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The 2000s in America

Venter, Craig

by Cait Caffrey

Identification: American biochemist

Born: October 14, 1946; Salt Lake City, Utah

When biochemist Craig Venter founded Celera Genomics, a private company dedicated to decoding the human genome, he was racing against the publicly funded Human Genome Project (HGP). Soon after, Venter claimed to be the first to discover the sequence.

Craig Venter was a member of a team of researchers competing against the Human Genome Project team in the 1990s to be the first to sequence the entire human genome. In 1998, he started a private company, Celera Genomics, with the goal of being the first to map the human genetic blueprint. The Celera researchers were using a technique known as “shotgun sequencing,” which was much faster and cheaper than the approach used by the HGP, but far less accurate. He published a draft sequence two years later, several months ahead of the HGP. President Bill Clinton publicly announced the publication of the complete sequences by both groups in 2000, and Venter shared credit with the HGP.

In 2001, Venter helped the federal government solve a suspected case of terrorism, in which five people who received envelopes containing anthrax died. Venter and his coworkers at the Institute for Genomic Research, a nonprofit organization that he founded in 1992, worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to identify the source of the anthrax strain and enabled the bureau to narrow the field of suspects to a government scientist, Bruce E. Ivins.

After leaving Celera Genomics in 2002, Venter used funds from his investments to found his own research centers. In 2004 he began a two-year expedition to Nova Scotia seeking microscopic species for DNA sequencing. He then became intent on ending climate change by ending human dependence on oil and decided to focus his research efforts on exploring alternative energy sources. To this end, he founded Synthetic Genomic Inc. in 2005. In 2009 the Exxon Mobil Corporation announced it was providing Venter’s company with $300 billion to fund research focused on developing algae cells capable of turning sunlight and carbon dioxide into usable energy.

Venter founded the J. Craig Venter Institute in 2006 and became the first person to have his genome sequenced. His sequencing determined that his hereditary tendencies include blue eyes, heart disease, and attention-deficit disorder. Venter wrote a memoir, A Life Decoded: My Genome, My Life, which was released in 2007. In it, he wrote in depth about his background and scientific research. The book also addressed some of the controversy surrounding the human genome research race.

Craig Venter (left) at a New America Foundation event with Steve Coll

AUGHTS_VenterCraig.jpg

(Courtesy New America Foundation)

Impact

Venter’s groundbreaking work in genomic sequencing was just the beginning of his contributions to American science. His controversial “shotgun sequencing” technique is now widely used in genomic research. His competitive research efforts have accelerated the pace of medical advancement and scientific development. He continues to pioneer some of the most innovative research of the century, though his embrace of private funds to foster research has generated controversy in the scientific community.

Further Reading

1 

Chreeve, Jamie. “The Blueprint of Life.” US News. US News and World Report, 31 Oct. 2005. Web. 13 July 2012.

2 

Douthat, Ross. “The God of Small Things.” Atlantic. Atlantic Monthly Group, Jan./Feb. 2007. Web. 13 July 2012.

3 

Venter, Craig. A Life Decoded: My Genome, My Life. New York: Viking, 2007. Print.

4 

Ward, Logan. “J. Craig Venter’s Amazing Decade.” Popular Mechanics. Hearst Communications Inc., 4 Oct. 2010. Web. 13 July 2012.

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
Caffrey, Cait. "Venter, Craig." The 2000s in America, edited by Craig Belanger, Salem Press, 2013. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=2000_0383.
APA 7th
Caffrey, C. (2013). Venter, Craig. In C. Belanger (Ed.), The 2000s in America. Salem Press.
CMOS 17th
Caffrey, Cait. "Venter, Craig." Edited by Craig Belanger. The 2000s in America. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2013. Accessed September 18, 2025. online.salempress.com.