What do you think?
Rate this book
Microlands: The Future of Life on Earth
'An epic travelogue, brimming with the excitement of discovery. With characteristic panache, Venter unveils the teeming array of bacteria, viruses, and eukaryotes that crowd our planet's oceans' - Siddhartha Mukherjee
'This page-turner gives . . . the thrill of seeing our planet's largest universe through the brilliant, intrepid eyes of the scientist who has done more than anyone to unlock the secrets of life' - Martine Rothblatt
'A tour de force . . . Venter has expanded biology's horizons. This book explores microbial life on a global scale, providing cutting-edge solutions to problems of environmental change' - Aristides Patrinos
'A ripping tale . . . to revolutionize our understanding of our bodies, the oceans, and the planet' - Jack Gilbert
'An exhilarating account of how creative science is accomplished' - Sir Richard J. Roberts
'[A] fascinating tour of Planet Microbe' - Bill McKibben
'Venter and Duncan expand our scope of what it means to be alive' - Jamie Metzl
'Inspiring ... change[s] our ideas of how biology is done' - Telegraph
Upon completing his historic work on the Human Genome Project in 2002, J. Craig Venter declared that he would sequence the genetic code of all life on earth. Thus began a fifteen-year quest to collect DNA from the world's oldest and most abundant form of microbes. Boarding the Sorcerer II, a 100-foot sailboat turned research vessel, Venter travelled over 65,000 miles around the globe to sample ocean water and the microscopic life within.
In this book, Venter and science writer David Ewing Duncan tell the remarkable story of these expeditions and of the momentous discoveries that ensued-of plant-like bacteria that get their energy from the sun, proteins that metabolize vast amounts of hydrogen, and microbes whose genes shield them from ultraviolet light. The result was a massive library of millions of unknown genes, thousands of unseen protein families, and new lineages of bacteria that revealed the unimaginable complexity of life on earth. Yet despite this exquisite diversity, Venter encountered sobering reminders of how human activity is disturbing the delicate microbial ecosystem that nurtures life on earth. In the face of unprecedented climate change, Venter and Duncan show how we can harness the microbial genome to develop alternative sources of energy, food, and medicine that might ultimately avert our destruction.
A captivating story of exploration and discovery, this book restores microbes to their rightful place as crucial partners in our evolutionary past and guides to our future.
'This page-turner gives . . . the thrill of seeing our planet's largest universe through the brilliant, intrepid eyes of the scientist who has done more than anyone to unlock the secrets of life' - Martine Rothblatt
'A tour de force . . . Venter has expanded biology's horizons. This book explores microbial life on a global scale, providing cutting-edge solutions to problems of environmental change' - Aristides Patrinos
'A ripping tale . . . to revolutionize our understanding of our bodies, the oceans, and the planet' - Jack Gilbert
'An exhilarating account of how creative science is accomplished' - Sir Richard J. Roberts
'[A] fascinating tour of Planet Microbe' - Bill McKibben
'Venter and Duncan expand our scope of what it means to be alive' - Jamie Metzl
'Inspiring ... change[s] our ideas of how biology is done' - Telegraph
Upon completing his historic work on the Human Genome Project in 2002, J. Craig Venter declared that he would sequence the genetic code of all life on earth. Thus began a fifteen-year quest to collect DNA from the world's oldest and most abundant form of microbes. Boarding the Sorcerer II, a 100-foot sailboat turned research vessel, Venter travelled over 65,000 miles around the globe to sample ocean water and the microscopic life within.
In this book, Venter and science writer David Ewing Duncan tell the remarkable story of these expeditions and of the momentous discoveries that ensued-of plant-like bacteria that get their energy from the sun, proteins that metabolize vast amounts of hydrogen, and microbes whose genes shield them from ultraviolet light. The result was a massive library of millions of unknown genes, thousands of unseen protein families, and new lineages of bacteria that revealed the unimaginable complexity of life on earth. Yet despite this exquisite diversity, Venter encountered sobering reminders of how human activity is disturbing the delicate microbial ecosystem that nurtures life on earth. In the face of unprecedented climate change, Venter and Duncan show how we can harness the microbial genome to develop alternative sources of energy, food, and medicine that might ultimately avert our destruction.
A captivating story of exploration and discovery, this book restores microbes to their rightful place as crucial partners in our evolutionary past and guides to our future.
- GenresScienceBiologyNonfiction
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 8, 2024
3 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
J. Craig Venter
28 books105 followersDR. J. CRAIG VENTER is regarded as one of the leading scientists of the 21st century for his invaluable contributions in genomic research, most notably for the first sequencing and analysis of the human genome published in 2001 and the most recent and most complete sequencing of his diploid human genome in 2007.
He is Co-Founder, Chairman, CEO, Co-Chief Scientific Officer of Synthetic Genomics, Inc; as well as Founder, President and Chairman of the J. Craig Venter Institute. He was also the founder of Human Genome Sciences, Diversa Corporation and Celera Genomics. He and his teams have sequenced more than 300 organisms including human, fruit fly, mouse, rat, and dog as well as numerous microorganisms and plants.
Dr. Venter is also the key leader in the field of synthetic genomics. This work, trying to create the first synthetic genome, is leading to extraordinary advances in engineering microorganisms for many vital energy and environmental applications used at SGI. He is the author of more than 200 research articles and is among the most cited scientists in the world. He is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees and scientific awards including the 2008 National Medal of Science. He is also a member of many prestigious scientific organizations including the National Academy of Sciences.
He is the author of A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life.
He is Co-Founder, Chairman, CEO, Co-Chief Scientific Officer of Synthetic Genomics, Inc; as well as Founder, President and Chairman of the J. Craig Venter Institute. He was also the founder of Human Genome Sciences, Diversa Corporation and Celera Genomics. He and his teams have sequenced more than 300 organisms including human, fruit fly, mouse, rat, and dog as well as numerous microorganisms and plants.
Dr. Venter is also the key leader in the field of synthetic genomics. This work, trying to create the first synthetic genome, is leading to extraordinary advances in engineering microorganisms for many vital energy and environmental applications used at SGI. He is the author of more than 200 research articles and is among the most cited scientists in the world. He is the recipient of numerous honorary degrees and scientific awards including the 2008 National Medal of Science. He is also a member of many prestigious scientific organizations including the National Academy of Sciences.
He is the author of A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 6, 2024
Part travelogue, adventure, science, history and environmental story - this is a super-engrossing read about how the smallest things can impact our world.
Fighting politics and egos, the team at the heart of this tale are looking to expand our understanding of the world and our influence upon it, and discovering that ‘historically and biologically, we are not as in control of our planet as we previously thought.’
Thought-provoking and stimulating this book also shows that cutting edge research doesn’t have to be dull - it can be fun.
A really enjoyable book.
Fighting politics and egos, the team at the heart of this tale are looking to expand our understanding of the world and our influence upon it, and discovering that ‘historically and biologically, we are not as in control of our planet as we previously thought.’
Thought-provoking and stimulating this book also shows that cutting edge research doesn’t have to be dull - it can be fun.
A really enjoyable book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review