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World-Renown Scientist Explains Why He Decoded His Own Genome

Dr. J. Craig Venter is a powerful force in the world of genomic research. He tells us why he mapped his own genome (and made it public), how his research can help create alternative energy, and why he

World-Renown Scientist Explains Why He Decoded His Own Genome

Tom Fudge: If you're inclined to write, and you want to tell people who you are, you write an autobiography. And if you're interesting enough, someone may actually buy it and read it. Well, Craig Venter is interesting. One of the nation's top geneticists, he was a major player in the race to map the human genome. Venter has now written an autobiography, called A Life Decoded: My Genome, My Life. And as the title of his book suggests, he has an intriguing advantage in telling his own story. He has mapped his own genome.

Does that tell the whole story of his life? No, and Venter admits it. He says, "Without understanding the environment in which cells or species exist, life cannot be understood." Of course, we still have a long way to go in understanding the meaning of a genomic map.

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Guest

  • J. Craig Venter, founder and president of the J. Craig Venter Institut e, publisher of the completed sequence of the human genome, and author of A Life Decoded: My Genome, My Life

J. Craig Venter will have a book signing this Saturday, November 3 rd at 7:30 p.m. at Warwick's . The address is 7812 Girard Ave, La Jolla, 92037.