Daniel M Davis is an immunology professor at the University of Manchester. He is the author of over 130 papers as well as two highly acclaimed science books, The Compatibility gene and The Beautiful Cure. His third book, The Secret Body describes the coming revolution in human health.When you hear people talking about T-cells or antibodies in the pub, as long as regulations allow, is it pleasing to your ears that such aspects of science are now public knowledge?Although many terrible things have occurred due to this pandemic the science of viruses has been at the forefront of the discussion. My subject, immunologist, was always important to me. But, it's now obvious to everyone how crucial it is to understand the immune system, how viruses evolve and how to spread infections between people. This deep understanding would not have allowed for the creation of vaccines, and many, many more people could have died.There were many stories in the media, especially at the start of the pandemic, about how you could boost your immune system. Does that make you cringe a little as an immunologist?It is something I understand. This was the number one question I received when I gave public talks before the pandemic. We don't know the answer, because it is difficult to test a food or supplement to see how it affects your immune system. Stress is the only thing that most scientists agree does not affect your immune system's ability to fight off infection. There is a molecular level explanation for why this happens. Stress causes cortisol levels to rise in the blood, which then affects the immune system's ability to fight or flight. If you are suffering from chronic stress, you might experience a slowing down of your immune system. I would advise you to be skeptical of any claim that your immune system will be boosted.As knowledge advances, there will be an onslaught information. People will need to make difficult decisions.You studied Physics at both the PhD and degree levels. Why did you choose to move from the outer reaches to our inner reaches of the cosmos?When I was a child, I wanted to be a scientist. In my youth, physics seemed to me the most fundamental science. Physics was about the rules that govern motion, gravity, and electromagnetic waves. That's why I wanted to study it. As I grew older, I realized that life was more fundamental than I thought and that understanding it is the most important thing in life. Physics is also a mature science.Did you feel that you could make more of a contribution to biology?There are many questions that will instantly take you to the forefront of biology. Biology is at the point where everything is happening in a huge way. Biological advances are enabling amazing things to happen. Biology will now lead to, I don't know what it is, just like early 19th century physics led the internet.A study published last month about a baby born in San Diego that was admitted to neonatal intensive Care with unrelated symptoms. After his genome sequence was completed, the baby's symptoms were resolved and a gene defect was diagnosed. This therapy is becoming so common, how can it be?This is a sure-fire way to become a more important part of medical practice. In fact, I believe that all kinds of new ways to analyze our health will eventually be available online. It won't be tomorrow, but over the next years or decades. One day, for example, microbiome compositions could be used to diagnose any number of diseases. Although small packets of proteins and fat molecules, called exosomes that circulate in blood and are not fully understood at the moment, they are likely to vary between different states of health and diseases and could be used in diagnostics in the future. What about analyzing the sweat and breath from your hands? Although this is science fiction at the moment, it is the direction that travel is heading.Is the future of personalized medicine dependent on context and regulation? Specifically, are you a patient under an insurance-based system? Or do you trust authorities with your genome data?This is a very important point. It's not that I have all the answers. I just know that we need to talk about it. It is clear that all aspects of the human body are accelerating and we will soon be faced with difficult personal decisions. No matter what legislation you have in place, or where you live, I believe that each person will decide for themselves if and when they want to make use of the new science available. It's not going to happen tomorrow, but in the near future. You might want to get personalized nutritional advice from an algorithm that analyses your stool and blood.These insights are what make you believe people will take action. We all know that exercise, drinking less and eating wholefoods are good for our health, but many don't bother.It is true. However, the more information you have, the more it will affect. People may eat a lot to lose weight. However, if they realized that a personalized diet plan that was based on your microbiome and other aspects would be more effective, then people might consider this path.Angelina Jolie, an actor, had a mastectomy due to BRCA1 mutation. Photograph by Ari Jalal/ReutersA 23andMe genetic test can provide a wealth of information about potential health outcomes. Some people prefer not to know their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Are you able to sympathize with those in that situation?It all comes down to the knowledge. It doesn't help to know so many things. Angelina Jolie, a famous actress, had a mastectomy based on BRCA1 mutation. However, she had clear facts to help her make a decision.Other things are difficult to decide on. It is coming. As knowledge advances, there will be an onslaught information about us. People will have to make difficult decisions about their lives. Although this is the direction we are heading, it's still a little fuzzy.The Secret Body is a science-based project that identifies and provides insights to scientists. However, scientists are also able to invent new instruments to help them see the hidden areas. Is there a dream instrument that would help you advance your work?My background in Physics allowed me to use high-powered microscopes for the study of immune cells interacted. This super-resolution microscope is nothing compared to the one we had twenty years ago. Next would be to view the molecular structure of the immune system in the human body. The high-powered microscopes that I use in my lab only allow me to see cells interacted with one another in a dish.Chance meetings at conferences are often the key to many of your breakthroughs. Do you worry that these expensive events that require a lot of air travel may not be as common after the pandemic? Zoom can serendipity be a possibility?This is something I think about a lot. Personally, I don't like travelling to conferences. It can be exhausting, it can cause you to miss your family and it can also make the environment less friendly. It is true, however, that informal face-to–face interactions are where things spark. I hope the technology will improve. I am sure a virtual reality headset could put me in a conference setting. You can't have a lot to chat on Zoom.
