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A chemical biologist who worked at the California Institute of Technology from 1946 until his death, Davidson was prominent in the field he helped create: genomic research. He pioneered the use of physical chemistry and electron microscopy to map genes, and was a founding member of the advisory council to the Human Genome Project. President Bill Clinton awarded him the National Medal of Science in 1996 for his work. He died February 21 in Pasadena, Calif. He was 85. From This is True for 17 February 2002 Suggestions for further reading:
 By: James Shreeve List Price: $14.95 Amazon Price: $10.17 Editorial Review: The long-awaited story of the science, the business, the politics, the intrigue behind the scenes of the most ferocious competition in the history of modern science—the race to map the human genome. On May 10, 1998, biologist Craig Venter, director of the Institute for Genomic Research, announced that he was forming a private company that within three years would unravel the complete genetic code of human life—seven years before the projected finish of the U.S. government’s Human Genome Project. Venter hoped that by decoding the genome ahead of schedule, he would speed up the pace of biomedical research and save the lives of thousands of people. He also hoped to become very famous and very rich. Calling his company Celera (from the Latin for “speed”), he assembled a small group of scientists in an empty building in Rockville, Maryland, and set to work. At the same time, the leaders of the government program, under the direction of Francis Collins, head of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health, began to mobilize an unexpectedly unified effort to beat Venter to the prize—knowledge that had the potential to revolutionize medicine and society. The stage was set for one of the most thrilling—and important—dramas in the history of science. The Genome War is the definitive account of that drama—the race for the greatest prize biology has had to offer, told by a writer with exclusive access to Venter’s operation from start to finish. It is also the story of how one man’s ambition created a scientific Camelot where, for a moment, it seemed that the competing interests of pure science and commercial profit might be gloriously reconciled—and the national repercussions that resulted when that dream went awry. From the Hardcover edition.  By: Richard Lewontin List Price: $14.95 Amazon Price: $10.17 Editorial Review: Stephen Jay Gould calls Richard Lewontin "simply the smartest man I have ever met." And not the least opinionated, either. Lewontin has long been famous among biologists for a volatile combination of feisty leftism, scientific insight, and verbal skill, which have been displayed for the more general public in his essays for what has been called The New York Review of Each Other's Books. It Ain't Necessarily So is a collection of some of his more characteristic reviews from the 1980s and 1990s. The Mismeasure of Man, by Stephen Jay Gould; Unto Others: The Evolution and Psychology of Unselfish Behavior, by Elliott Sober and David Sloan Wilson; sociological studies of Sex in America; and Ruth Hubbard's books on gender in science: all his essays are informative yet lively, with a high acid content--as when he begins his piece on the Human Genome Project with a definition of "fetish." Lewontin's prose is worth reading in itself, but what lifts this anthology to another level is that it also includes replies and rebuttals selected from the New York Review's letters column--a forum that doubles as the intellectual's World Wrestling Federation. For the older pieces, he also includes updates, "where are they now" summaries to give a sense of historical change in each field. Assertive, brilliant, sarcastic, dense, wide-ranging--Lewontin may be challenging, but he is never dull. --Mary Ellen CurtinIs our nature—as individuals, as a species—determined by our evolution and encoded in our genes? If we unravel the protein sequences of our DNA, will we gain the power to cure all of our physiological and psychological afflictions and even to solve the problems of our society? Today biologists—especially geneticists—are proposing answers to questions that have long been asked by philosophy or faith or the social sciences. Their work carries the weight of scientific authority and attracts widespread public attention, but it is often based on what the renowned evolutionary biologist Richard Lewontin identifies as a highly reductive misconception: "the pervasive error that confuses the genetic state of an organism with its total physical and psychic nature as a human being."  By: Charles R. CantorCassandra L. Smith List Price: $169.95 Amazon Price: $138.00 Editorial Review: A unique exploration of the principles and methods underlying the Human Genome Project and modern molecular genetics and biotechnology-from two top researchers In Genomics, Charles R. Cantor, former director of the Human Genome Project, and Cassandra L. Smith give the first integral overview of the strategies and technologies behind the Human Genome Project and the field of molecular genetics and biotechnology. Written with a range of readers in mind-from chemists and biologists to computer scientists and engineers-the book begins with a review of the basic properties of DNA and the chromosomes that package it in cells. The authors describe the three main techniques used in DNA analysis-hybridization, polymerase chain reaction, and electrophoresis-and present a complete exploration of DNA mapping in its many different forms. By explaining both the theoretical principles and practical foundations of modern molecular genetics to a wide audience, the book brings the scientific community closer to the ultimate goal of understanding the biological function of DNA. Genomics features: Topical organization within chapters for easy reference A discussion of the developing methods of sequencing, such as sequencing by hybridization (SBH) in which data is read through words instead of letters Detailed explanations and critical evaluations of the many different types of DNA maps that can be generated-including cytogenic and restriction maps as well as interspecies cell hybrids Informed predictions for the future of DNA sequencing  By: Robert Cook-Deegan List Price: $25.00 Amazon Price: $25.00  By: Kevin Davies List Price: $19.95 Amazon Price: $19.95 Editorial Review: What makes science happen? The confluence of politics, commerce, and the age-old quest for knowledge is nowhere better seen than in the ongoing Human Genome Project. Kevin Davies, founding editor of Nature Genetics, picks apart the personalities and technologies involved in the great sequence race in Cracking the Genome: Inside the Race to Unlock Human DNA. Written not long after President Clinton's premature announcement in 2000 of the Project's completion, it assesses the state of public and private genomic knowledge during what Davies calls "halftime." He is in a unique observational position; as a prominent scientific journalist, he has had unparalleled access to the scientific figures involved. Through interviews with HGP director Francis Collins, rogue scientist-entrepreneur J. Craig Venter, and many other scientists and insiders, Davies illuminates the often-tortured processes that contributed to the speedy sequencing of most--but not quite all--of our genes in just a few short years. Shifting styles characterize the different storylines: technological, political, and intensely personal tales unite under the author's direction without ever alienating the reader. The book is a bit softer on Venter than many scientists (who may perceive him as traitorous or, worse, too hasty to publish) would like, taking the position that his shotgun approach and competitive spirit improved the project without sacrificing quality. Conversely, Davies sits out the gene-patenting controversy, offering all sides a fairly equal voice, but never quite finding sympathy with any of them. Summing up his subject, Davies reports: If the double helix is the prevailing image of the twentieth century, just as the steam engine signified the nineteenth century, then the sequence--the vast expanse of 3 billion As, Cs, Gs, and Ts--is destined to define the century to come.... The childhood of the human race is about to come to an end. These are strong words, but few other fields provide a stronger basis for such hope. Cracking the Genome gives us the chance to catch up with the present while the future races on. --Rob Lightner "Investors and others looking for a quick primer on the science and business of biotechnology will find this a useful guide." -- Business Week In 1990 the U.S. and its partners around the world embarked on the quest for the holy grail of biology. Two years ago this mission became a race between the taxpayer-supported genome project led by Francis Collins and Craig Venter, the maverick scientist whose innovative approach to gene sequencing sent stock in his private company soaring. Now these two men have announced that the code has been cracked, but what does that mean for the future? Who will own the genome? Who will make billions? Who will win the Nobel Prize? Kevin Davies takes us behind the scenes to find the answers. With unparalleled access to all the key players, including Collins and Venter, Davies tells the complete story of the race. The Sequence captures all the drama and reveals the secrets behind the most important scientific achievement of our time. |
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