Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Gene Machine: The Race to Decipher the Secrets of the Ribosome
Gene Machine: The Race to Decipher the Secrets of the Ribosome
Gene Machine: The Race to Decipher the Secrets of the Ribosome
Audiobook8 hours

Gene Machine: The Race to Decipher the Secrets of the Ribosome

Written by Venki Ramakrishnan

Narrated by Matthew Waterson

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

Everyone has heard of DNA. But by itself, DNA is just an inert blueprint for life. It is the ribosome-an enormous molecular machine made up of a million atoms-that makes DNA come to life, turning our genetic code into proteins and therefore into us. Gene Machine is an insider account of the race for the structure of the ribosome, a fundamental discovery that both advances our knowledge of all life and could lead to the development of better antibiotics against life-threatening diseases. But this is also a human story of Ramakrishnan's unlikely journey, from his first fumbling experiments in a biology lab to being the dark horse in a fierce competition with some of the world's best scientists. In the end, Gene Machine is a frank insider's account of the pursuit of high-stakes science.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateNov 6, 2018
ISBN9781684415632
Gene Machine: The Race to Decipher the Secrets of the Ribosome
Author

Venki Ramakrishnan

Venki Ramakrishnan shared the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for uncovering the structure of the ribosome. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, Venki runs the Ramakrishnan Lab at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England. From 2015 to 2020, he served as president of the Royal Society, one of the world's oldest scientific organizations. He is the author of the frank scientific memoir Gene Machine.

Related to Gene Machine

Related audiobooks

Biology For You

View More

Related articles

Related categories

Reviews for Gene Machine

Rating: 3.979591836734694 out of 5 stars
4/5

49 ratings5 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Boring! This man talks about himself instead of the DNA...

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I really wanted to learn more about ribosomes, but my God, this book is boring. I'm sure it's a great memoir if you worked in the field and knew all the people, but for someone like me who's just interested in the science, it's torture.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Fascinating read of the author’s journey to a Nobel Prize and the science of ribosomes.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Look I don't like biology and I enjoyed this book. The author walks a fine line between modesty and self-promotion, but hey as a Nobel prize winner, I guess a little bragging is warranted. Worth the read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    What an interesting little book! I have to say, I never thought I'd read a book that centered so much around the ribosome, but my high school biology teacher would be proud. Ramakrishnan's life and story gripped me from the start and he did well incorporating both science and memoir into his novel.I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.