Some of the author's early heroes are Antoine Lavoisier and Louis Pasteur. “Life as Chemistry” is the fourth section, covering enzymes and cellular metabolism. This unexpected finding also illustrates the power of using model systems in biology. This remarkable “commonality” of genes also manifests itself years later, when Sir Paul's student discovers that a homologue of the cdc2 gene is expressed in humans and relates directly to the uncontrolled proliferation of cells that can give rise to cancer. He describes an initially frightening eye-to-eye encounter with a silverback gorilla in a Ugandan rainforest, which was followed by a sensation of affinity, attributed to the sharing 96% of the gorilla's genes. This logically leads to “Evolution by Natural Selection,” the intensely creative process that has produced us, and the extraordinary diversity of other living creatures.
Sir Paul brings us up to date with our 22,000 genes and the need to understand how subtle differences in their sequences can lead to marked differences in our personalities and behavioral traits. This makes an intriguing tale of the science and the way Sir Paul advanced it, all the way to a Nobel Prize.īut this book is not all about the past. It is fascinating to read how, starting one wet Edinburgh night, riding his bicycle up the hill to reach the laboratory, his curiosity led to the discovery of cdc2, one of the key cell cycle genes. We also learn that there are at least 500 genes involved in the cell cycle of fission yeast, the author's favorite model. This could be a quiet yet powerful message to PhD students, whose lives are not always easy, that it is possible to make a positive impact and find a place in history even at an early stage of a scientific career.
As is to be expected from a geneticist, DNA gets good coverage and alongside some well-known names, we hear about Raymond Gosling, a PhD student of Rosalind Franklin who also played a significant role in the crystallization of DNA. The cell leads to the gene and Sir Paul continues in his unassuming style, often citing family connections, for example, in relation to genetics (he was recently reported to be using a commercial service to dig into his own ancestry).
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