The “Church Lab” at Harvard University in Boston, USA, is known worldwide as one of the most creative labs in the scene of the molecular biology and genetics. George Church, 65, born as a pilot’s son on an air force base in Florida, and laid the foundations for the genetic decoding of the human and is strongly in favour of the techniques broadly applicable, currently in the fight against the pandemic.
FOCUS: Where can I reach you?
George Church : I am three months in Lockdown. But I’m working more and harder than before. The laboratory, which I direct, is conducting research on some aspects of Covid-19.
“, This Coronavirus is not an easy opponent,”
FOCUS: what are the chances that this year is a vaccine against the Sars Coronavirus-2 will come to market are?
Church: First of all, a vaccine has to work. But I would like to promise anything. There are many hurdles in the Virology and the immunology. Who says that there is a vaccination for the phenomenon of infection-enhancing antibodies comes, therefore, proteins, which promote the uptake of the Virus into a cell? A vaccine is not a way to build like a new iPhone. This Coronavirus is not an easy opponent.
“billions of saliva samples in a short period of time
FOCUS: you recommend another strategy.
Church: We have another tool in the Hand, the instruments of mass tests. The technology exists to verify millions, Yes billions of saliva samples in a short period of time, to identify those infected persons, and each individual via assigning a Barcode of the respective Person. The collective term for Next Generation Sequencing reads. These devices are inconspicuous, but have tremendous capacity. The positively tested persons temporarily under quarantine and diligent contact tracing, the Virus within a few weeks to eliminate. Germany – Your chances
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FOCUS: How to do this?
Church: The Virus is required for new infections to Survive. If the infected people within that period of time you can infect others, keep the Public away, the Virus soon. Possibly, the elimination succeeds after three Test runs on a regional, national and finally global level.
“Test may only cost a Dollar”
FOCUS: In what intervals, and what costs would need to be tested?
Church: Weekly, daily, what is it like to organize. Maybe a fortnightly rhythm would be the most realistic. Each Test could cost in the end, only a Dollar.
FOCUS: you do not Need to anticipate resistance among the citizens?
Church: The largest resistance of the citizens at present, however, the Corona, due to losing his job.
FOCUS: As a scientist and as an entrepreneur, you help to make the individual decoding of the human genome easier, faster and cheaper. What the Individual has of it?
Church: , The everyone should discuss with his doctor. It is different, if you take responsibility for the next Generation. There are a myriad of diseases, their cause in a faulty Gene is.
FOCUS: your lab is one of the pioneers in the Genschere Crispr/Cas9. Anyone could get in the foreseeable future a Nobel prize for it?
Church: there was recently, for Genome Editing, the the DNA of plants, animals and humans changed in a targeted manner. Also Crispr/Cas9 is used. I do not think that in such a small distance a Nobel prize for one thing from the same area will be awarded.
resurrection of the mammoth
FOCUS: you work on it, the extinct mammoth in the Arctic regions auferstehenzu can. What is the meaning of this project?
Church: This is only a small part of what we do. But I, myself, have brought from Siberia samples of six frozen, 43.000 years old mammoth, and evaluated. The crucial genes we transfer to the Asian elephant. They are very closely related to mammoths.If their offspring graze on the tundra floor, back turned slowly in the grass landscape, he used to be. This mulch binds significantly more carbon dioxide.
FOCUS: The Whole, a climate protection project?
Church: To 99 percent, Yes. Maybe it pays off one day, economically.
“Covid-19 is a terrible disease,”
FOCUS: you just spoke at the innovation conference DLD, Hubert Burda Media hosts, where the FOCUS is. Your round of discussions was held as a Webinar. The Trend towards video conferencing has also be Good?
Church: Covid-19 is a terrible disease. But events such as this pandemic can also be catalysts. I may currently be in a day in Boston, Germany and China are present. Such a thing is beneficial to the environment.
FOCUS: there Is already a lesson that you draw from the pandemic?
Church: , The Coronavirus is not the last that will occupy us in our lifetime. There’s a lot of other pathogens are still waiting. Our Chance is to change our relationship to the environment. We should eat less meat.
FOCUS: you do without it?
Church: Since 1973, I am vegan.
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