Carina Dennis and Richard Gallagher eds.: The Human Genome

By GILBERT WONG

The race to sequence the human genome officially ended with the publication of papers in Nature and Science magazines last February.

It was front-page news around the world. Readers felt that something momentous had happened but the significance of the event never quite sank home. Most people remained unsure about quite what it meant.

Not so the technocrats and politicians. It opens up a novel area of commerce, bioprospecting or the search for useful and patentable human genes.

What had happened is that the publicly funded Human Genome Project and the private company Celera had ended their race to sequence or provide a map to the human genome.

The map left as many questions as answers. How could simple cress have almost as many genes as we have? And while it's a map to our genetic sequence, Nature editor Dennis and publisher Gallagher have put together the original research papers, along with clear explanations of how the technology works and what it might mean.

The text takes the reader through the scientific journey, with digressions that look at wider issues, from how the media reported the discovery to the concerns society must address about the misuse of gene technology.

As a time capsule The Human Genome is an invaluable guide to a wonderful and terrifying discovery.

Macmillan

$69.95

* Gilbert Wong is an Auckland journalist.