Hi there,

This week in data, we've got a vaccine trial, a $1.2B raise, and the longest non-stop commercial flight by distance. Check it out below.

45 volunteers: A trial for a COVID-19 vaccine started this week, with a batch of 4 volunteers receiving injections in a study that will eventually include 45 people. Even if the tests are successful, experts say that a COVID-19 vaccine is unlikely to be widely available for more than a year. Clients can see  12 telemedicine startups working on services that could help fill gaps in pandemic care until a vaccine is ready.  

2000x: Researchers say that they created a new catalyst that could improve the potency of a wide range of drugs — including some for cancer and infectious diseases — by 2000x. The paper, published in Nature, describes a reaction that makes it much easier to swap in “magic methyls” to drug compounds, reshaping the molecule in such a way that it can more easily interact with the body. More broadly, artificial intelligence is being used to better understand how medicines work. See how the tech could boost the effectiveness of drugs in our report on AI trends to watch in 2020.  

100,000 workers: Amazon said that it would hire 100,000 new warehouse workers to meet the spike in coronavirus-driven demand. The tech giant temporarily closed its grocery and household item-focused Amazon Pantry service Thursday due to overwhelming order volumes. The social distancing caused by the pandemic may accelerate some emerging trends in the grocery space — including rapid product innovation, dehydrated products, and tech-enabled vending machines — as companies look to adapt. Read more about these trends in our report on grocery CPG trends to watch in 2020.
 

$500M: Plant-based meat startup Impossible Foods raised $500M at a valuation of $4B. The alternative protein space is gaining a lot of attention, with associated media mentions reaching new heights this year after skyrocketing in 2019, according to  CB Insights’ news analysis tool. We dig into the trends reshaping the protein industry in our Meatless Future Report. 

$4.6B: Indonesia-based “super app” Gojek — a single platform that provides a wide range of services like ride-hailing, food delivery, and payments — raised $1.2B. The funding round takes the company's total disclosed funding to just under $4.6B. Clients can  see some of Gojek’s competitors on the CB Insights platform. 
 

1.2B people: The Indian government is reportedly planning to launch a centralized database that would create detailed profiles of its 1.2B residents. The proposal for the database is said to include bringing together data — like someone’s job, where they live, and their marital status — into a searchable format that automatically updates.
 

9,765 miles: Air Tahiti Nui completed the longest non-stop commercial flight by distance. The flight flew between Tahiti and Paris, traveling a distance of 9,765 miles over the course of almost 16 hours. The journey would normally include a layover in the US, but that part of the trip was skipped due to restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic.  
 

$1M: Edwin Catmull and Patrick Hanrahan, two early 3D graphic pioneers who worked together at animation studio Pixar, won the $1M Turing Award — a prestigious prize named after British computer pioneer Alan Turing and given out for contributions to computing. Their work reshaped filmmaking and helped pave the way for other advancements, including the recent rise of augmented and virtual reality, as discussed in our 2020 tech trends to watch report. 

6 Super Bowls: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said that he was leaving the Boston-based team after a 20-year tenure that included 6 Super Bowl wins. The 42-year-old later announced that he had signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
 

67M years: Researchers said that they had identified the oldest modern bird skull found to date. The seagull-sized bird shows characteristics present in modern ducks, turkeys, and chickens — indicating it may be a common ancestor from a time before the genetic lineages split. The fossil is thought to have formed around 67M years ago, meaning that the species may have lived alongside the last of the dinosaurs.

I love you.

P.S. We're looking for a technical project manager. Check out the role here.

As zoos and museums close due to the outbreak, Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium is letting some of its penguins out to visit other animals. 

The aquarium always has enough food stocked up to feed the animals for up to 4 months, the president said. The aquarium also reassured people that these days “feel normal for animals at Shedd,” as the caregivers constantly try and provide new experiences for them. 

Other cultural institutions are bringing the zoo to the public by live-streaming home safaris, uploading virtual tours on social media, and hosting live webcams.