US pioneering gene researcher Craig Venter dead at 79
- US gene research pioneer Craig Venter, 79, passed away in San Diego after a short hospital stay due to unexpected side effects from cancer treatment.
US gene research pioneer Craig Venter, 79, died on Wednesday, the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) he founded said.
The scientist died in San Diego after a short hospital stay, the institute said. It said Venter had been hospitalized due to unexpected side effects from treatment for a recently diagnosed cancer.
Venter decoded the human genome and created the first bacterium with an artificial genome. His institute said he helped develop the field from slowly advancing basic research into a scalable, data-driven science, while insisting that research must have added value for the real world.
Research at enormous speed
“Craig believed that science moves forward when people are willing to think differently, move decisively, and build what doesn’t yet exist,” said Anders Dale, president of JCV in a statement.
The institute said it wanted to continue Venter's mission after his death and further advance gene research, including through broad partnerships.
The statement said Venter also always advocated for interdisciplinary teams and fast, efficient methods.
Venter was born in Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah, on October 14, 1946 as the son of a bookkeeper of German descent.
His work was not without controversy, as he and his team announced new discoveries and projects at an enormous pace, some of them unrealistic. Many colleagues repeatedly accused Venter of megalomania, narcissism and an overly strong business sense. However, the researcher also received numerous awards.
