A Life Decoded: My Genome, My Life
One of the great landmarks in the history of science occurred when J. Craig Venter published the first sequence and analysis of the human genome, and did it earlier and for less money than the government sponsored Human Genome Project. An indifferent and uninspired student who nearly failed high school, Venter spent his early years as a medic in Vietnam, and then went on to advanced study and a reputation as a gifted, controversial and outspoken scientist. At the National Institutes of Health he introduced novel techniques for rapid gene discovery, and his own research institute in 1995 sequenced the first genome of a living species in history. This led him to the more ambitious goal of sequencing the entire human genome, a goal he fulfilled in 2001. Venter’s current work involves collecting microbial life from the world’s oceans toward his new goals: using modified microorganisms to produce alternative fuels and to patent the first life-form created by man.
Speaker Details
J. Craig Venter is regarded as one of the leading scientists of the 21st century for his contributions to genomic research. He is Founder, Chairman and President of the J. Craig Venter Institute, a not-for-profit research and support organization with more than 500 scientists and staff dedicated to human, microbial, plant and environmental genomic research. Dr.Venter received his BA in biochemistry and a PhD in Physiology and Pharmacology from UC/San Diego. In 1984 he developed Expressed Sequence Tags at the National Institute of Health and in 1992 founded The Institute for Genomic Research where, in 1995 he and his team decoded the genome of the first free living organism. In 1998 Venter founded Celera Genomics to sequence the human genome and the successful completion of this research was published in the Journal Science in February, 2001. Dr. Venter is also the author of more than 200 research articles and is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees and awards, including the 2002 Gairdner Foundation International Award.
- Date:
- Speakers:
- J. Craig Venter
- Affiliation:
- President, J. Craig Venter Institute and cofounder, Synthetic Genomics
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Jeff Running
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