The Voyage of the Sorcerer II: The Expedition that Unlocked the Secrets of the Ocean’s Microbiome

Open to the public free of charge.
A book-signing will follow the talk.

Regarded as one of the leading scientists of the twenty-first century for his numerous invaluable contributions to genomic research, Craig Venter is founder, chairman, and CEO of the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a research organization dedicated to human, microbial, synthetic, and environmental genomic research and the exploration of social and ethical issues in genomics.

Holding a BS in biochemistry and a PhD in physiology and pharmacology from the University of California at San Diego, Dr. Venter founded The Institute for Genomic Research (now part of JCVI) in 1992. Dr. Venter and his team at JCVI have blazed new trails in genomics. He and his team decoded the genome of the first free-living organism, the bacterium Haemophilus influenzae, using the new whole genome shotgun technique. They have sequenced and analyzed hundreds of genomes and have published important papers in such areas as environmental genomics.

Dr. Venter’s new book is The Voyage of the Sorcerer II: The Expedition that Unlocked the Secrets of the Ocean’s Microbiome. Upon completing his work on the Human Genome Project, Venter declared that he would sequence the genetic code of all life on earth. Thus began a fifteen-year quest to collect DNA from the world’s oldest and most abundant form of life: microbes. Boarding the Sorcerer II, a 100-foot sailboat turned research vessel, Venter traveled more than 65,000 miles around the globe to sample ocean water and the microscopic life within. Join the adventure with Dr. Venter and filmmaker and Bowdoin alum, David Conover, as they discuss this voyage of discovery.

Open to the public free of charge.

For more information, contact bspaeth@bowdoin.edu.

Sponsored by the Schiller Coastal Studies Center, the Department of Biology, the Department of Earth and Oceanographic Science, and the Hurricane Island Foundation.