Trailblazers in Science and Technology is a 10-volume set that profiles the lives and achievements of scientists whose work has had a major impact on a particular field. The scientist's accomplishments are discussed, including the "trailblazing" principles and personal struggles that complemented his or her work. Employing an array of primary sources-diaries, memoirs, letters, and contemporary news accounts-as well as secondary sources, the set depicts the human drama of scientific work, the challenge of research, and the exhilaration and rewards of discovery.
Startling the scientific community in 1998 by announcing that his company would map the entire sequence of human DNA within the next three years, Craig Venter launched what would become known as the "genome war," a race that pitted his private company against an international group of government-funded scientists. Though considered controversial for his outspokenness and privately funded research, Venter was simply continuing a life long pattern of pursuing "impossible quests and grand objectives," as he stated in his auto biography. Craig Venter details the life and accomplishments of this trailblazing scientist, describing his early days in California and military service in Vietnam, his aforementioned work to map the human genome, and his other numerous scientific achievements.
Craig Venter includes more than 30 color photographs and four-color line illustrations, a chronology, a glossary, a list of print and Internet resources, and an index. Trailblazers in Science and Technology is an essential set for students, teachers, and general readers that provides a factual look at the lives and accomplishments of prominent scientists.
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction xv
1 From Surfer to Scientist 1
A Lively Boyhood 1
The Shadow of War 2
Life in the Midst of Death 3
Fast-Track Education 5
First Research 6
Hormones: Long-Distance Signals 8
Rapid Advance in Buffalo 10
2 Fishing for Genes 13
Starting a Gene Hunt 13
DNA: Life's Instruction Book 14
Complementary DNA 16
Seeking a Rare Gene 20
Sequencing DNA 21
Dreaming of the Human Genome 23
Automated Sequencers 24
The Human Genome Project Begins 26
A Winning Combination 29
Patenting Genes 30
Explosive Reactions 32
A New Institute 34
3 Spelling Out the Code 36
New Friend, New Project 38
A Possible Shortcut 40
Major Changes 40
Francis Collins: Leader of the Human Genome Project 41
Instant Gene Search 43
Sequencing a Bacterial Genome 44
Groundbreaking Advances 46
The Third Kingdom 48
Institutional Divorce 50
4 Faster, Faster 52
Path to a Dream 52
Selling Information 54
A Shocking Announcement 55
The HGP Responds 57
The Fruit Fly: Workhorse of Genetic Research 58
Serious Doubts 60
A Company Built for Speed 61
The Pace Picks Up 62
5 Photo Finish 64
Sequencing the Fruit Fly Genome 66
Management Tensions 70
Preventing Discrimination: Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) of 2008 72
Annotation Jamboree 73
Mud Wrestling 74
Roller Coaster Spring 75
Pizza Diplomacy 76
A Triumphant Tie 76
6 Exploring the World, Saving the World 79
Disputes about Access 79
Disputes about Accuracy 80
Leaving Celera 81
Changing Course 82
Synthesizing Life 83
Mass Sequencing 84
The Ocean's Genome 84
The Genesis Project 87
Synthetic Biology: Engineering Life 89
Mid-decade Changes 90
Energy from Algae 92
Ambitious Programs 93
Artificial Life? 95
Conclusion 98
Chronology 102
Glossary 111
Further Resources 116
Index 128
Overview
Trailblazers in Science and Technology is a 10-volume set that profiles the lives and achievements of scientists whose work has had a major impact on a particular field. The scientist's accomplishments are discussed, including the "trailblazing" principles and personal struggles that complemented his or her work. Employing an array of primary sources-diaries, memoirs, letters, and contemporary news accounts-as well as secondary sources, the set depicts the human drama of scientific work, the challenge of ...