meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Times Tech Podcast

Color Genomics’ Othman Laraki: “A crystal ball for cancer”

The Times Tech Podcast

Will Morley

Business, Unknown, Technology

4.9654 Ratings

🗓️ 6 July 2018

⏱️ 48 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The Sunday Times tech correspondent Danny Fortson brings on Othman Laraki, founder of Color Genomics, to talk about taking genomics to masses by reducing the cost by an order of magnitude (4:45), the importance of genetic counselling (6:45), the ‘value for money’ equation (12:35), how data is treated (14:55), starting the company after leaving Twitter (20:35), the slow evolution of genomics’ role in consumer health (23:00), how these tests may be abused by insurers (25:50), raising $150m (28:45), the coming healthcare revolution (31:15), and choosing treatable diseases (34:20). PLUS: Ellen Matloff, a genetic counselor and founder of My Gene Counsel, to talk about whether ignorance is bliss (36:40), the danger of misdiagnosis (38:25), why consumer genetics is here to stay (41:20), and why your genetic data may already be in a company’s hands (43:00).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Yo, technology. What is it all about? There is so much value in being able to move the stage of

0:08.7

disease treatment from late to early, so much value in being able to prevent things instead of

0:12.6

treating them. Genetics as well as other data from our bodies is such a high signal that

0:18.3

I can't imagine it not being used.

0:27.0

Hello and welcome to Danny in the Valley, your weekly dispatch from behind the scenes and inside the minds of the top people in tech.

0:30.0

We have a bit of a different show for you this week.

0:34.3

So a little while ago, I sat down with Offman Laraki, who is the founder of

0:40.5

Color Genomics, which is one of a new generation of these direct consumer genomics companies

0:47.1

who are promising to really usher in a new era of medicine. And it's an era that has been coming

0:53.9

for a very long time. It was, after all,

0:58.1

back in 2000 that President Bill Clinton, looking fresh-faced and well-fed, had announced

1:04.8

too much fanfare the completion of the Human Genome Project. Nearly two centuries ago, in this room, on this floor,

1:17.6

Thomas Jefferson and a trusted aide spread out a magnificent map.

1:23.6

A map Jefferson had long prayed he would get to see in his lifetime.

1:30.1

The aid was Maryweather Lewis, and the map was the product of his courageous expedition

1:35.0

across the American frontier all the way to the Pacific.

1:40.0

It was a map that defined the contours and forever expanded the frontiers of our continent and our imagination.

1:49.8

Today, the world is joining us here in the East Room to behold a map of even greater significance.

1:56.6

We are here to celebrate the completion of the first survey of the entire human genome.

2:02.8

Without a doubt, this is the most important, most wondrous map ever produced by humankind.

2:09.9

Of course, there have been huge advances on the back of that breakthrough 18 years ago.

2:14.6

But the predicted blossoming of a brave new world of preventative medicines where everyday

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Will Morley, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Will Morley and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.