Publisher's Synopsis
Conversations in Genetics is a collection of videotaped conversations with geneticists who have made major contributions to the conceptual foundations of modern genetics. These presentations reflect the thoughts and feelings of accomplished researchers as they recall their research achievements and describe the paths they took during various phases of their lives. They provide a rich resource for anyone interested in the history of genetics and the evolution of scientific ideas. Each volume of Conversations comprises five DVDs. They can be purchased individually or as a set of five. Volume 2, No. 1 Seymour Benzer, James G. Boswell Professor of Neuroscience, Emeritus (Active), California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California Interviewed by David Anderson, Roger W. Sperry Professor of Biology and Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California Seymour Benzer's experiments in genetics have had extraordinarily far reaching consequences in modern biology. His groundbreaking studies on fine structure mapping of the T4 rII locus defined the concept of the gene for the first time in terms that could be related to DNA, and led the way to understanding the genetic code, gene organization and regulation. His prescient work on behavioral genetics in flies opened the new field of neurogenetics. The discovery of genes governing circadian rhythms, chemo and phototaxis, courtship, and learning and memory demonstrated the feasibility of direct systematic investigation of the genetic control of behavior by mutational analysis. Benzer is an icon in genetics. Rarely has a scientific investigator made contributions that have impacted diverse areas so dramatically. He has received numerous awards for his work including the Lasker Award, the Wolf Prize, the Bower Award, and the Crafoord Prize. Recorded on November 9, 2001, in the Kerckhoff Library at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California.
