COVID-19 Tech Collaborations: Adaptive And Microsoft Map Immune System Responses

Sequencing immune cell responses to diseases and mapping those responses to the specific antigens that triggered them, could help prevent the spread of future infectious diseases. “The human immune system is the best detection mechanism there is,” said Harlan Robins, chief scientific officer and co-founder of Adaptive Biotechnologies Corporation. Adaptive’s ongoing partnership with Microsoft, which is producing results on differing immune responses to COVID-19, is an example of how technology sector tools, specifically machine learning, can be leveraged in the fight against disease. “We have warning systems for viral computer threats, we just don't have any for actual viral threats,” said Robins.

The successful sequencing of the human genome at the turn of the millennium ushered in a new era of genomic...