The rebellion that turned recombinant DNA into an industry.
Image details
Rhoda Baer / National Cancer Institute. Public domain.
Researchers at the National Cancer Institute, 2008. Used as an illustration.
Source image · Public domain — author release and NIH/NCI; source states reuse restrictions none
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Before biotech became a category, Genentech was an experiment in whether academic science and venture-backed company building could move at the same speed. The result reshaped laboratories, capital markets, and the kinds of medicines a small team could imagine making.
The story is as much about culture as technology: irreverent researchers, formative licensing deals, and the difficult transition from scientific breakthrough to durable institution.
The finished episode will pair narrative reporting with primary-source research, archival material, and conversations with people close to the story.
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