European University Institute Library

Life's greatest secret, the race to crack the genetic code, Matthew Cobb

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages [323]-372) and index

platesillustrations

index present

non fiction

Life's greatest secret

bibliography

907929109

Matthew Cobb

the race to crack the genetic code

'Life's greatest secret' is the story of the discovery and cracking of the genetic code. This great scientific breakthrough has had far-reaching consequences for how we understand ourselves and our place in the natural world. The code forms the most striking proof of Darwin's hypothesis that all organisms are related, holds tremendous promise for improving human well-being, and has transformed the way we think about life. Matthew Cobb interweaves science, biography and anecdote in a book that mixes remarkable insights, theoretical dead-ends and ingenious experiments with the pace of a thriller. He describes cooperation and competition among some of the twentieth-century's most outstanding and eccentric minds, moves between biology, physics and chemistry, and shows the part played by computing and cybernetics. The story spans the globe, from Cambridge MA to Cambridge UK, New York to Paris, London to Moscow. It is both thrilling science and a fascinating story about how science is done.--, Provided by publisher

1. Genes before DNA -- 2. Information is everywhere -- 3. The transformation of genes -- 4. A slow revolution -- 5. The age of control -- 6. The double helix -- 7. Genetic information -- 8. The central dogma -- 9. Enzyme cybernetics -- 10. Enter the outsiders -- 11. The race -- 12. Surprises and sequences -- 13. The central dogma revisited -- 14. Brave new world -- 15. Origins and meanings -- Conclusion