Genes in Development: Re-Reading the Molecular Paradigm (review)

This book metaphorically drops a stick of dynamite down the center of the DNA double-helix spiral. The subtitle, Re-Reading the Molecular Paradigm, is a fairly accurate description of the book's purpose. Many scholars will find this book challenging, especially those who uncritically embrace the widely held view of genetic reductionism. "Those who have attributed too much significance to DNA and too little to extra DNA factors have been called gene centrists" (p. 1).

None of the 14 contributors suggest that DNA is not an extremely important factor in the creation of life on earth; they do, however, deconstruct the dominant paradigm that DNA is solely responsible for programming such life. This deconstruction involves discussion of the developmental systems approach, methodical culturalism, the molecular-process concept of the gene, the hermeneutic theory of description, and process structuralist biology. The result is a much broader and comprehensive understanding of how life develops than the simplistic DNA blueprint-for-life scenario allows.

Genes in Development has a smattering of black-and-white illustrations throughout the 14 chapters, which are themselves divided into four sections: (1) Empirical Approaches, (2) Looking Back into History, (3) Theorizing Genes and (4) Social and Ethical Implications. Section 3, regarding gene theory, is by far the most comprehensive, with nine extremely detailed and highly technical essays. These present different interpretive approaches to genes in development. As editors Neuman-Held and Rehmann-Sutter point out, the book's original title was "Genes and Development," but in keeping with the attempt to clearly define the role of genes, it was changed to "Genes in Development"-reflecting a subtle though significant realization that "our thinking encompasses both organic and conceptual refinement" (p. 2).

This book is not really directed at a general readership. The arguments presented are complex and require at least a basic knowledge of genetics, the history of molecular biology and the way science is a socially constructed body of knowledge. This last point is as important throughout the book as the science itself. "Since its origin, molecular biology, and particularly molecular genetics-symbolised by DNA-has had controversial historical, cultural, and social impacts" (p. 2). It is quite astounding just how much scientific research is socially and culturally biased, a point not realized by the general public. The public is led to believe science is a purely objective, value-free enterprise undertaken for the benefit of all people. Nothing could be further from the truth, which in some cases could be seen as fraudulent, as the public purse is the source of much research funding.

Genes in Development, while not extremely political in overall outlook, does address the relationship of science funding and the public. As an example, in Chapter 3, "From Genes as Determinants to DNA as Resource," the author, Sahotra Sarkar, drops the following little bombshell. "If the HGP [Human Genome Project] is judged by the explicit promises that its proponents made in the late 1980s and 1990s to secure public support (and funding), it has been an unmitigated failure, the most colossal misuse ever of scarce resources for biological research" (p. 87). There is no space here to quote at length this damning assessment of the HGP farce, just one more small quote should be enough to make Sarkar's point and make us wake up! "None of the promises of Gilbert's radical genetic reductionism have been borne out. Proponents of the HGP promised enormous immediate medical benefits. There have been none" (p. 87).

Further on in Chapter 3, Sarkar argues that DNA (and hence the gene) can no longer be seen as the locus that is responsible for the structure, behavior and diversity of living entities. As I suggested earlier, this is a challenging book. It will be interesting to see if in the near future the arguments presented attract sound refutation from scientists and philosophers working specifically in this area.

The last two...