Science speaker George Church is PersonalGenomes.org’s Director and teaches genetics at Harvard Medical School. PersonalGenomes.org is a website that offers publicly available information on Environmental data, Human Genomic, and Trait data. In 1984, the first-ever methods for molecular multiplexing, direct genome sequencing, and barcoding were seen in his Harvard PhD. Ten years later, the first genome sequence was obtained as a result of his methods.

George’s discoveries have influenced almost every method and company that dealt with “next-generation” genomic sequencing. This, together with stem cell engineering and chip-based DNA synthesis, led to the creation of other application-based businesses in the sectors of therapeutics, synthetic biology, and medical diagnostics. Among his other accomplishments are the development of biosafety, new privacy, and biosecurity and environmental policies. George Church is also in charge of the National Institutes of Health’s Center for Excellence in Genomic Science. Among George’s accolades is the Franklin Bower Laureate for Achievement in Science. There are 60 patents, 370 papers, and a book under his name.

In his book Regenesis, George explores synthetic biology and its potentials. Synthetic biology allows the creation of new species of organisms by deliberately altering part of their genomes.

In 1984, speaker George Church created the Genome Project, enabling people to share their traits, genes, and environmental data with other individuals globally. In 2005, he launched the Harvard University Personal Genome Project. This aims to sequence and publish medical information and genomes of 100,000 individuals so that their data can be available to the general public. 

George is part of President Obama’s BRAIN Initiative, where he aims to use his human genome expertise for brain research. The initiative’s goal is to learn as much as possible about the brain to progress neuroscience while also developing new treatments for brain illnesses.

Church has appeared on numerous tv programs, including Charlie Rose, NOVA, and The Colbert Report. He has also worked as an advisor for 22 biotech businesses, 12 journals, and 5 granting agencies.

In 2021, he co-founded Colossal, whose mission is to turn Earth into a better state. Furthermore, Church is aiming to create a hybrid of an Asian elephant and woolly mammoth by adding three genes from mammoths into Asian elephant cells.