4 ms·

Reminiscent of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) [1] where there were and are ongoing patent disputes for the last 30 years. The highly esteemed Eric Lander,

by Gatsky 5y ago

Reminiscent of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) [1] where there were and are ongoing patent disputes for the last 30 years. The highly esteemed Eric Lander, founding director of the Broad Institute, who recently got turfed out of the Whitehouse for being an asshole following testimony by 14 different staffers [2], wrote a highly biased reinvention of history around CRISPR published in Cell [3] which was severely criticised [4,5]. To this day, this highly cited 'review' still does not have a conflict of interest statement. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerase_chain_reaction#Patent_disputes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerase_chain_reaction#Pate... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Lander#Science_Advisor_to_the_President https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Lander#Science_Advisor_to... [3] https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(15)01705-5 https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(15)01705-5 [4] https://www.statnews.com/2016/01/25/why-eric-lander-morphed/ https://www.statnews.com/2016/01/25/why-eric-lander-morphed/ [5] https://www.michaeleisen.org/blog/?p=1825 https://www.michaeleisen.org/blog/?p=1825

selimthegrim 5y ago
The "Whig History of CRISPR" article [1] by Nathaniel Comfort that Eisen quotes is one of the most jaw-dropping rebuttals I have ever seen of anything ever. When Lander was named by Biden to high office I just sat back and waited for the shoe to drop. [1] https://genotopia.scienceblog.com/573/a-whig-history-of-crispr/ https://genotopia.scienceblog.com/573/a-whig-history-of-cris...
riemannzeta 5y ago
Actually, one of the fascinating facts about the history of PCR is that Kary Mullis didn't optimize to make billions on the patent rights. In his Nobel acceptance speech, he reminisces about how a coworker told him to quit his job and start another company before submitting an invention disclosure on PCR, but he didn't do that. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1993/mullis/lecture/ https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1993/mullis/lect... My friend Ron Cook, who had founded Biosearch, and produced the first successful commercial DNA synthesis machine, was the only person I remember during that summer who shared my enthusiasm for the reaction. He knew it would be good for the oligonucleotide business. Maybe that’s why he believed it. Or maybe he’s a rational chemist with an intact brain. He’s one of my best friends now, so I have to disqualify myself from claiming any really objective judgement regarding him. Perhaps I should have followed his advice, but then things would have worked out differently and I probably wouldn’t be here on the beach in La Jolla writing this, which I enjoy. Maybe I would be rich in Tahiti. He suggested one night at his house that since no one at Cetus had taken it seriously, I should resign my job, wait a little while, make it work, write a patent, and get rich.
- ISL 5y ago
  Oh, wow, that's a great Nobel lecture. Thank you for sharing.

by Gatsky 5y ago

selimthegrim 5y ago

The "Whig History of CRISPR" article [1] by Nathaniel Comfort that Eisen quotes is one of the most jaw-dropping rebuttals I have ever seen of anything ever. When Lander was named by Biden to high office I just sat back and waited for the shoe to drop. [1] https://genotopia.scienceblog.com/573/a-whig-history-of-crispr/ https://genotopia.scienceblog.com/573/a-whig-history-of-cris...

riemannzeta 5y ago

Actually, one of the fascinating facts about the history of PCR is that Kary Mullis didn't optimize to make billions on the patent rights. In his Nobel acceptance speech, he reminisces about how a coworker told him to quit his job and start another company before submitting an invention disclosure on PCR, but he didn't do that. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1993/mullis/lecture/ https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1993/mullis/lect... My friend Ron Cook, who had founded Biosearch, and produced the first successful commercial DNA synthesis machine, was the only person I remember during that summer who shared my enthusiasm for the reaction. He knew it would be good for the oligonucleotide business. Maybe that’s why he believed it. Or maybe he’s a rational chemist with an intact brain. He’s one of my best friends now, so I have to disqualify myself from claiming any really objective judgement regarding him. Perhaps I should have followed his advice, but then things would have worked out differently and I probably wouldn’t be here on the beach in La Jolla writing this, which I enjoy. Maybe I would be rich in Tahiti. He suggested one night at his house that since no one at Cetus had taken it seriously, I should resign my job, wait a little while, make it work, write a patent, and get rich.

ISL 5y ago
Oh, wow, that's a great Nobel lecture. Thank you for sharing.