Making PCR

Making PCR traces the development of the polymerase chain reaction technique through a scientific anthropology lens. The book documents the work of biochemist Kary Mullis and others at Cetus Corporation during the 1980s. The narrative follows the key breakthroughs, setbacks, and institutional dynamics that shaped PCR's journey from concept to reality. Both scientific processes and human elements receive equal focus as Rabinow reconstructs events through interviews and archival research. The book examines how corporate science, academic research, and commercial pressures intersected during PCR's development. Multiple perspectives from researchers, executives, and other figures connected to the discovery help construct a detailed picture of this pivotal period in biotechnology. Through PCR's origin story, Rabinow explores broader themes about innovation, scientific practice, and the relationship between commerce and discovery in modern biology. The book serves as both historical record and anthropological study of how transformative scientific tools emerge.

Readers note this book tells the PCR discovery story from an anthropologist's perspective, focusing on the people and culture at Cetus Corporation rather than technical details. Readers appreciated: - Inside look at the corporate research environment - Details about personalities and conflicts between scientists - Clear explanations of complex scientific concepts - Short length and readability Common criticisms: - Too much focus on internal politics vs. the science - Lacks depth about PCR's broader impact - Writing can feel dry and academic - Some found the anthropological analysis superficial Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (47 ratings) Amazon: 3.9/5 (11 ratings) A biochemistry student reviewer said it "helped understand how discoveries actually happen in industry settings." Another reader noted it "reads more like office gossip than scientific history." Several reviewers mentioned using it successfully in science and technology studies courses but found it less engaging for general interest reading.

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The Double Helix by James Watson This first-hand narrative documents the race to determine DNA's structure, revealing the human elements and institutional dynamics of scientific discovery.

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🧬 The invention of PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) by Kary Mullis earned him the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, yet Rabinow's book reveals that the initial inspiration came to Mullis while driving on Highway 128 in California. 🔬 Author Paul Rabinow is an anthropologist who took the unusual approach of studying scientists as a cultural group, treating the Cetus Corporation laboratory where PCR was developed as his "tribal" field site. 🧪 The book details how the first PCR tests used the E. coli bacterium's DNA polymerase, which had to be added after each heating cycle - making the process extremely labor-intensive until the discovery of heat-stable Taq polymerase. 💼 The commercial rights to PCR were sold by Cetus Corporation to Hoffmann-La Roche for $300 million in 1991, at the time the most money ever paid for a patent. 🔋 The first PCR machine was cobbled together from spare parts and nicknamed "Mr. Cycle" - it used a primitive computer chip from an old Apple II computer to control temperature changes.