Scientific MOOCs follower. Author of Airpocalypse, a techno-medical thriller (Out Summer 2017)


Welcome to the digital era of biology (and to this modest blog I started in early 2005).

To cure many diseases, like cancer or cystic fibrosis, we will need to target genes (mutations, for ex.), not organs! I am convinced that the future of replacement medicine (organ transplant) is genomics (the science of the human genome). In 10 years we will be replacing (modifying) genes; not organs!


Anticipating the $100 genome era and the P4™ medicine revolution. P4 Medicine (Predictive, Personalized, Preventive, & Participatory): Catalyzing a Revolution from Reactive to Proactive Medicine.


I am an early adopter of scientific MOOCs. I've earned myself four MIT digital diplomas: 7.00x, 7.28x1, 7.28.x2 and 7QBWx. Instructor of 7.00x: Eric Lander PhD.

Upcoming books: Airpocalypse, a medical thriller (action taking place in Beijing) 2017; Jesus CRISPR Superstar, a sci-fi -- French title: La Passion du CRISPR (2018).

I love Genomics. Would you rather donate your data, or... your vital organs? Imagine all the people sharing their data...

Audio files on this blog are Windows files ; if you have a Mac, you might want to use VLC (http://www.videolan.org) to read them.

Concernant les fichiers son ou audio (audio files) sur ce blog : ce sont des fichiers Windows ; pour les lire sur Mac, il faut les ouvrir avec VLC (http://www.videolan.org).


Venter plans to sequence "between 40,000 and 100,000 genomes a year."

"Craig Venter, the scientist who made a name for himself more than a decade ago by challenging the NIH-funded Human Genome Project, has a new venture. Last week he announced Human Longevity, Inc. The company, according to their press release, is “focused on extending the healthy, high performance human life span” and is going to “tackle the diseases associated with aging-related human biological decline”.



"Given Venter’s background, it’s no surprise that genomics plays a big part in this effort. They plan to sequence between 40,000 and 100,000 genomes a year. To do that, they’ve purchased two of Illumina’s new high-end DNA sequencing devices, the HiSeq X Ten, which is advertised as able to sequence a complete human genome for the long-sought-after price of $1,000. (...) Illumina will make a lot of money from selling their machines and consumables, and will get some free ancillary marketing as well. (...) Human Longevity has stated that cancer is one of their areas of focus and the NIH is already engaged in sequencing thousands of cancer samples in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project. However, recent estimates have been, as outlined in a recent New York Times article, that 100,000 tumors will have to be sequenced to identify a majority of genes involved in cancer. Given that TCGA has only about ten percent of that number, it’s worth wondering whether the NIH will be willing to spend the money for such an effort, given that they’ve already spent hundreds of millions of dollars on it."

Will it be Marketable?

 

"(...) Unless the NIH is willing to drastically increase TCGA’s budget in these days of flat budgets, I’d say he [Venter]  has a good shot at cataloging a lot of new cancer mutations. What those mutations are worth commercially, and whether they will allow Human Longevity to be profitable, is the big question."
 

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