15 Comments

I respectfully disagree that this might not have the same interest as Cal football or basketball.

What could be more exciting than articles about how Cal is engaged in the most compelling “game” of all: How Cal’s All-stars are fighting for “every yard” in the contest between life & Covid-19 death?

Use your writing gifts & love for Cal to inform us of how Cal is engaged in this battle. I guarantee that I for one will pour over every word.

Expand full comment

I enjoyed the old series, and I'm glad to see it coming back to roost.

Let us spread light and goodness over all the West.

Expand full comment
author

Glad to find my one fan!

Expand full comment

Keep posting! I'll keep reading. Calarchitect 75...

Expand full comment
author

We're definitely doing our best to keep the content stream going (one way or another). These kinds of posts will probably be few and far between as the readership just isn't there, though. These are saved for unique situations like Nobel wins or global crises.

Expand full comment

thanks for this. really interesting.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks for reading!

Expand full comment
author

Any idea what's involved in FDA approval for a diagnostic test such as that based on CRISPR? Especially one for which I doubt the method of gaining a sample to test on is particularly novel? Does the FDA concern itself with validating the test accuracy as well, to avoid misdiagnosing patients?

Expand full comment

TBB prob has a better overall idea because my memories are a bit hazy and waaaaay old. But when I worked for a biotech lab while I was at Cal, they were developing an HIV test for urine. Could have been a huge game-changer since peeing in a cup is a lot easier than sticking folks w/ a needle. We were working with a test using fluorescent antibodies(ELISA) to evaluate urine samples. To confirm the results, we were comparing them against a Western Blot test that used blood. The FDA kept throwing up all sorts of hoops to ensure accuracy. The test clearly worked, but they kept wanting to see more and more data. It was a bit baffling because I think they typically use an ELISA to screen and then confirm it with a Western Blot to give 99% overall accuracy. Eventually, this company ran out of funding. My cynical old self now suspects that there was a lot of Big Pharma lobbying money behind the scenes preventing this test from coming to the market.

Expand full comment
author

I don't know what I did to earn the honor of Kod's presence. Plus, this is some great insight into FDA processes.

Expand full comment
author

Unfortunately, I have no idea, but I had the same question. Call Dr. TheBuckeyeBear? She probably knows.

Expand full comment

I wasn't a CGB member that first time around. Thanks for the info.

Expand full comment
author

You weren't missing out on much. You're welcome to peruse the archives to see that for yourself.

Expand full comment
author

I for one is happy about the return of this series, even if I am not one of the writers for this site. Maybe a too late suggestion for the name is maybe "Enlight for California" to keep it rhyming with Write/Fight?

Expand full comment
author

Y'know, I didn't even think about keeping the rhyming. I was just thinking of all kinds of "[verb] for California", but this is intriguing...

Also, what do you mean you aren't a writer?? Is this your two-weeks notice?

Expand full comment