Amerithrax Shows Insider Bio Risk
- Adler retells the 2001 Amerithrax letters and the investigation linking spores back to USAMRIID personnel.
- He uses the case to warn about insider risk and misuse of high-containment materials.
