3/1/06

Google Philanthropy To Take On Disease

Public-health expert Larry Brilliant, who was named the head of Google Inc.'s new philanthropic arm, is forming an organization that will try to detect early signs of emerging, global health crises, such as bird flu.

The project will cost about $10 million to get off the ground.. Technology companies Google and Sun Microsystems Inc., as well as venture-capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and the Omidyar Network, an investment group started by eBay Inc. founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife, have expressed interest in supporting the project though none has made a commitment.

Dr. Brilliant wants to link his new group -- which he said could be a for-profit enterprise or a nonprofit -- to an existing Canadian-government group that monitors early cases of disease outbreaks, called the Global Public Health Intelligence Network. Dr. Brilliant said he has started negotiating with the Canadian government about the possibility of buying the group and integrating it with his new effort.

[Excerpt of article by Rebecca Buckman, The Wall Street Journal]

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