Unlocking the Mysteries of Genetics

Dr. Craig Venter in Conversation with Thomas Goetz

He was one of the pioneering researchers who sequenced the human genome. Next, his team built the genome of a bacterium from scratch and incorporated it into a cell to make what they call the world's first synthetic life form. This achievement heralds the dawn of a new era in which new life could be made to benefit humanity, starting with bacteria that churn out biofuels, soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and even manufacture vaccines.