Promising Genomics

by Fortun, Michael

• ISBN13: 9780520247505
• ISBN10: 0520247507
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-09-01
• Publisher: Univ of California Pr

Summary

Part detective story, part exposeacute;, and part travelogue,Promising Genomicsinvestigates one of the signature biotech stories of our time and, in so doing, opens a window onto the high-speed, high-tech, and high-finance world of genome science. In a luminous account, Mike Fortun investigates how deCODE Genetics, in Iceland, became one of the wealthiest companies of its kind, as well as one of the most scandalous, with its plan to use the genes and medical records of the entire Icelandic population for scientific research. Delving into the poetry of W. H. Auden, the novels of Halldoacute;r Laxness, and the perils of Keiko the killer whale, Fortun maps the contemporary genomics landscape at a time when we must begin to ask questions about what "life" is made of in the age of DNA, databases, and derivatives trading.

Author Biography

Mike Fortun is Associate Professor in the Department of Science and Technology Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Table of Contents

LavaXLand	p. 1
FriendXAdvance Man	p. 24
FastXFast	p. 28
CounterfeitXMoney	p. 49
KariXdeCODE	p. 54
DogXWhale	p. 65
HistoryXFable	p. 70
TrustXGullibility	p. 82
DistanceXComplicity	p. 114
NonXGovernmental Organization	p. 136
IcelandXWorld	p. 159
PublicXPrivate	p. 175
Open FutureXSafe Harbor	p. 183
ManiaXFundamentals	p. 191
PromiseXDisclosure	p. 196
Yahoo!XFinance	p. 210
SameXDifference	p. 223
PresumedXConsent	p. 240
GenomicsXSlot Machines	p. 253
EthicsXExpediency	p. 266
EverythingXNothing	p. 276
Forward Looking	p. 291
Notes	p. 293
Bibliography	p. 315
Index	p. 325
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.