Around the time I was doing my PhD, J. Craig Venter was one of the most talked about scientists on the planet. At some point, he came to give a talk at my research lab and the lecture theatre was packed. Everyone knew about him, but not everyone liked him.
In 2000, he had stood on a stage together with Bill Clinton, announcing the sequencing of the human genome. He had run a private effort to sequence the genome that was in direct competition with the public effort run by Francis Collins. As a result, a working version of the genome was completed years before it’d have been otherwise.
His science, but even more so his controversial commercial enterprises, his marriages and even his poodle were a fertile ground for gossip. His most inspiring project was the voyage of the Sorcerer II, a 95-foot sloop. In case you’re not familiar with sailboats, 95 feet is very large. On the Sorcerer II, he had a DNA sequencer and other lab equipment. For several years, Venter and a crew of scientists sailed around the world, collecting microbial samples from the ocean and sequencing them. The voyage is documented here and the results were written up in several scientific papers.
More recently, I have worked with a company that Venter has founded, analyzing the genomes of tens of thousands of patients participating in clinical trials. I’ve followed his work on synthetic genomes and I’m convinced that people with his self-promotion skills are essential to science. They provide much needed color, inspiration and a sense of adventure to our field. Ever since learning of his trip on the Sorcerer II, I’ve toyed with the idea of organizing my own journey of discovery. It may turn out to be more modest than Venter’s, but I’d like it to also involve sailing a sloop.
Nehaveigur 