So Many Collaborations

I asked Gemini, "Who is The Cargo Cult Scientist?

"The term originated from a famous speech by physicist Richard Feynman called "Cargo Cult Science." He used the analogy of cargo cults in Pacific islands, who built elaborate mock runways and control towers in hopes of attracting cargo planes. Similarly, "cargo cult scientists" might go through the motions of research, collecting data and conducting experiments, but their work lacks the underlying foundation of scientific rigor and ultimately fails to produce meaningful results or contribute to genuine scientific understanding."

Okay then! Now let's look at a possible Cargo Cult Science project:

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency's (DTRA) Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO) for the Chemical and Biological Defense (CBD) Program has awarded, through the Medical CBRN [Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear] Defense Consortium (MCDC) requirement 22-05, "Adjuvant Activity to Vaccines Prototype," a 5-year contract totaling up to $31 million including program options to the team of Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc. (NYSE: DNA) and SaponiQx, Inc. (a subsidiary of Agenus Inc., NASDAQ:AGEN) to discover and develop next-generation vaccine adjuvants. Partners in adjuvant discovery and development since 2021, Ginkgo, which is building the leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity, and SaponiQx, developing a visionary adjuvant development platform, will use a combination of high-throughput empirical and artificial intelligence/machine learning approaches, including Generative Molecular Design (GMD), to develop superior novel saponin-based adjuvants. -BOSTON and LEXINGTON, Mass., Feb. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --

They are going to research and develop variants of naturally occurring compounds known as Saponins.

This is an important concept because the current method for obtaining saponins is to extract the compound from tree bark. The process is not environmentally friendly.

Back in 2021 "Vaccines are one of the most powerful tools we have to fight pandemics, but ensuring widespread access to efficacious vaccines continues to be a major challenge worldwide," says Jason Kelly, CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks. "We're proud that our platform is being used by companies across the vaccine supply chain to develop and manufacture the materials necessary for life-saving vaccines."

Currently SaponiQx has one adjuvant available for supply (QS-21) and two in the R&D phase (QS-7 and QS-X. They have zero job openings. They have been working with Ginkgo since 2021.

The problem with Cargo Cult Scientists, according to Gemeni, "their work lacks the underlying foundation of scientific rigor and ultimately fails to produce meaningful results or contribute to genuine scientific understanding."

The collaboration touted in the recent press release by Ginkgo and SaponiQX has actually been ongoing since 2021. Where are the fruits of this labor? Meaningful results or advanced scientific understanding?

Instead we have a word salad. Who is now involved in making SaponinQX successful?

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency's (DTRA) Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO) for the Chemical and Biological Defense (CBD) Program... through the Medical CBRN [Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear] Defense Consortium (MCDC) requirement 22-05, "Adjuvant Activity to Vaccines Prototype," ...Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc. (NYSE: DNA) and SaponiQx, Inc.

The Cargo? A 5-year contract totaling up to $31 million.