Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan have pledged $3 billion to fight disease as part of their Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
The Silicon Valley luminaries will use the fund over the next ten years in an attempt to "cure, prevent or manage all disease by the end of this century", according to Zuckerberg.
From heart disease to cancer, neurological conditions to virally transmitted infections, it's a worthy, if mammoth collection of illnesses the couple plan to tackle.
The 'Biohub'
A large portion of the fund will be an investment in the "Biohub" at UCSF, with $600m pledged to support technological innovation between collaborative teams from UCSF, Stanford and Berkeley.
"Throughout the history of science, most of the major scientific breakthroughs have been preceded by some new tool and technology that allows you to see in new ways," said Zuckerberg.
"The telescope helped us understand astronomy and the universe, the microscope helped us understand cells and bacteria to help us develop treatments for infectious diseases, while DNA sequencing and editing helps us fight cancer and genetic disorders."
Support from other tech titans (including Bill Gates, who was present at the University of California for the announcement) has been strong, with Facebook's own advancements in AI tech and machine learning expected to play into the philanthropic work.
Via: The Guardian
