Biju Dharmapalan

Prof. George Church

Prof. George Church is a professor of Genetics at Harvard University and one of the world’s leading geneticists. In 1984, he developed the first direct genomic sequencing method, which resulted in the first genome sequence (the human pathogen, H. pylori). He helped initiate the Human Genome Project in 1984 and the Personal Genome Project in 2005. In the early 1990s, Church assisted in the development of an idea for nanopore sequencing that could help make sequencing quicker and more accessible for projects like the Human Genome Project.

Additionally, Church also began developing another sequencing technology called polony sequencing that enabled researchers to sequence millions of DNA strands at once. George invented the broadly applied concepts of molecular multiplexing and tags, homologous recombination methods, and array DNA synthesisers. As of 2021, Church is involved in multiple endeavours using genome engineering to create new biofuels, reverse human ageing, and revive extinct species through a process called de-extinction.

In 2012, Church was involved in promoting and working towards de-extinction, or a process that creates new proxies of extinct species through genetic engineering. That year, he published a book with Ed Regis titled Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature and Ourselves, in which the authors explore how biotechnology can make innovative new procedures possible, such as the creation of new renewable energy, the extension of human life, or the de-extinction of species.

In this special online interview with Biju Dharmapalan, he talks about his journey in science...read more