The Common Thread

Before this, though, comes an introductory glimpse into the formative years when molecular biology and genetics slowly converged. As richly detailed as this early history of both John's life and the field of genetics is, however, much of this narrative seems detatched. Large sections are told factually, and the story misses much of the emotional investments found later in the book. Still, it is a serviceable introduction to one of the most important events of the twentieth century.

And so the story of the genome picks up in earnest in the second half of the book, when John's struggles with both politics and himself infuse an essential aura of human depth. It's as well-put together as any thriller; even prior knowledge of the outcome of the race doesn't diminish the suspense and sheer anticipation of each event. The scope and depth of the human genome project is laid out in broad strokes, with many major players acting out their roles to keep science free and open. There are plot twists and double crosses, triumphs and setbacks. But the surest sign that the common good won out is that the information of our very heritage is freely strung across the internet.

Despite the book's flaws -- the prose is rarely eloquent -- the story is essential reading for anyone even remotely interested in the inner workings of science and politics. Certainly, there is a danger in only seeing one side of the story. However, John's excitement and noble intentions are undeniable: the world can benefit more from unbridled selflessness than from runaway capitalism.

Although the story of how the sequence was untangled would in itself be a remarkable and noteworthy topic for a book, the fact that it became a battle between private business and publicly funded scientists to unlock the genetic code makes it even more fascinating.

The book becomes a chronology of the race to find the sequence between a public group of scientists determined to keep the knowledge public for the sake of science and future research, and the "bad guys" - a private company trying to do the same thing for their own financial gain.

The book tackles many contemporary issues of science, morality and politics along the way from the start of the project to the publication of most of the genetic sequence near the beginning of the 21st century.

Fascinating stuff with a happy ending too, and one of the great contemporary stories and achievements of science written by someone who was involved from start to finish in the race to publish the human genetic sequence in the public domain.

I suppose there is no way to tell for sure, and in the end it doesn't matter. The author's passionate commitment to his cause makes this book impossible to put down. I kept wondering what was going to happen next (even though I vaguely knew the what final outcome was). In the process I learned a bit of the science, too. At least I now know what BACs, YACs and cosmids are, and the pros and cons of whole genome shotgun sequencing. I think Rob underestimates the amount of science that one could learn in the midst of this exciting story.

It won't surprise anyone that Sulston himself is a good guy in his own memoir. Sulston and those who worked with him campaigned for money for their efforts, to be sure, but they were committed to making any data they uncovered public. In the other corner was Celera, a private company headed by Craig Venter, a former public scientist who, as head of a private firm, understandably did whatever he could to ensure the profitability of that firm. It was Celera's intention to map the genome, sell its data to those who wanted it, and patent genes. Venter's publicity material hinted that there was slack and inefficiency among the project scientists at the public trough, and he invited them simply to stand down and get out of the way while he finished it up, and incidentally while he made millions from whoever wanted to use the data he uncovered. Sulston had to speak out against the commercialization of the effort, and this put him squarely against those in America who think that commercial efficiency has every advantage against government stagnation. The resultant public relations battle is fascinating; Venter was good at it, and the public and politicians early became convinced that public ownership meant little. At one point Sulston says bitterly, "Once a particular point of view has taken hold in the public imagination, it's extremely hard to offset it. The only recourse is to compete on the PR front in the first place. I find that a profoundly depressing thought. Is it a fantasy that simply being honest will in the end be powerful enough?"

This is a great story, one that will be mined in the future by historians of the epochal Human Genome Project. The book is not a good text on molecular genetics, or even the specifics of sequencing which are the science part of the story, but it is a splendid discussion of how science is done nowadays. (The "beer-fuelled discussions" between participants are recounted, as well as possible, in their place.) The difficult aspects of the struggle between public science and private science get a thorough and thoughtful history here. Read this account and rejoice in a big win for humanity and the common good over profits, this time.