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PATRICK KEHOE; PHILLIPPY SOURCE PHOTO: NATIONAL HUMAN GENOME RESEARCH INSTITUTE; CANNON-BROOKES: RENEE NOWYTARGER—THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD/GETTY IMAGESZAUNER: ART PARTNER LICENSING; SCHATZ SOURCE PHOTO: WILL KIRK—JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY; MIGA SOURCE PHOTO: NICK GONZALES—UC SANTA CRUZ; EICHLER SOURCE PHOTO:

Mike Cannon-

BBrookesrookes

Investing in a greener futureInvesting in a greener future

B Y A L G O R EB Y A L G O R E

MichaelMMMMichael Schatz, Kichael Schatz, Kichael Schatz, Kichael Schatz, KSchatz,Karenaren Maren Maren Maren MMiga,iga, iga, iga, iga,

Evan Eichler & Adam Phillippy

Decoding the human genome

BY JENNIFER DOUDNA

dodo using the data in hand. usingthedatainhand.

In addition, overcomnaddition,overcominging

the technical challenges hetechnicalchallenges

to getting the mogettingthemissingissing in-in-

formationformation wasn’t possible wasn’tpossible

untiluntil recently. But the mrecently.Butthemoreore

wewe learn about the genomlearnaboutthegenome,e,

the mhemoreore we understand weunderstand

that every piece of the puz-hateverypieceofthepuz-

zlezle is mismeaningful.eaningful.

I admire the T2T group’s

willingness to grapple with

the technical demands

of this project and their

persistence in expand-

ing the genome map into

uncharted territory. The

complete human genome

sequence is an invaluable

resource that may provide

new insights into the origin

of diseases and how we can

treat them. It also off ers the

most complete look yet at

the genetic script underly-

ing the very nature of who

we are as human beings.

Doudna is a biochemist and

winner of the 2020 Nobel

Prize in Chemistry

Telomere-to- Telomere

Consortium (T2T) of

scientists that they led,

we can see the full map

of the human genomic

landscape—and there’s

much to explore.

In the scientifi c com-

munity, there wasn’t a con-

sensus that mapping these

missing parts was neces-

sary. Some in the fi eld felt

there was already plenty to

Australia is a coun-

try with abundant try with abundant

sunshine. In fact, sunshine. In fact,

it has one of the it has one of the

highest levels of highest levels of

solar-power poten-solar-power poten-

tial of any country tial of any country

in the world. Yet it in the world. Yet it

is also one of the is also one of the

slowest to move slowest to move

away from coal.away from coal.

Mike Cannon- Mike Cannon-

Brookes is working Brookes is working

to change that. He to change that. He

is one of the vision-is one of the vision-

aries and major aries and major

backers (along with backers (along with

his fellow Austra-his fellow Austra-

lian green- lian green- business business

champion Andrew champion Andrew

Forrest) behind a Forrest) behind a

groundbreaking groundbreaking

project that will project that will

allow Australia to allow Australia to

not only harness not only harness

its potential for its potential for

solar power, but also solar power, but also

export it. A 2,600-export it. A 2,600-

mile undersea cable mile undersea cable

(approximately the (approximately the

length of a cross- length of a cross-

country drive from country drive from

Boston to Phoenix) Boston to Phoenix)

will connect a mas-will connect a mas-

sive new solar farm sive new solar farm

and energy- and energy- storage storage

site in northern Aus-site in northern Aus-

tralia to Singapore, tralia to Singapore,

producing around-producing around-

the-clock power.the-clock power.

And he’s not And he’s not

stopping there. stopping there.

When one of the When one of the

country’s biggest country’s biggest

energy utilities energy utilities

announced plans announced plans

that would enable that would enable

its coal plants to its coal plants to

continue spewing continue spewing

greenhouse-gas pol-greenhouse-gas pol-

lution for another lution for another

two decades, two decades,

Ever since the draft of

the human genome be-

came available in 2001,

there has been a nagging

question about the ge-

nome’s “dark matter”—

the parts of the map that

were missed the fi rst time

through, and what they

contained. Now, thanks

to Michael Schatz, Karen

Miga, Evan Eichler, Adam

Phillippy, and the entire

Cannon-Brookes

put his fi nancial put his fi nancial

fi repower behind fi repower behind

efforts to move the efforts to move the

utility away from utility away from

coal and toward coal and toward

clean energy.clean energy.

Cannon-Cannon-

Brookes’ innova-Brookes’ innova-

tive investments tive investments

and vocal and vocal

advocacy for advocacy for

decarbonizing the decarbonizing the

private sector are private sector are

redefi ning the role redefi ning the role

of climate activ-of climate activ-

ism in business ism in business

and investment.and investment.

Gore is a former Gore is a former

Vice President of Vice President of

the United States, the United States,

and founder and and founder and

chairman of the chairman of the

Climate Reality Climate Reality

ProjectProject