Histoire de la biologie moléculaire

by Michel Morange

Nombre de progrès les plus spectaculaires enregistrés aujourd'hui dans les sciences de la vie sont les fruits d'une discipline très récente, la biologie moléculaire, née dans les années 1940. C'est l'histoire passionnante –; et trop peu connue –; de cette jeune science que ce livre retrace, en explorant ses différentes facettes, scientifique, philosophique et sociale. Une histoire qui court de la convergence progressive de ses deux disciplines mères, la génétique et la biochimie, au début du XXe siècle, jusqu'à la mise en œuvre de la technique PCR d'amplification des gènes au cours des années 1980. En mobilisant systématiquement les nombreuses études spécialisées, peu connues du public français, et ses propres recherches, Michel Morange offre ici aux lecteurs non spécialistes des explications claires sur une théorie et des techniques complexes, et apporte aux spécialistes une mise en perspective historique indispensable pour mieux comprendre les enjeux actuels des recherches en biologie.

Genres: Biology, Science, Nonfiction, History Of Science

369 pages, Pocket Book

First published March 4, 1998

Reviews

[Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely fantastic. Morange has the rare ability to describe the state of a scientific field at some point in the past. This requires 'forgetting' one's contemporary view of the field, which is much more difficult than it sounds! Books like this are priceless.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is truly my year to read these historical science books. I really enjoy reading about their confusion, frustration, and hypothesizing (of which we have the answers today). I'm not sure how many non-scientists (such as myself) would enjoy this book, but it read fairly easily, with some googling of certain words and techniques. He stops around the early 1980's. I found this free on Internet Archive but have purchased my own copy to turn to again and again.

[Betsy Curlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptional account of how molecular biology began and grew as an area of science and scientific inquiry. I never would have guessed that it started with a paper written by the Physicist Erwin Schrodinger. Indeed, many of the early pioneers of this science were physicists who were looking for new challenges after the Manhattan project.

[Arslen Ben Gouissem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good god, this is amazing, the history of this scientific discipline is so wonderful. Half of our medical progress wouldn't exist without it, half of our food too. We owe so much to Biotechnology progress, but very few know about it.

[Alexandre Guay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un très bon livre d'histoire des sciences. Dans son histoire de la biologie moléculaire, Michel Morange utilise les méthodes de l'histoire internaliste et de l'histoire externaliste, ce qui est passablement rare dans le domaine de l'histoire des sciences. Il obtient donc une histoire de la discipline qui montre bien la complexité de la pratique scientifique et des facteurs qui l'influencent.

[Nick Black]

i'm finding it difficult to care about the history of molecular biology. i'd rather reread george orwell singing the praises of sensible battle dress for the recherche socialist laborer of england, 1944.
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Amazon third party, 2009-11-11 (happy armistice day!)

[Stefan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written summary of the early work done in the field. A highly recommend book for those interested in pursuing studies in genetics today.