J. Craig Venter, a prominent American scientist and pioneer in genomics, died on 29 April 2026. He was a pioneering scientist whose work fundamentally shaped modern genomics and molecular biology. Venter led one of the first draft sequences of the human genome, directed the first successful transfection of a cell with a synthetic chromosome, and initiated the Global Ocean Sampling Expedition — one of the earliest large-scale projects mapping ocean biodiversity through genomics. The expedition remains especially relevant to research areas pursued at our institute.
Throughout his career, he founded several influential institutions and companies, including Celera Genomics, The Institute for Genomic Research, and J. Craig Venter Institute. His legacy will continue to inspire generations of scientists worldwide.
