{"type": "project", "title": "Decentralised Pandemic Defence Network", "logoImg": "bafkreihp7rjomtpgixnoq5hnptqo75m7lg3chuobvyty3z4w53geulbsnm", "website": "https://pandemicdefence.carrd.co/", "createdAt": 1721253490157, "credentials": {}, "description": "A proof of concept for a decentralised pandemic defence network, focusing specifically on the early detection phase.\n\nPandemic preparedness is a critical topic and it's fairly clear that a lot of countries were underprepared for COVID. There are reasonable mechanisms to suggest that pandemics may increase in frequency (especially given the increasing availability of bioengineering combined with AI lowering the threshold for someone inexperienced to be able to do this).\n\nWe believe that every stage of pandemic defence should be decentralised and open source. \n\nLoosely speaking, combatting a pandemic involves both defensive measures (early detection, isolation, PPE, far-UVC, etc.) and offensive measures (eg vaccines and treatment). \n\nThere is already some innovation in this space supported by Vitalik and Balvi (moonshot anti-covid effort funded by @ShibainuCoin @CryptoRelief_) This includes vaccine development (RADVAC/PopVax), air monitoring systems/air cleaning, patient-led research into Long COVID, Epiwatch, real-time analysis of open-source data to provide better early warnings of outbreaks and more.\n\n**Vision**\nWe will focus on hardware-based early detection systems. This project will be formally initiated and worked on during ZuGeorgia (brainstorming, road-mapping and early prototyping phase).\n\nIn an ideal situation, a decentralised early warning system would consist of globally distributed real-time PCR/sequencing machines that can sequence novel pathogens (via air, water or surfaces)*. Though current costs and reagent requirements make this impractical for now, this project will lay the groundwork for future implementations.\n\n*Sequencing novel pathogens, especially via a portable machine is extremely difficult but may not be necessary. There is evidence showing pandemics can be predicted by detecting genotypic changes accumulating in the global viral population which precede pandemic emergence (ie this could warn you BEFORE a pandemic has emerged)\n\n**Proof of concept**\nThe proof-of-concept will be scoped out and road mapped during ZuGeorgia but as a reasonable starting point, using biosensors makes a pragmatic and achievable target to begin with.\n\nWe will build a system that is robust, tamper-proof and has mechanisms of verifying data.\n\nWe will brainstorm the ideal starting point but the working thesis is building a proof of concept using temperature sensors (eg laser temperature gun), with a mechanism that data is signed with private/public key pairing before data has left the device (ie so data is verified at source) along with zK for privacy. \n\nThis is a pragmatic starting point as the hardware is cheap and technologically not complicated whilst paving the way for other hardware devices to be added (eg a PCR machine but more likely connections with air-quality monitoring such as Open CPC)\n\nA temperature detection system, especially placed at locations with high footfall eg airport/train stations would be useful but likely not an optimal way of detecting pandemics (mainly because at this point, the pandemic has already started to spread, an ideal detection system would warn you before it has even emerged)\n\nThe point of this project is to have a proof of concept, where hardware that users can buy can be connected to a global system that generates verified open-source data contributing to pandemic surveillance. This will provide work others can build on, and encourage other devices (eg Open CPC) to connect to the same network.\n\n**Scoping work (to be done in ZuGeorgia)**\n\nScoping work will include (but not limited to)\n- Is a temperature sensor the best (ie low cost, easy enough to do) proof of concept or should we explore other options (water-based sensors, agriculture sensors or other)\n- How many real-time PCR devices placed around the world would provide sufficient cover?\n- Detailed cost analysis of different sensor types and deployment strategies.\n- Developing robust, tamper-proof enclosures and data verification systems.\n", "logoImgData": {}}
Decentralised Pandemic Defence Network
A proof of concept for a decentralised pandemic defence network, focusing specifically on the early detection phase.

Pandemic preparedness is a critical topic and it's fairly clear that a lot of countries were underprepared for COVID. There are reasonable mechanisms to suggest that pandemics may increase in frequency (especially given the increasing availability of bioengineering combined with AI lowering the threshold for someone inexperienced to be able to do this).

We believe that every stage of pandemic defence should be decentralised and open source. 

Loosely speaking, combatting a pandemic involves both defensive measures (early detection, isolation, PPE, far-UVC, etc.) and offensive measures (eg vaccines and treatment). 

There is already some innovation in this space supported by Vitalik and Balvi (moonshot anti-covid effort funded by @ShibainuCoin @CryptoRelief_) This includes vaccine development (RADVAC/PopVax), air monitoring systems/air cleaning, patient-led research into Long COVID, Epiwatch, real-time analysis of open-source data to provide better early warnings of outbreaks and more.

**Vision**
We will focus on hardware-based early detection systems. This project will be formally initiated and worked on during ZuGeorgia (brainstorming, road-mapping and early prototyping phase).

In an ideal situation, a decentralised early warning system would consist of globally distributed real-time PCR/sequencing machines that can sequence novel pathogens (via air, water or surfaces)*. Though current costs and reagent requirements make this impractical for now, this project will lay the groundwork for future implementations.

*Sequencing novel pathogens, especially via a portable machine is extremely difficult but may not be necessary. There is evidence showing pandemics can be predicted by detecting genotypic changes accumulating in the global viral population which precede pandemic emergence (ie this could warn you BEFORE a pandemic has emerged)

**Proof of concept**
The proof-of-concept will be scoped out and road mapped during ZuGeorgia but as a reasonable starting point, using biosensors makes a pragmatic and achievable target to begin with.

We will build a system that is robust, tamper-proof and has mechanisms of verifying data.

We will brainstorm the ideal starting point but the working thesis is building a proof of concept using temperature sensors (eg laser temperature gun), with a mechanism that data is signed with private/public key pairing before data has left the device (ie so data is verified at source) along with zK for privacy. 

This is a pragmatic starting point as the hardware is cheap and technologically not complicated whilst paving the way for other hardware devices to be added (eg a PCR machine but more likely connections with air-quality monitoring such as Open CPC)

A temperature detection system, especially placed at locations with high footfall eg airport/train stations would be useful but likely not an optimal way of detecting pandemics (mainly because at this point, the pandemic has already started to spread, an ideal detection system would warn you before it has even emerged)

The point of this project is to have a proof of concept, where hardware that users can buy can be connected to a global system that generates verified open-source data contributing to pandemic surveillance. This will provide work others can build on, and encourage other devices (eg Open CPC) to connect to the same network.

**Scoping work (to be done in ZuGeorgia)**

Scoping work will include (but not limited to)
- Is a temperature sensor the best (ie low cost, easy enough to do) proof of concept or should we explore other options (water-based sensors, agriculture sensors or other)
- How many real-time PCR devices placed around the world would provide sufficient cover?
- Detailed cost analysis of different sensor types and deployment strategies.
- Developing robust, tamper-proof enclosures and data verification systems.

Decentralised Pandemic Defence Network