Uploaded March 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Will gain-of-function research create a supervirus that will kill the majority of the world's population? Or is it necessary to stop a pandemic? In this episode, I speak to Dickson Despommier about this topic, as well as the differences between religion and science, and the pitfalls of faith based reasoning.
Dr. Despommier is the host of two podcasts:
This Week in Virology: microbe.tv/twiv
This Week in Parasitism: microbe.tv/twip
He's also a talented photographer:
despommierphotoart.com
Chapters:
0:00 - Solo intro. Who is Dr. Dickson Despommier?
01:38 - Interview begins. Why did Serene choose Dickson?
02:41 - Tardigrades
04:01 - Banning idea makes them more interesting.
05:00 - I have a very fluid version of a podcast
05:38 - New Orleans, Michelin stars
06:43 - The origins of Michelin stars
08:34 - Vertical farming for restaurants
10:00 - Dickson’s podcasts
12:37 - Eliot pops by!
13:03 - Serene’s biggest weakness
13:39 - Managing a venture with someone else
14:28 - Beginning of gain-of-function explanation: Microbiology
16:09 - What has the biggest genome of any living thing?
16:59 - Ploidy and diploid cells
17:29 - What has DNA but is not alive?
17:58 - What the heck is a virus?
19:08 - Why do viruses have nucleic acids but no nucleus?
20:24 - Viruses contain snippets of your DNA. How the heck did they get it?
24:20 - Viruses are PIECES of your DNA?
28:11 - An amazing course on virology
28:57 - Different types of viruses
30:43 - Race doesn’t exist (in DNA)
31:33 - The best way to do a Coursera course (not an ad)
33:56 - Spike proteins
34:09 - Electron microscope image of Coronavirus
42:59 - People think gain-of-function is evil
43:52 - How do viruses succeed?
47:06 - How does MRNA vaccine work?
52:49 - Antibodies and Immune systems
54:15 - Why do vaccines make our cells grow spike proteins?
57:49 - Cooking shows and antibodies
1:01:23 - Gain-of-function research to prevent pandemics
1:11:29 - The man who made polio from scratch
1:15:18 - Why we want to find an animal that can infect humans
1:18:23 - Can gain-of-function create a supervirus? + Smallpox
1:28:37 - Was Covid made in a lab?
1:40:13 - The Difference between science and religion
1:52:45 - Serene does an Australian accent
1:54:42 - PSA for my listeners with AIDS
1:57:27 - Dickson’s advice - how do you get your podcast out there?
1:59:58 - Dickson suggests a title
2:00:00 - Faith can lead us to do terrible things…
0:33:59 - What are spike proteins? (Why you can’t get a plant virus)
0:34:09 - Picture of a Coronavirus under electron microscope
0:37:58 - How do people study viruses?
0:42:59 - Germ Warfare is incredibly dangerous
0:43:52 - How do viruses succeed? (mutation rateL)
0:47:06 - How does an RNA vaccine work?
Will gain-of-function research create a supervirus that will kill the majority of the world's population? Or is it necessary to stop a pandemic? In this episode, I speak to Dickson Despommier about this topic, as well as the differences between religion and science, and the pitfalls of faith based reasoning.
Dr. Despommier is the host of two podcasts:
This Week in Virology: microbe.tv/twiv
This Week in Parasitism: microbe.tv/twip
He's also a talented photographer:
despommierphotoart.com
Chapters:
0:00 - Solo intro. Who is Dr. Dickson Despommier?
01:38 - Interview begins. Why did Serene choose Dickson?
02:41 - Tardigrades
04:01 - Banning idea makes them more interesting.
05:00 - I have a very fluid version of a podcast
05:38 - New Orleans, Michelin stars
06:43 - The origins of Michelin stars
08:34 - Vertical farming for restaurants
10:00 - Dickson’s podcasts
12:37 - Eliot pops by!
13:03 - Serene’s biggest weakness
13:39 - Managing a venture with someone else
14:28 - Beginning of gain-of-function explanation: Microbiology
16:09 - What has the biggest genome of any living thing?
16:59 - Ploidy and diploid cells
17:29 - What has DNA but is not alive?
17:58 - What the heck is a virus?
19:08 - Why do viruses have nucleic acids but no nucleus?
20:24 - Viruses contain snippets of your DNA. How the heck did they get it?
24:20 - Viruses are PIECES of your DNA?
28:11 - An amazing course on virology
28:57 - Different types of viruses
30:43 - Race doesn’t exist (in DNA)
31:33 - The best way to do a Coursera course (not an ad)
33:56 - Spike proteins
34:09 - Electron microscope image of Coronavirus
42:59 - People think gain-of-function is evil
43:52 - How do viruses succeed?
47:06 - How does MRNA vaccine work?
52:49 - Antibodies and Immune systems
54:15 - Why do vaccines make our cells grow spike proteins?
57:49 - Cooking shows and antibodies
1:01:23 - Gain-of-function research to prevent pandemics
1:11:29 - The man who made polio from scratch
1:15:18 - Why we want to find an animal that can infect humans
1:18:23 - Can gain-of-function create a supervirus? + Smallpox
1:28:37 - Was Covid made in a lab?
1:40:13 - The Difference between science and religion
1:52:45 - Serene does an Australian accent
1:54:42 - PSA for my listeners with AIDS
1:57:27 - Dickson’s advice - how do you get your podcast out there?
1:59:58 - Dickson suggests a title
2:00:00 - Faith can lead us to do terrible things…
0:33:59 - What are spike proteins? (Why you can’t get a plant virus)
0:34:09 - Picture of a Coronavirus under electron microscope
0:37:58 - How do people study viruses?
0:42:59 - Germ Warfare is incredibly dangerous
0:43:52 - How do viruses succeed? (mutation rateL)
0:47:06 - How does an RNA vaccine work?
