A Personal View of California Innovators and Combatting Pandemic

by Matt Gardner, California Technology Council

Years ago, as the CEO of BayBio, I had the honor of giving Kary Mullis our lifetime achievement award for his work on polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the foundational life science tool for which he won a Nobel Prize.

PCR was one of the core discoveries that drove Cetus Corporation in the early years of biotechnology in the Bay Area. It continues to be a scientific workhorse for biotech companies and academic labs around the world.

In the present circumstances, PCR is still a major contributor at times like this, when COVID-19 calls for a rapid diagnostic capability.

This spirit of innovation continues to be an inspiration in California. It’s a point of pride that CTC member Verily has stepped up with a unique integration of datasets to contribute to the hunger for knowledge and information in the response to COVID-19.

When presented with challenges, it makes us especially proud that our entrepreneurial community contributes in these myriad ways to the solutions.