Arthur Greene
Dog turd Moderna, anyone? Fox poo Pfizer?
A UK company has begun sifting through animal faeces in the hope that it holds the key to developing vaccines for future pandemics.
The experts at DIOSynVax examine the genetic sequences of the viruses inside the animal poo.
The company is currently developing two new vaccines which it believes will remain effective long after the current crop of Covid-19 vaccines.
So technically, the vaccines in development will not actually be made out of animal dung, but if they’re successful, we’ll have the animals and their bowel movements to thank.
One of the scientists, Jonathan Heeney, told the Financial Times he scans the poo-covered floors of bat caves, and inspects the faeces of pangolins and civet cats.
“By looking at animals, we’re better able to protect ourselves from the next pandemic or the next virus that is likely to cause a disease,” he told the publication.
