Not many AI companies have expeditions to the rainforest on the calendar, or need scientists who’ve lived in Antarctica on the payroll.
“One of them was the diving instructor for Jason Momoa,” said Philipp Lorenz, chief technology officer at Basecamp Research. “She’s one of our field scientists.”
advertisement
Basecamp, headquartered in London, positions itself as the “bridge between biodiversity and biotech.” Its partnerships with local organizations around the globe aim to help communities understand and preserve their local biodiversity. However, those partnerships also provide genome sequences to feed the ever-ravenous beast of AI models that companies hope will one day spit out biomolecules that Mother Nature has not yet birthed herself.
STAT+ Exclusive Story
Already have an account? Log in
Get unlimited access to award-winning journalism and exclusive events.