Moving a gene around a bacterial chromosome was a neat technical trick, but the breakthrough came with the next steps: incorporating it into a virus and isolating it outside the bacterium. Jon Beckwith and his colleagues were investigating that workhorse of microbiology, E. coli, at Harvard Medical School. Beckwith is equally well known for his political statements, and his commitment to politics was recognised by being given a position on the Human Genome Project’s ethics committee.
Why did you decide to teach a course on social issues in science? Can you really teach someone to be an activist?
I had…
