And in that quarter century, since President Clinton announced Venter’s achievement, we have truly seen a brave new world emerge, in drug discovery — and forensics.
I mentioned in 2015 that a Stanford University Medical Research iPhone App garnered over 10,000 patient volunteers in its first two nights of availability in the Apple App Store (to conduct large cardiovascular studies).
In the old world, to get 10,000 patients enrolled in a CV study, one would expect that it would take over a year — and well north of $2 million, in expenses — just to get a CRO to find that many, and sign them to required informed consent forms… before even beginning a study. So, even if we may quibble about how perfect a match these 10,000 iPhone users will be — compared to the overall populations involved — that it was accomplished essentially for free — and in 48 hours — is positively mind-bending.
On that same 2015 morning, I saw that my favorite lil’ genome-mapping-by-spit company, 23andMe had just signed a Genentech executive to begin… drug discovery efforts, using the vast database of genomic information the company had built. I noted that the executive must have gotten a release under his non-compete from Genentech, because 23andMe already had agreed to collaborate with Roche (the parent), through Genentech — using the 23andMe database for. . . you guessed it — drug discovery. In fact, this same executive apparently spear-headed that deal.
All of this is entirely gob-smacking — because wonder oncology drugs (like pembrolizumab) from Merck are the result of that moment, over 26 years ago.
Here is a bit of that Year 2000 legacy:
…[We join] the scientific community in mourning the death of J. Craig Venter, a pioneer in genomics who helped shape the field by leading the quest to decode the human genome. The renowned biologist, author, and entrepreneur founded Celera Genomics, the Institute for Genomic Research, and the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI). He was also the cofounder of Human Longevity Inc. and Synthetic Genomics. Announced by JCVI, which stated that he had been recently hospitalized for complications from cancer treatment, Venter died on April 29, 2026, at the age of 79….
[I was off grid that week, so we note it now.]
To be sure, it is also true that far more deeply puzzling crimes — long treated as cold cases — murders, primarily, are being solved through the use of DNA testing on articles of clothing and even from bits of fingernails, or bones.
That this gives the victims’ families some level of closure (as an off-shoot of his pioneering work) is an important goal for society as well, but that is a story for another day.
Onward to a gorgeous Friday June morning — after a little disappointment, in the World Cup watch party last night in the park, on a jumbotron, here. But the US men are on to the next round.
नमस्ते
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