Drawing the Map of Life: Inside the Human Genome Project PDF

Rating: (4 reviews) Author: Victor K. McElheny ISBN : 9780465028955 New from $2.85 Format: PDF

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Drawing the Map of Life takes the story of the Human Genome Project from its origins, through the race to its accomplishment, and on to today’s vast efforts to exploit the complete, ordered sequence of the 3 billion subunits of DNA, the molecule of heredity. It is the first account to deal in depth and balance with the intellectual roots of the project, the motivations that drove it, and the hype that often masked genuine triumphs. McElheny profiles key people, such as David Botstein, Eric Lander, Francis Collins, Watson, Michael Hunkapiller and Craig Venter. He also shows that, besides being a major event in the history of science, one that is revolutionizing medicine, the Human Genome Project is a striking example of how new techniques and instruments (such as restriction enzymes and sequencing methods), often arriving first, shape the type of questions scientists then ask.

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• Product Details
• Table of Contents
• Reviews

• Series: A Merloyd Lawrence Book
• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; First Trade Paper Edition edition (July 31, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465028950
• ISBN-13: 978-0465028955
• Product Dimensions: 1 x 5.5 x 8.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Drawing the Map of Life: Inside the Human Genome Project PDF

I finished reading Drawing the Map of Life: Inside the Human Genome Project by Victor McElheny. This fascinating book covers the Human Genome Project (HGP) from its esoteric origin with the double helix structure of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick through the public genome research and private ventures of Francis Collins and Craig Venter, et.al. It is a testament to the trials and tribulations that ultimately brought together some of the best scientific minds for the collaborative betterment of mankind. This project, perhaps more than any other in history, demonstrates the push-pull and often adversarial relationship between academia and private industry can lead to outstanding results.

McElheny's involvement not only as a science reporter, but as coordinator of human genetics conferences from the early days of the project, gives you the sense that he really knows the people that the book is written about. His storytelling style draws you into the often complex subject in a compelling way. When the project began, the effort required to sequence 3 billion nucleotides (subunits) was mind-numbing and beyond the imagination of most of the scientific community. It took the vision and dreams of the committed few to convince the many, that not only was the project worthwhile, but that the estimated cost of $1 per nucleotide, could be achieved. In comparison, the roughly $3 trillion spent annually on health-care in the United States, this modest investment of $3 billion over the 20 years of the big-science human genome sequencing project smacks of under-investment. Surely vindicated in retrospect, it also serves as a reminder that big-science conducted openly in the public domain has far reaching implications to global well-being.