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The announcement, in Summer 2000, that
the human genome had been fully sequenced, was met with
fanfare around the world. Described by zealous journalists
as the "cracking of the DNA code," this monumental
achievement had, we were told, opened the door to bold new
understanding of life and unimaginable benefits for humankind.
Yet, most of us, including many scientists, continue to
be at a loss to explain the practical significance of a
seemingly endless, unbroken string of ACTGs, representing
the 3.1 billion base molecules making up human DNA.
In Transducing the Genome, geneticist
Gary Zweiger provides us with our most lucid explanation
yet of the significance of the Human Genome Project and
the dramatic paradigm shift that it has engendered in the
life sciences. He explains how the marriage of information
technology and biology necessitated by the race to sequence
the human genome has led to the emergence of genomics, a
revolutionary new science that provides unprecedented access
to the processes of life. Going beyond the traditional one-gene-one-trait
approach, genomics transduces biological data into digital
information, which then can be analyzed and manipulated
using powerful computer algorithms, data mining tools, and
other advanced information technologies to reveal meaningful
patterns among vast networks of millions of life's molecules.
In a story told on many fascinating levels,
Zweiger -- who has worked at the center of the action at
Stanford University and at such companies as Genentech and
Incyte -- takes us inside private and government labs around
the globe, where gene sequences daily generate information
about the billions of nucleotides making up DNA. He introduces
us to the visionaries who first understood genes as information
carriers and chronicles how their early efforts led to the
birth of genomics. He identifies the major players in the
Human Genome Project today, including familiar figures such
as Craig Venter of Genentech and Randall Scott of Incyte,
and he provides insights into the uneasy collaboration of
private, government, and academic efforts; the role of the
pharmaceutical companies; and the influence of venture capitalists
on one of the most ambitious and potentially significant
scientific undertakings in history.
And, perhaps most important, Dr. Zweiger
explores the profound impact that the transducing of biological
information into digital format already has had on biological
research and medicine, and the equally profound effect it
is certain to have on our understanding of ourselves and
all living creatures.
Gary Zweiger, Ph.D. is a geneticist and
Director of Business Development and Strategic Planning
at Agilent Technologies, a leading producer of DNA microarrays
(gene chips) and other biomedical tools. Prior to joining
Agilent, he was Senior Strategic Advisor at Incyte Genomics,
Inc., a founding company in the genomics industry. He has
also worked as a consultant to venture capitalists, investment
bankers, and other early backers of the emerging genomics
industry, and has taught classes in human biology and biotechnology
at several colleges. While at Incyte, Dr. Zweiger studied
thousands of genes by using enormous biological databases
and designed several powerful microarrays to help further
his research into the molecular changes that accompany prostate,
breast, colon, and pediatric cancers.
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