EP 132: From mammoths to genome editing, trailblazing genetics with Dr. George Church
April 25, 2024
In this episode, we are excited to welcome George Church, Professor at Harvard Medical School and MIT, and Co-founder of Eugit Therapeutics, Colossal Biosciences, Arrived AI, and eGenesis. He is also the Director of PersonalGenomes.org, the world's only open-access information hub for human genomic, environmental, and trait data, as well as an IARPA BRAIN Project and the NIH Center for Excellence in Genomic Science. If that weren’t enough, George was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world in Time Magazine’s 2017 Time 100 list. In 2022, he was featured among the most influential people in biopharma by FiercePharma, where he was listed among the top 8 most famous geneticists in human history. All to say, you won’t want to miss this episode with a genetics superstar!
0:00 Introduction
1:00 George’s upcoming big projects, including developing full recycling, renewing energy, creating bioweather maps, and harnessing citizen science
6:45 Progress in engineering viral resistance in humans, including thoughts from pre- and post- pandemic
11:00 A swapped genetic code that prevents viral infections and gene transfer by manipulating tRNAs
13:45 George’s guiding principles for his personal and professional life
20:15 Tinkering with unknowns and complex systems: gene drives, germline genetic engineering, and bringing back extinct species
29:40 George’s creative process and how he became a prolific innovator
36:00 Debunking the science behind Jurassic Park, and the potential of bringing back the mammoth
41:30 George’s decision to make his medical information, including his genome, open source
48:00 Societal views on genome editing, embryos, and germline mutations
54:00 Closing remarks