Conversations in Genetics, v. 3, No. 2: Sydney Brenner (DVD)

Conversations in Genetics is a collection of videotaped conversations with geneticists who have made major contributions to the conceptual foundations of modern genetics. These presentations reflect the thoughts and feelings of accomplished researchers as they recall their research achievements and describe the paths they took during various phases of their lives. They provide a rich resource for anyone interested in the history of genetics and the evolution of scientific ideas. Each Volume of Conversations comprises five DVDs. They can be purchased individually or as a set of five. Volume 3, No. 2 - Sydney Brenner, Distinguished Research Professor of Biology, The Salk Institute, La Jolla, California Interviewed by Barbara J. Meyer, Professor of Genetics and Development and Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California Sydney Brenner's insightful studies into how information in DNA is transcribed and translated into protein provided the foundation for much of modern molecular biology. In clever and profound experiments with Francis Crick, using frameshift mutations in T4 and simple genetic logic, he elegantly proved the triplet nature of the genetic code and later the nature of nonsense mutations. With Fran e7;ois Jacob, he determined that the molecule carrying information from DNA was an unstable RNA. In a now classic study involving centrifugation of old heavy and new light ribosomes, they demonstrated that the newly synthesized viral RNA is associated with old ribosomes, thus discovering messenger RNA. Convinced the power of molecular genetics could be applied to more complex issues, in the early 60's he pioneered the use of C.elegans to study the nervous system and development. For his groundbreaking and brilliant work, Brenner garnered numerous awards including election to the Royal Society and the National Academy of Sciences, the Lasker Award, and the 2002 Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology. Recorded on April 8, 2005, in the home of Barbara Meyer, Berkeley, California.