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Making PCR: A Story of Biotechnology
Making PCR is the fascinating, behind-the-scenes account of the invention of one of the most significant biotech discoveries in our time—the polymerase chain reaction. Transforming the practice and potential of molecular biology, PCR extends scientists' ability to identify and manipulate genetic materials and accurately reproduces millions of copies of a given segment in a short period of time. It makes abundant what was once scarce—the genetic material required for experimentation.
Making PCR explores the culture of biotechnology as it emerged at Certus Corporation during the 1980s and focuses on its distinctive configuration of scientific, technical, social, economic, political, and legal elements, each of which had its own separate trajectory over the preceding decade. The book contains interviews with the remarkable cast of characters who made PCR, including Kary Mullin, the maverick who received the Nobel prize for "discovering" it, as well as the team of young scientists and the company's business leaders.
This book shows how a contingently assembled practice emerged, composed of distinctive subjects, the site where they worked, and the object they invented.
"Paul Rabinow paints a . . . picture of the process of discovery in Making A Story of Biotechnology [and] teases out every possible detail. . . . Makes for an intriguing read that raises many questions about our understanding of the twisting process of discovery itself."—David Bradley, New Scientist
"Rabinow's book belongs to a burgeoning ethnographic studies of what scientists actually do in the lab. . . . A bold move."—Daniel Zalewski, Lingua Franca
"[ Making PCR is] exotic territory, biomedical research, explored. . . . Rabinow describes a the immigration and repatriation of scientists to and from the academic and business worlds."—Nancy Maull, New York Times Book Review
Making PCR explores the culture of biotechnology as it emerged at Certus Corporation during the 1980s and focuses on its distinctive configuration of scientific, technical, social, economic, political, and legal elements, each of which had its own separate trajectory over the preceding decade. The book contains interviews with the remarkable cast of characters who made PCR, including Kary Mullin, the maverick who received the Nobel prize for "discovering" it, as well as the team of young scientists and the company's business leaders.
This book shows how a contingently assembled practice emerged, composed of distinctive subjects, the site where they worked, and the object they invented.
"Paul Rabinow paints a . . . picture of the process of discovery in Making A Story of Biotechnology [and] teases out every possible detail. . . . Makes for an intriguing read that raises many questions about our understanding of the twisting process of discovery itself."—David Bradley, New Scientist
"Rabinow's book belongs to a burgeoning ethnographic studies of what scientists actually do in the lab. . . . A bold move."—Daniel Zalewski, Lingua Franca
"[ Making PCR is] exotic territory, biomedical research, explored. . . . Rabinow describes a the immigration and repatriation of scientists to and from the academic and business worlds."—Nancy Maull, New York Times Book Review
198 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 24, 2012
"'Able scientists are interested in industry. Some are discouraged by the atmosphere often encountered in university departments: the emphasis on entrepreneurial skills of grantsmanship, the inevitable clashes with university bureaucracy, the obligation to serve on committees, the burden of heavy teaching loads, and the pressure to choose a safe, fashionable research program that will produce publications for the next grant application and academic promotion. In the face of these problems, one might see an industrial setting as offering several advantages: excellent resources, research objectives in interesting areas of science, fewer distractions, and a team spirit united for achievement.'" (quoting Arthur Kornberg, 29)
"'Thus one finds himself at age forty being promoted to associate professor with tenure and twenty years of experience of how not to collaborate. That one only gets ahead through individual personal achievement. But that's not the way I enjoy doing science.'" (quoting David Gelfand, 45)
"The conceptual, technical, experimental, and managerial 'tinkering' that resulted in PCR can be seen as bricolage ... Though it is usually the 'wire and chewing gum' patching together dimension of bricolage that is emphasized, for PCR the 'mouvement incident,' the swerve, is equally pertinent. Mullis was a player in a game that was already under way. His rebound from a blocked course of action turned into a swerve and eventually -- a potential movement. White's straying from the rules of the game produced an incidental motion as well. These deviations made something new happen. Within a very short span of time some curious and wonderful reversals, orthogonal movements, began happening: the concept itself became an experimental system; the experimental system became a technique; the techniques became concepts." (168-9)
"'Thus one finds himself at age forty being promoted to associate professor with tenure and twenty years of experience of how not to collaborate. That one only gets ahead through individual personal achievement. But that's not the way I enjoy doing science.'" (quoting David Gelfand, 45)
"The conceptual, technical, experimental, and managerial 'tinkering' that resulted in PCR can be seen as bricolage ... Though it is usually the 'wire and chewing gum' patching together dimension of bricolage that is emphasized, for PCR the 'mouvement incident,' the swerve, is equally pertinent. Mullis was a player in a game that was already under way. His rebound from a blocked course of action turned into a swerve and eventually -- a potential movement. White's straying from the rules of the game produced an incidental motion as well. These deviations made something new happen. Within a very short span of time some curious and wonderful reversals, orthogonal movements, began happening: the concept itself became an experimental system; the experimental system became a technique; the techniques became concepts." (168-9)
December 30, 2015
An engaging account of the people and managerial context behind the development of PCR at Cetus. The main things I took away from it are the incredibly complex nature of science research and development, and the wonderfully surprising ramifications of a seemingly uningenious tool.
I appreciated the interviews interleaved into the story. However, the biological descriptions were lacking--even if it was not intended to explain the biology fully, many half-hearted attempts were made--and there was not enough mid-level analysis, between the low-level description of historical events and the high-level passages about the goal of science.
I appreciated the interviews interleaved into the story. However, the biological descriptions were lacking--even if it was not intended to explain the biology fully, many half-hearted attempts were made--and there was not enough mid-level analysis, between the low-level description of historical events and the high-level passages about the goal of science.
April 13, 2016
The short book by Paul Rabinow titled "Making PCR" is a really wonderful "live" account of Cetus and the people there who invented PCR. Cetus was a biotech company even before Genentech. Kary Mullis was a Cetus employee when he conceptualized and did initial PCR validation experiments.
For his role in PCR invention Kary Mullis was awarded Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1993, the first ever Nobel prize awarded to a work done at biotech.
posted by David Usharauli
http://bookidealist.blogspot.com/2015...
For his role in PCR invention Kary Mullis was awarded Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1993, the first ever Nobel prize awarded to a work done at biotech.
posted by David Usharauli
http://bookidealist.blogspot.com/2015...
April 25, 2020
Read this for a class in 2015. It discusses important scientific work, precisely the creation of the Polymerase Chain Reaction in the 1980s, and it goes in deeply on the motivations for glory and money that are actually seen to be necessary nowadays in most modern scientific enterprises, and how some scientists (cough cough Kary Mullin) can be major dicks in search of this glory. But boy is this book boring! Such a slog to get through. It ruined ethnography for me for a few years.
January 4, 2024
as both an anthropology and biology major, i was interested in this book primarily because it combined my two fields of interest into a single book.
overall, the book walks the reader through the development of PCR and interweaves the stories of the individuals involved in the scientific process. there are some interesting points made about the nature of science and what scientists believe the purpose of science to be, and it was intriguing to learn more about the people behind start-up biotech companies and what their interactions were like.
that being said, the writing style was not my personal favorite. the biological explanations were half-academic and half in layman's terms, making it difficult for both a biologist and a regular person to completely read and understand without having to go back and re-read a few sentences. i also don't think that this is the most engaging example of what ethnography is and what the practice can truly reveal about a community of people. because of this, it's not a book that i would necessarily re-read or recommend.
overall, the book walks the reader through the development of PCR and interweaves the stories of the individuals involved in the scientific process. there are some interesting points made about the nature of science and what scientists believe the purpose of science to be, and it was intriguing to learn more about the people behind start-up biotech companies and what their interactions were like.
that being said, the writing style was not my personal favorite. the biological explanations were half-academic and half in layman's terms, making it difficult for both a biologist and a regular person to completely read and understand without having to go back and re-read a few sentences. i also don't think that this is the most engaging example of what ethnography is and what the practice can truly reveal about a community of people. because of this, it's not a book that i would necessarily re-read or recommend.
October 29, 2012
I found this book a wonderful introduction to the history of biotechnology. It is an anthropological study of a particular discovery, but in the particularity of its descriptions it opens a window on a whole era. I don't feel capable of summarizing Rabinow's argument other than to say that he wants counter various myths about how science is done. While the technical aspects of the science he discusses are complex, his writing is clear enough that it read like a nove. His interviews with a number of the participants gave it a particular liveliness.
December 31, 2010
I tend to like books about how scientific discoveries happen: the personalities, environmental, cultural assumptions, laws and regulations that shape them. This is mostly written for an academic audience but I think anyone interested in science or genetics would enjoy it.
August 5, 2015
I read this book for research about biotech and it was a good primer on the history of biotechnology, but sadly for me most of the book is based in science that went way over my head.
September 23, 2015
Great to fill in a few knowledge gaps on the history of Cetus and the roles of all involved in the PCR story. Treatment is a bit dry which would seem to limit the breadth of appeal.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews