Making PCR : a story of biotechnology
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Making PCR : a story of biotechnology
University of Chicago Press, 1996
- : cloth
- : pbk. : alk. paper
- Other Title
-
Making polymerase chain reaction
Related Bibliography 1 items
Available at 24 libraries
  Aomori
  Iwate
  Miyagi
  Akita
  Yamagata
  Fukushima
  Ibaraki
  Tochigi
  Gunma
  Saitama
  Chiba
  Tokyo
  Kanagawa
  Niigata
  Toyama
  Ishikawa
  Fukui
  Yamanashi
  Nagano
  Gifu
  Shizuoka
  Aichi
  Mie
  Shiga
  Kyoto
  Osaka
  Hyogo
  Nara
  Wakayama
  Tottori
  Shimane
  Okayama
  Hiroshima
  Yamaguchi
  Tokushima
  Kagawa
  Ehime
  Kochi
  Fukuoka
  Saga
  Nagasaki
  Kumamoto
  Oita
  Miyazaki
  Kagoshima
  Okinawa
  Korea
  China
  Thailand
  United Kingdom
  Germany
  Switzerland
  France
  Belgium
  Netherlands
  Sweden
  Norway
  United States of America
Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 187-190) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
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.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1: Toward Biotechnology 2: Cetus Corporation: A Credible Force 3: PCR: Experimental Milieu + the Concept 4: From Concept to Tool 5: Reality Check Conclusion: A Simple Little Thing Photographs A Note on the Interviews Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography
by "Nielsen BookData"