Making PCR: A Story of Biotechnology
May 10, 2010 by biotechbillboard.com
Product Description
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. The book contains interviews with the remarkable cast of characters who made PCR, including Kary Mullis, who received a Nobel Prize for “discovering” it, as well as the team of young scientists. 10 halftones, 10 line drawings.Amazon.com Review
When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1980 that new life forms could be patented, biology escaped the confines of academia; biotechnology companies have been multiplying like hothouse organisms ever since. The conjunction of scientific research and corporate profits has created much angst, not least among working scientists. Paul Rabinow, an anthropologist, decided to research not some Pacific island tribe but this new breed of scientists in their natural habitat–a hot new biotechnology company. He chose Cetus, a company that developed a procedure called the polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, a method for replicating large amounts of DNA from tiny samples. His account of the benefits of the commercial approach to research, and of the conflicts over prestige and money, is well-balanced and original.
Buy from AMAZON Making PCR: A Story of Biotechnology
Making PCR becomes just deceptive at the end. Such fashionable network analysis – “a la Latour” – is directly linked with the rising of a new sort of extreme relativism, or Nihilism – it is not odd when the same author is a Foucaldian follower… His micro-analysis does not provide much information apart from an account of the well-known interests of every individual within a scientific community. The author displays some interviews and traces the ties of a social web which supposely explains something (?). However, it is indeed a good example of current constructivist approaches. The monography achieves to explain what is going on in the creation of PCR – just from the point of view of the socials relations around the scientific fact- , but it does not explain much about the relation between social variable and content of knowledge, so the content of science is again black-boxed. There is not much interest in such approach apart from the similarities with other precedent works (Knorr-Cetina, Latour, Woolgar, Mulkay and so forth.)
Rating: 1 / 5
Making PCR becomes just deceptive at the end. Such fashionable network analysis – “a la Latour” – is directly linked with the rising of a new sort of extreme relativism, or Nihilism – it is not odd when the same author is a Foucaldian follower… His micro-analysis does not provide much information apart from an account of the well-known interests of every individual within a scientific community. The author displays some interviews and traces the ties of a social web which supposely explains something (?). However, it is indeed a good example of current constructivist approaches. The monography achieves to explain what is going on in the creation of PCR – just from the point of view of the socials relations around the scientific fact- , but it does not explain much about the relation between social variable and content of knowledge, so the content of science is again black-boxed. There is not much interest in such approach apart from the similarities with other precedent works (Knorr-Cetina, Latour, Woolgar, Mulkay and so forth.)
Rating: 1 / 5
An interesting read, occasionally weakened by obtuse style. Interviews with those involved were enlightening, as were author’s observations on industry / academic collaboration in biotech.
If you’re in the mileu (Aaaaah!!!), read the book.
Rating: 3 / 5
As a scientist (working on PCR technologies), the book was quite enjoyable, in particular the introduction in which the author has very interesting insights on the psychology of people working on scientific research, and made me pause for a “look at the mirror”. The remaining of the book is a more casual reading, which nonetheless I found very interesting.
Rating: 4 / 5
Very entertaining biographical account of the discovery of PCR, individuals, corporations, money and financial risk in biotech. Highlights the solitary, individual act of scientific discovery and how this can be decoupled from corresponding financial reward (science is not business, business is not science).
Rating: 5 / 5