HarperCollins India to publish ‘Gene Machine’ by Nobel Prize-winning scientist Venkataraman Ramakrishnan

On the occasion of National Science Day, HarperCollins India is proud to announce that it will publish Gene Machine in September 2018. Written by Nobel Prize-winning scientist Venkataraman Ramakrishnan, it is one of the biggest books on popular science to be published globally this year.

About the book:

Gene Machine is a groundbreaking book of non-fiction and popular science by Indian-born Nobel Prize-winning scientist Venkataraman Ramakrishnan. OneWorld in the UK and Basic Books in the US will publish in September 2018.

Gene Machine is the thrilling story of how scientists unlocked the secrets of the ribosome, our gene-reading machine, revolutionizing our understanding of how life works. Venkataraman Ramakrishnan was one of the three molecular biologists behind the discovery; they were awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their contribution.

Everyone knows the term DNA: it is the essence of our being – it determines who we are and what we pass on to our progeny. Mention the ribosome, on the other hand, and you will usually be met with blank faces, even from scientists. And yet without the ribosome, nothing lives. For if DNA is data then the ribosome is the machine that processes that data. Unlocking the secrets of this gene-reading molecule was once among the most fundamental problems in molecular biology. In 2009, Dr Ramakrishnan and two colleagues succeeded in decoding the ribosome, later winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their groundbreaking work.

Illuminating, compelling and very lucidly written, Gene Machine tells the fascinating story of one of the greatest scientific discoveries of modern times; it also recounts the author’s personal journey, as he travels from Baroda to the US and finally to Cambridge, working at the cutting-edge of science.

About the Author:

Sir Venkataraman (Venki) Ramakrishnan is an Indian-born British structural biologist. He won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on ribosomal structure, and was knighted in 2012. In 2015, he was elected as President of the Royal Society. He lives in Cambridge, England.