« Spring Semester: Biology Nights @ the Library | Main | March 2: The Last Stand »
January 18, 2006
February 9: HUMAN RACE
The story begins in 1990, when the Human Genome Project was launched to decipher the complete instruction manual of the human being. This epic endeavour took over a decade to complete and cost billions of dollars. Eight years after its launch, a rival private bid was announced in an attempt to shut the public project down. A personal feud erupted between Craig Venter, who ran Celera's privately funded Genome Project, and Sir John Sulston, who oversaw Britain's share of the public Human Genome Project. Craig Venter believed he could finish the Human Genome several years before the public project. The fighting became so intense that President Clinton stepped in to try to unite the two sides. Clinton asked a go-between to sort out the two warring groups. Over pizza and beer in a basement, the two sides agreed to a cease-fire. They would announce their draft results -- together -- in a joint celebration hosted by The White House in June 2000. -From the PBS website
>>more about the film
Library Resources:
Encoding capital : the political economy of the Human Genome Project
by Rodney Loeppky
Hodges Library QH445.2 .L64 2005
A machine to make a future : biotech chronicles
by Paul Rabinow and Talia Dan-Cohen
Hodges Library QH445.2 .R336 2005
The genome war : how Craig Venter tried to capture the code of life and save the world
by James Shreeve
Hodges Library QH431 .S5577 2004
Adam, Eve, and the genome : the Human Genome Project and theology edited by Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite
Hodges Library QH438.7 .A32 2003
Perilous knowledge : the human genome project and its implications by Tom Wilkie
Hodges Library QH445.2 .W55 1994
Websites:
Nature
The science journal's special feature commemorating the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the DNA structure.
DNA Interactive
An animated journey through DNA history and science.
DNA from the Beginning
An interactive history of genetic science with biographies, animations, puzzles, and more.
Genetic Science Learning Center
Providing curricula and professional development for teachers, and science enrichment and career programs for students.
Linus Pauling and the Race for DNA
An American perspective on the hunt for the double helix.
History of DNA Timeline
Timeline of DNA history.
Human Genome Project Timeline BBC
Timeline of the race to decode human DNA.
Genetic Engineering Debates
Resources and arguments concerning the latest advancements in genetic science.
Genetically Engineered Organisms
Extensive information on the debate surrounding genetically modified crops and organisms.
Basics of DNA Fingerprinting
The structure and function of DNA as it relates to DNA fingerprinting.
Posted by Donna Braquet at January 18, 2006 04:36 PM