Los Angeles [US], May 2: 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.
"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.
Source: Qatar Tribune
