University of California San Diego officials have confirmed a $15 million cryptocurrency donation to fund research into airborne diseases. The announcement was made on Tuesday.
The generous gift was given by Vitalik Buterin, the world’s youngest crypto billionaire. His vaunted tech company Ethereum Money moves around the world, and Buterin emphasized the importance of freely sharing data in public health initiatives.
“In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that there is a need for more open-source scientific research to gain a better understanding of airborne pathogens and pollutants and the consequences they have on us,” he said in a press release.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, UCSD will utilize the funds to launch the Meta-Institute For Airborne Disease And Changing Climate. This interdisciplinary initiative will be studying aerosolized pathogens and their possible effects on health, including allergies, asthma, and quickly-spreading conditions.
The institute will be exploring questions such as: How long do airborne microbes last? How far can they travel? Are there any global areas with a higher concentration of airborne pathogens?
The institute will be headed by Rommie Amaro, Professor of Theoretical and Computation Chemistry and Co-Director of The Visible Molecular Cell Consortium. It will be housed at the university’s School of Biological Sciences, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and School of Physical Sciences.
Kim Prather, Atmospheric Chemist and Founding Director of the National Science Foundation-funded Center For Aerosol Impacts On Chemistry And The Environment, will spearhead the new venture. She said: “We will be combining forces with healthcare professionals, infectious disease doctors, engineers, respiratory specialists and scientists to answer questions that few have ever thought of before.”
The institute will be exploring the health implications of breathing in aerosolized bacteria and viruses, as well as waterborne pollution. Prather recently linked sewage contamination spilling over from Tijuana to airborne bacteria in Imperial Beach.
This is the largest donation of cryptocurrency to date given to the American university. A local company that provides services to nonprofits exchanged the gift for US dollars.