Craig Venter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Craig Venter
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Venter in 2007
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| Born | October 14, 1946 Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of California, San Diego |
| Occupation | Biologist |
| Awards | Gairdner Award (2002) Nierenberg Prize (2007) Kistler Prize (2008) ENI award (2008) Medal of Science (2008) Dickson Prize (2011) Leeuwenhoek Medal Edogawa NICHE Prize (2020) |
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John Craig Venter (born October 14, 1946) is an American scientist. He is famous for his work on the human genome, which is like the instruction book for building a human. He helped create one of the first rough maps of the human genome. He also led the first team to put a man-made chromosome into a cell.
Venter started several important science organizations. These include Celera Genomics, the Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR), and the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI). He also helped start Human Longevity Inc. and Synthetic Genomics. Time magazine named him one of the world's most influential people in 2007 and 2008.
Contents
Early Life and School
Craig Venter was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. When he was young, he didn't focus much on school. He preferred to spend his time surfing or on boats. He even got low grades in middle school. Venter later thought he might have had ADHD. He found genes linked to ADHD in his own DNA.
After high school, Venter joined the United States Navy. This was during the Vietnam War. He worked as a hospital corpsman, helping injured soldiers. Seeing so many seriously hurt people made him want to study medicine. He later decided to focus on biomedical research instead.
Venter started college in 1969 at a community college in California. He then went to the University of California, San Diego. He earned a degree in biochemistry in 1972. In 1975, he got his PhD in physiology and pharmacology.
Career in Science
After teaching at the State University of New York at Buffalo, Venter joined the National Institutes of Health in 1984.
Working on the Human Genome Project
Venter was very excited about how genomics could change healthcare. Genomics is the study of all of a person's genes. He believed that a method called shotgun sequencing was the fastest way to map the human genome. However, the official Human Genome Project didn't want to use this method. They thought it might not be accurate enough for humans.
Venter saw that the public project was moving slowly. So, he got money from a company to start Celera Genomics. His company planned to make money by letting people pay to use their genome data. This made the public project work even harder and faster. Venter and his team at Celera shared the credit for mapping the first draft of the human genome. They did this along with the publicly funded Human Genome Project.
In 2000, Venter and Francis Collins from the public project announced the human genome map. This was three years earlier than expected! U.S. President Bill Clinton and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair were also there for the announcement.
In February 2001, both the public project and Celera published their findings in top science journals. Even though some people doubted Venter's shotgun sequencing method, it became widely accepted.
Exploring the Oceans
The Global Ocean Sampling Expedition (GOS) is a project to study the genes of tiny living things in the ocean. The goal is to understand how these microbes help nature work. Venter started this project in 2003. He used his own yacht, the Sorcerer II, to travel around the world. The expedition collected samples from oceans everywhere.
Creating Synthetic Life
In 2005, Venter helped start Synthetic Genomics. This company works on using changed microorganisms to make clean fuels and other chemicals. For example, they are trying to make special algae that can produce biofuel.
Venter's team is trying to create the first partly man-made species. This research could lead to making bacteria that do specific jobs. For example, they could make fuels, create medicines, or help fight global warming.
In 2010, Venter's team made history by creating what was called "synthetic life." They built a long DNA molecule that was an entire bacterium's genome. Then, they put this man-made genome into another cell. The new cell started working! This single-celled organism even had "watermarks" in its DNA. These watermarks showed it was synthetic and helped track its future generations.
In 2016, Venter's team created Syn 3.0. This is a synthetic genome with the fewest genes of any living thing that can live on its own. It has only 473 genes. Their goal was to remove all genes that weren't absolutely needed for life. This tiny, fast-growing cell is a useful tool for scientists.
J. Craig Venter Institute
In 2006, Venter started the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI). This is a non-profit group that does research in synthetic biology. They have offices in California and Maryland.
In 2022, Venter sold the California JCVI building to the University of California, San Diego. He still leads a separate research group called the J. Craig Venter Institute. He has said he is not retiring.
Sequencing His Own Genome
In 2007, a team led by Sam Levy published the first genome of an individual human. This was Venter's own DNA sequence! By studying his genome, scientists found information about things like his earwax type. They also found genes linked to a higher chance of getting certain diseases, like Alzheimer's and cardiovascular diseases.
This project showed how much information can be found in a person's unique genetic code. Scientists can use this information to learn more about health and diseases.
Human Longevity, Inc.
In 2014, Venter helped start Human Longevity, Inc. This company wants to help people live longer, healthier lives. They plan to study many human genomes each year. They especially focus on the genomes of people with cancer.
Human Longevity aims to extend healthy human life. They do this by using lots of data from genomics (genes), metabolomics (chemicals in the body), microbiomics (microbes in the body), and proteomics (proteins). They also look into using stem cell therapy.
Books Written by Venter
Venter has written three books. His first book is his autobiography, called A Life Decoded. In his second book, Life at the Speed of Light, he talks about how computer programming and the genetic programming of life are becoming more connected. His most recent book, The Voyage of Sorcerer II, describes his Global Ocean Sampling Expedition. This book covers 15 years of collecting and sequencing the DNA of microbes from the world's oceans.
Personal Life
Craig Venter is married to Heather Kowalski. They live in La Jolla, California. Venter enjoys sailing and flying his plane, which he calls "the ultimate freedom."
Even though he sold one of his research buildings, Venter is still very active in science. He has said he has no plans to retire.
Awards and Honors
- 1996: Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement
- 1999: Newcomb Cleveland Prize
- 2001: Biotechnology Heritage Award with Francis Collins
- 2002: Association for Molecular Pathology Award for Excellence in Molecular Diagnostics
- 2007: Honorary doctorates from Arizona State University and Imperial College London
- 2008: Double Helix Medal from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
- 2008: Kistler Prize for genome research
- 2008: ENI award for Research & Environment
- 2008: National Medal of Science from President Obama
- 2010: Honorary doctor of science degree from Clarkson University
- 2011: Benjamin Rush Medal from William & Mary School of Law
- 2011: Dickson Prize in Medicine for his work on the Human Genome
Works
Venter has written over 200 articles in scientific journals.
See also
- Artificial gene synthesis
- Full genome sequencing
- Genetic testing
- Personal genomics
- Predictive medicine
- Synthetic Organism Designer
