If you find diseases before they've really emerged, you can control them early on, before you get a major epidemic.

If an alien visited Earth, they would take some note of humans, but probably spend most of their time trying to understand the dominant form of life on our planet - microorganisms like bacteria and viruses.

About 20 percent of the genetic information in your nose doesn't match anything that we've ever seen before.

Don't assume that what we currently think is out there is the full story. Go after the dark matter, in whatever field you choose to explore.

If you find diseases before they've really emerged, you can control them early on, before you get a major epidemic.

I work to create systems that can accurately detect pandemics early, determine their likely importance, and, with any luck, crush those that have the potential to devastate us.

The world can now maintain an acute infection in a way that is unprecedented in the history of life on our planet.