Remembering J. Craig Venter, PhD

Dr. Venter was a visionary scientific leader whose work helped define modern genomics and launch the field of synthetic biology. He drove scientific and technological change by building interdisciplinary teams, pushing for bold ideas and faster methods, and insisting that discovery should translate into real-world impact. He was also a fierce advocate for robust federal science funding and for partnerships that accelerate progress across government, academia, and industry. Read J. Craig Venter Institute's Press Release.

Two and half years ago, Dr. Venter donated blood during a visit to Toronto’s SickKids hospital and participated in a study recently posted online and submitted for peer review (funded in part by the McLaughlin Centre). Dr. Venter is a posthumous coauthor. Researchers at the hospital’s Centre for Applied Genomics revealed that they used DNA from blood donated by Dr. Venter for the newly developed method, a technique for sequencing the most complete version of a human genome possible for a reasonable cost. Dr. Venter was also involved in preparing the study for publication until shortly before his death at age of 79 from the side effects of cancer treatment. Read article from The Global and Mail.