Making Pcr: A Story of Biotechnology - Couverture rigide

Rabinow, Paul

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0226701468 ISBN 13 : 9780226701462

Editeur : University of Chicago Press, 1996

Synopsis

This study tells the behind-the-scenes story of the invention of the PCR, the polymerase chain reaction. Blending narrative description and interviews with all the major players, Paul Rabinow explores what it means to be a "scientist" today, the effects of carrying out science in the high-risk, high-reward environment of biotech, and what a scientific discovery or invention is these days, when it is possible to patent life itself. PCR has transformed the world of molecular biology, allowing scientists to make millions of copies of any part of a gene. This guarantee of an essentially unlimited supply of genetic material is useful to modern research. The work explores the culture of biotechnology as it emerged at Cetus Corporation during the 1980s. Entrepreneurial research scientists were interacting with investors, gambling billions of dollars on "hot" discoveries. Rabinow interviews the cast of characters who made PCR, including Kary Mullis, the maverick who received the Nobel Prize for "discovering" PCR but did not do it alone; Tom White, the inspired and careful researcher who helped transform PCR from an idea into a scientific tool; and Robert Fildes, who struggled to measure innovation against profit in managing Cetus in the heady early days of biotech.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

Making PCR is the fascinating, behind-the-scenes account of the invention of one of the most significant biotech discoveries in our time—the polymerase chain reaction. Transforming the practice and potential of molecular biology, PCR extends scientists' ability to identify and manipulate genetic materials and accurately reproduces millions of copies of a given segment in a short period of time. It makes abundant what was once scarce—the genetic material required for experimentation.

Making PCR explores the culture of biotechnology as it emerged at Certus Corporation during the 1980s and focuses on its distinctive configuration of scientific, technical, social, economic, political, and legal elements, each of which had its own separate trajectory over the preceding decade. The book contains interviews with the remarkable cast of characters who made PCR, including Kary Mullin, the maverick who received the Nobel prize for "discovering" it, as well as the team of young scientists and the company's business leaders.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: University of Chicago Press
• Date d'édition: 1996
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0226701468
• ISBN 13: 9780226701462
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 198
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible