Ep 41: Feng Zhang: CRISPR and Understanding the COVID-19 Virus

On today’s episode of Catalysts for Change, Jill talks to Feng Zhang, a founder of CRISPR, McGovern Investigator and professor in MIT’s Departments of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and of Biological Engineering. A core member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, today’s conversation with Feng focuses on COVID-19 testing, vaccines, vaccine shortages, virus variants, and more relevant issues.

Having graduated from both Harvard and Stanford, Feng joined MIT and the Broad Institute in 2011 and became a full professor in 2018. Feng’s work utilizing CRISPR technology has been nationally recognized and his research and tools have helped further developments in biomedical research. Feng’s recent work has been understanding the COVID-19 virus and helping develop new tests in detecting the virus.

We talk to Feng about his work and CRISPR tools, as well as his current endeavors surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, testing, vaccines, and the rise of new variants in different parts of the world. This information is extremely relevant as the country moves forward in the rollout of different vaccines and addressing the virus.

To learn more about Feng’s work at the Broad Institute, you can click here. If you would like to read more about Feng’s background and important information on COVID-19, check out the links below.

Resources:

• Here is more information about Feng and his background

• Here is the website for Feng’s Lab, The Zhang Lab

• Here is an article detailing Feng’s work around COVID-19 testing

• Here is the report on detecting COVID-19 using CRISPR technology

• Here is more information about how CRISPR technology works