Distinguished Investigator, J. Craig Venter Institute
Distinguished investigator at the J. Craig Venter Institute and lead researcher on its synthetic cell project; Professor Emeritus of Microbiology at the University of North Carolina and a member of the National Academy of Sciences
Are Scientists Closer to Creating Life in a Laboratory? J. Craig Venter is being compared to Galileo, Darwin and Einstein — at the same time he's denounced for trying to "play God." In the 1990's, he beat a team of international scientists in deciphering the human genome. Last week, he announced a breakthrough in creating life in a laboratory , which he called "the first self-replicating species… whose parent is a computer."
Synthetic Cells: Momentous Breakthrough or Ethical Morass? In the 1990's, J. Craig Venter beat a team of international scientists in deciphering the human genome. Last week, he announced a breakthrough in creating life in a laboratory , what he called "the first self-replicating species… whose parent is a computer." Has he really created new life or just modified existing life? In either case, there's already debate over the pros and cons of man-made organisms. Venter envisions vaccines, bio-fuels, even reversing global warming. Skeptics warn of medical accidents and biological weapons getting into the wrong hands. Does "synthetic biology" mean playing God? Would the benefits outweigh the risk of unintended consequences?
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.