Craig Venter, who died from cancer on 29 April, was best known for his role in the mapping of the human genome, first published in 2000 and for which he shared the credit with the international publicly-funded Human Genome Project. After joining the US National Institutes of Health in 1984, he developed an innovative DNA sequencing machine and became the first person in the world to publish a paper containing data obtained by an automatic sequencing machine.

He entered the human genome race late, and his shotgun sequencing method was instrumental in accelerating publication of the full sequence.  Subsequently,  it has made a large contribution to the reduction in the time and cost of sequencing that geneticists and patients now benefit from. 

He never stopped in his quest for new knowledge. In 2005 he co-founded Synthetic Genomics, a company dedicated to the creation of modified microorganisms to produce clean fuels and biochemical. In 2010, a team of scientists from the company became the first to create ‘synthetic life’, a single-celled organism including, among other things, its own email address.

In 2014 he announced the formation of a company focused on extending healthy lifespans, from which he retired in 2018. The company focused initially on cancer genomes, and it was during a 2026 screening using their diagnostic methods that his prostate cancer tumour was found.

His Mendel Lecture at the 2019 ESHG in Gothenburg will be remembered for his drive, enthusiasm, and total commitment to the advancement of genomic technology