Watson and DNA: Making a Scientific Revolution - Rilegato

McElheny, Victor K.

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 0470854294 ISBN 13: 9780470854297

Casa editrice: John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2003

Riassunto

An account of one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs of the past century...In 1950 a young American zoologist, James Watson, came to Cambridge to work on molecular biology. From 1950--1953 he worked with Francis Crick, during which time they solved the structure of DNA -- seen as one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs of the past century -- and for which they were awarded a shared Nobel Prize in 1962. Watson returned to the US where he became Professor of Molecular Biology at Harvard and subsequently Director of the Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory. He was appointed Head of the US Human Genome Project in 1988, and was pivotal to guiding the project through the controversy surrounding genetic research. His collaboration with The Wellcome Trust helped to establish the Sanger Centre as the focus for the UK sequencing effort of the human genome. Giving a balanced view of Watsona s whole life and work, this biography traces the stages of this discovery, the setbacks, false starts and breakthroughs, putting Watson and Crick within the context of the other work being done at the time. It also looks at Watsona s whole career including his later genome work and his early life. Victor K. McElheny is a prominent science writer who has been writing about the revolution in molecular biology and biotechnology for over three decades. His interest in James D. Watson spans the years from his first meeting with Watson in 1962 to the present day. He is a Harvard graduate who also headed the Knight Science Journalism Fellowships at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His work has been featured by The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Science and the BBC. aeo There has been considerable criticism lately (particularly in a biography of Rosalind Franklin by Brenda Maddox) that James D. Watsona s own account of his work, The Double Helix, presented an exceptionally biased view of events. This biography is based on interviews with all his contemporaries to present a more balanced view. aeo A biography of a extremely talented man -- he gained his PhD at the remarkably young age of 22 -- who has made a major contribution towards the shaping of the future world aeo Explains how the structure of DNA was discovered aeo Gives an insight into the workings of the world of science and scientists aeo 2003 is 50 years since the discovery of DNA, which will undoubtly ensure coverage of the progress to date in this field, and there is also a five--part series currently in production on James Watson and featuring the author of this book, which is due to be screened in Spring 2003 on Channel 4.

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Informazioni sull?autore

Victor McElheny has covered the revolution in molecular biology for The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and Science for nearly four decades. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he started the Knight Science Journalism Fellowships. The author of Insisting on the Impossible, the biography of Edwin Land that the New Scientist called "insightful, exquisitely written," and Physics Today deemed "a major contribution," he lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Dalla quarta di copertina

Praise for Watson and DNA:
 
"Jim Watson made the most important biological discovery of the 20th century. Then, with a quirky but unexpectedly effective leadership style, he overthrew the biology of a previous generation and used his position at Harvard to whip up a revolution in molecular biology. In a superb book, McElheny tells us how he did it, and why for the past 50 years young scientists have just wanted to be near Jim. Who among us wouldn't have wanted to be at the center of a scientific revolution that is already revealing the deepest secrets of life?" Nancy Haven Hopkins, Amgen Professor of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
 
"James Watson is one of the most quirky and eccentric individuals ever to reach the starry firmament of immortal fame. A straight-ahead biography is much needed, given Watson's importance. In this perfectly timed account, Victor McElheny makes clear his own admiration for Watson, while giving space to his faults and his detractors at each turn of the spiral staircase." Jonathan Weiner, author of The Beak of the Finch and Time, Love, Memory

Dal risvolto di copertina interno

The most influential scientist of the last half-century, James Watson has been at dead center in the creation of modern molecular biology. Since the very morning after his Nobel Prize-winning discovery, Watson has continued to ride the scientific supernova that he and his collaborator, Francis Crick, detonated in 1953. Targeting the big questions, mobilizing the best talent, writing the textbook that defined molecular biology, and starting the human genome project, he has served as a prime mover of the DNA era.
 
In this masterful and fascinating biography, distinguished science reporter Victor McElheny, who has known Watson for decades, takes us inside the post double helix revolution in biology. With unique access to the scientists involved and who know Watson best, he offers an intimate view of science in the making, from the discovery of the double helix in 1953 to the launching of the genome project in 1988 and beyond. In the process, he brings to life the remarkable achievements of not only Watson but also of others working on this cutting edge of scientific discovery, such as the Nobel Prize winners François Jacob, Walter Gilbert, Richard Roberts, Phillip Sharp, Sydney Brenner, and Robert Horvitz.
 
This frank and sweeping saga shows, for the first time, every side of this extraordinary man whose brutal frankness is as legendary as his brilliance. From the ruthless competition in the race to identify the structure of DNA to a near mutiny in the Harvard Biology department, to clashes with ethicists over issues in genetics, Watson has left a wake of detractors as well as fans. Victor McElheny probes brilliantly behind the veil of Watson's own invented persona, bringing us close to the relentless genius and scientific impresario who triggered and sustained a revolution in science that affects us all.

Dettagli dell?edizione

• Editore: John Wiley & Sons Ltd
• Data di pubblicazione: 2003
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 0470854294
• ISBN 13: 9780470854297
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero edizione: 1
• Numero di pagine: 380
• Contatto del produttore: non disponibile
• Persona responsabile: non disponibile