College-Dropout CEO Bets It All on New Covid Test

Curate, a startup led by Fred Turner, pivoted from sepsis diagnostics to COVID-19 testing, becoming a major player in California's testing efforts. They developed an oral fluid test that allows for self-collection, enabling large-scale testing. The company aims to scale up to a million tests per week and contribute to vaccine and drug development. Turner's background in agricultural genomics and his decision to drop out of Oxford to pursue entrepreneurship are highlighted. Curate's mission is to end the pandemic by increasing testing capacity and supporting clinical trials.

What was Curate's original focus before shifting to COVID-19 testing?

• Sepsis diagnostics

• Cancer diagnostics

• Genetic testing

• Viral infections

What is a key advantage of the oral fluid test used by Curate?

• It is less accurate than other tests

• It requires a healthcare worker to administer

• It is more invasive than nasal swabs

• It can be self-collected

How does Curate ensure the accuracy of their oral fluid test?

• By limiting the test to symptomatic patients

• By using only nasal swabs

• Through clinical studies showing good sensitivity

• By requiring a healthcare worker to administer the test

What was Fred Turner's field of study before founding Curate?

• Physics

• Computer science

• Agricultural genomics

• Biochemistry

What is Curate's mission regarding the COVID-19 pandemic?

• To become the largest testing company in the world

• To put themselves out of business by ending COVID-19

• To expand into other countries

• To focus solely on vaccine development

What is one of the future goals for Curate mentioned in the transcript?

• To focus on cancer research

• To open new labs in Europe

• To scale up to a million tests per week

• To develop a new type of COVID-19 vaccine

What strategy does Fred Turner suggest is necessary to bridge to a vaccine?

• Focusing only on symptomatic individuals

• Relying solely on herd immunity

• Large-scale testing to enable reopening

• Complete lockdown until a vaccine is available