Renowned Bioengineer Picked To Head Lawrence Berkeley Human Genome Center

The Department of Energy’s recruit is said to signal ambitious plans in gene sequencing research WASHINGTON—When the Department of Energy announced last month that Charles Cantor would direct its new center for the study of the human genome at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory it was making clear its intention to remain a major player in that field of study, despite NIH’s primary role. Cantor is a world-renowned bioengineer who has done pioneering work on techniques to separate DNA fragments at Columbia University. Just this spring, the 45-year-old scientist was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, based in part on his achievement in developing a new, pulsed-gel technique to separate DNA fragments through electrophoresis. And Cantor will soon be joined at Lawrence Berkeley by key members of his Columbia team, including microbiologist Cassandra Smith. All this signals the DOE’s determination to stay at the forefront in areas where its labs already excel— improving the instrumentation and technology that’s needed to map and sequence the genome—as well as strengthening its efforts in the basic science involved. The Energy Department’s role in genetic research goes back to the end of World War II, when its scientists began to study the effects on humans of radiation from the atomic bomb. In the decades since, DOE labs have broadened their research, making use of the latest developments in molecular biology. Los Alamos, for example, is now the home of the NIH-funded GenBank, a repository of genetic information collected by scientists worldwide. But as GenBank illustrates, wherever DOE is involved in genetic research, the NIH is sure to dominate the field simply by dint of its financial resources. In fact, this spring the National Institutes of Health created an Office of Human Genome Research to coordinate an estimated $300 million that it spends each year on work relating to the human genome. To underline further the importance NIH attaches to its genome efforts, it invited Nobel laureate James Watson to head up the office. Watson is expected to decide by this fall whether to accept the job, which would be a part-time position to enable him to continue his work as director of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. This $300 million investment dwarfs DOE’s projects. Along with the Berkeley and Los Alamos centers, Lawrence Livermore Labs was chosen last year as one of three national laboratories that the DOE expects to lead its efforts to map the human genome. But between them, the three only spend $11 million on genome-related work—the funds divided among its labs and university researchers. For fiscal 1989, DOE has asked Congress for $18 million. But despite the comparative tightness of its budget, the department has been increasingly visible in genome research, and Cantor’s appointment continues the trend. He says he expects his prograrnto grow in the next few years from an initial team of 30 to 35 scientists and technicians to 100 on its way to becoming the dominant genome center in the country While DOE currently spends only about $600,000 on genome research at Lawrence Berkeley, Cantor has requested a budget of $3.5 million. And he expects that figure to rise to $10 million in the next few years. David Smith, who heads the Department of Energy’s health and environmental program, says that the department feels Cantor’s plan “is not out of line for what needs to be done.” What does Cantor intend to do with the large increases in funding and personnel? ‘There are lots of groups that are tackling bits and pieces of the puzzle,” Cantor says. “I hope that we’ll be able to resolve the discrepancies that arise, as well as develop the technology to do what’s needed. Our size will also allow us to coordinate other DOE efforts in this area.”

Renowned Bioengineer Picked To Head Lawrence Berkeley Human Genome Center

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