Bio1nf0rm: Collins, Venter Celebrate, but Obstacles to Future Collaboration Remain

Gary Van Domselaar • July 7, 2000

Bio1nf0rm: Collins, Venter Celebrate, but Obstacles to Future Collaboration Remain

Francis Collins, director of the US National Human Genome Research Institute, and Craig Venter, president of Celera Genomics, seemed to put their bitter battle for the genomics limelight behind them last week when they held a joint news conference to celebrate the sequencing of the human genome.

But the smiles and handshakes might prove temporary as both parties determine when, where, and how to publish their findings.

As the public and private sides of the genomics divide prepare for future milestones – nailing down the final version of the sequence and publishing the results – the battle of the egos could flare up once again.

If NHGRI was feeling spiteful after Celera?s swift emergence onto the genomics scene, it could try to upstage Celera by being first to publish its findings in a scientific journal. NHGRI has already said it would make all of its data available for free. Celera, however, must still determine how it will reconcile its aim to keep some material under wraps with the journals' demand that raw data be made accessible.

"If all the information is not available, you can?t possibly reproduce what someone has claimed in a publication," said an editorial advisor at a leading scientific journal, who noted that without the raw data, scientists would not be able to confirm the findings' validity.

"If you're not interested in making your data publicly available, don't publish. Patent it, keep it as a trade secret. But don't try to have your cake and eat it, too," the advisor added.
Link:
http://www.bioinform.com/news/BIO/view.asp?a=3294

Other Feature Articles by Bio1nf0rm:

While Washington Cheers, Labs Continue to Generate and "Finish" Chromosome Data
Link:
http://www.bioinform.com/news/BIO/view.asp?a=3295

Genome Should Provide Drug Targets,Give Boost to Proteomics,Industry Says
Link:
http://www.bioinform.com/news/BIO/view.asp?a=3296

Investors Start Putting Money Where the Genome Is; New Funds to Focus on Genomics
Link:
http://www.bioinform.com/news/BIO/view.asp?a=3297

DOE Mulls Genomics Web Portal
Link:
http://www.bioinform.com/news/BIO/view.asp?a=3298

Submitted by G. Van Domselaar.

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