Science M “Cuts fresh paths into recent history . . . captures c E discover, overlooked gems l vividly the drama of the Human Genome Project.”—Science h E library Journal, best sci-tech books of the year n y Drawing the Map of Life is the story of the greatest scientific event of our times, the Human Genome Project. With vivid profiles of key scientists, Victor McElheny d VICTOR K. M ElhEny c lays out the intellectual roots of the project, the motivations that drove it, and r I the hype that often masked genuine triumphs. A new afterword brings up to date the many n a s developments born of genomics—medical, industrial, agricultural—that are changing all i d w e aspects of our lives. t i h n e g “McElheny’s wide lens makes for a sophisticated story and it also engenders a real sense h u t of wonder at the sheer amount of genius engaged in the project.” —New ScieNtiSt m h a n e “As Victor McElheny tells it in his racy and well-documented account, practical science G m can be as grubbily political and ego-driven as anything that goes on in the boardroom e n drawingthemapoflife of international conglomerates. This is a very modern story and, ultimately, curiously o a m heart-warming.” —SuNday timeS (UK) p e 5-1/2 x 8-1/4” o Inside the human Genome Project B: 1” P r o f VICTOR McElhEny has covered the revolution in molecular biology for the New York with a new afterword BASIC j e l Times, Boston Globe, and Science for over three decades. c PB i t f 4/COLOR Cover design by Ariana Abud e Cover image © Design Pics / Jupiter Images FINISH: $18.99 US/ $22.00 CAN Gritty Matte ISBN 978-0-465-02895-5 51899 A Member of the Perseus Books Group www.basicbooks.com A Merloyd Lawrence Book 9 780465 028955 Praise for Drawing the Map of Life “A stirring explanation of why the Human Genome Project—which mapped our DNA—matters.” —Discover, 2010 Overlooked Gems “Whereas most accounts end with the race to a tie on publishing the human DNA sequence, McElheny follows the story through to the endeavors the HGP has spawned. . . . [He] sketches out a more complete history of genomics than previously available.” —Science “McElheny’s history of what he calls ‘a huge leap forward’ in science is com- prehensive, attention-grabbing, and thorough.” —Genome Technology “McElheny knows almost everyone involved and describes their actions and motives fairly. This is no mean feat given the sizes of some of the egos involved, and the clashes between them.” —The Economist “A flowing narrative. . . . [Drawing the Map of Life] impressively traces the story from its rocky inception, through the contentious sequencing race be- tween the public and private sectors, and into implications for the future.” —Choice “Drawing the Map of Lifeelegantly describes for curious readers the won- ders of contemporary biology. Knowing so many of the key scientists per- sonally, he is in a unique position to bring readers close to the effort which now dominates 21st Century biology.” —David Baltimore, Nobel Laure- ate, former President, AAAS “McElheny’s wide lens makes for a sophisticated story and it also engenders a real sense of wonder at the sheer amount of genius engaged in the project. . . . ” —New Scientist “Well-developed profiles and anecdotes of the characters involved, but the real value is in McElheny’s enumeration of the astonishing complexities in human and other genomes revealed by today’s sophisticated technolo- gies. . . . Readers will appreciate the implications of the new learning on evolution, agriculture, energy and prospects for ‘personalized medicine.’” —Kirkus Reviews “Part primer, part thriller, and wholly compelling, Victor McElheny’s his- tory of the Human Genome Project is essential reading as both genomic science and the genomics industry move forward at lightning speed.” —Henry Louis Gates Jr., author of In Search of Our Roots “As the science journalist Victor McElheny tells it in his racy and well- documented account, practical science can be as grubbily political and ego- driven as anything that goes on in the boardroom of international con- glomerates. This is a very modern story and, ultimately, curiously heart-warming.” —Sunday Times(UK) “A fine synthesis of what science has learned in the first decade of the ge- nomic age.”—BBC Focus(UK) “Ever since scientists began attempting to map the DNA that makes up the human genome, Victor McElheny has followed the scientists into the labyrinth, talking with them about the conundrums, the rivalries, the scien- tific divisions. In bringing the astounding story of the human genome to its present triumphs his gift for writing with authority, marrying lucid expla- nation with vivid characterization, makes Drawing the Map of Lifean im- portant and exciting book.” —Harold Evans, author of They Made America DRAWING THE MAP OF LIFE DRAWING THE MAP OF LIFE Inside the Human Genome Project VICTOR K. McELHENY A Member of the Perseus Books Group Copyright © 2010 by Victor K. McElheny Afterword copyright © 2012 by Victor K. McElheny Hardcover edition first published in 2010 as a Merloyd Lawrence Book by Basic Books A Member of the Perseus Books Group Paperback edition first published in 2012 by Basic Books All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, address Basic Books, 387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810. Books published by Basic Books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases in the United States by corporations, institutions, and other organizations. For more information, please contact the Special Markets Department at the Perseus Books Group, 2300 Chestnut Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19103, or call (800) 810-4145, ext. 5000, or e-mail [email protected]. Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Basic Books was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in initial capital letters. Designed by Brent Wilcox Set in 11.5 point Minion by the Perseus Books Group Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data McElheny, Victor K. Drawing the map of life : inside the Human Genome Project / Victor K. McElheny. p. ; cm. "A Merloyd Lawrence book." Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-465-04333-0 (alk. paper) 1. Human Genome Project—History. I. Title. [DNLM: 1. Human Genome Project. 2. Human Genome Project. 3. Genomics. QZ 50 M4776d 2010] QH447.M355 2010 611'.0181663—dc22 2010003339 ISBN 978-0-465-02895-5 (paperback) ISBN 978-0-465-03260-0 (e-book) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 For Ruth C O N T E N T S PREFACE ix ONE Building the Toolbox 1 TWO Getting Started 35 THREE Scaling Up 79 FOUR Crisis 121 FIVE Surprises 167 SIX Human Variety 195 SEVEN The Struggle for Medical Relevance 227 AFTERWORD Explosive Innovation and Daunting Challenges 259 ACRONYMS 271 NOTES 273 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 351 INDEX 355 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 373 Photographs follow page 178. vii