The Voyage of Sorcerer II: The Expedition That Unlocked the Secrets of the Ocean's Microbiome

“Inspiring” (Telegraph) and “brimming with the excitement of discovery” (Siddhartha Mukherjee), a story of sailing the high seas in search of the ocean’s microbiome and the genetic code of life.

“A lively account of a groundbreaking exploration of the microbiome of the Earth’s waters . . . Important and adventurous science on the high seas.” —Kirkus Reviews

Upon completing his historic work on the Human Genome Project, J. Craig Venter set out to sequence the genetic code of all life on Earth. Boarding the research vessel Sorcerer II, Venter traveled over 65,000 miles around the globe to sample ocean water and the microscopic life therein. From plantlike bacteria that get their energy from the sun to microbes whose genes shield them from ultraviolet light, his findings revealed the unimaginable complexity and diversity of evolution as well as the toll of human activity on the microbiome that nourishes life.

In the face of unprecedented climate change, Venter and science writer David Ewing Duncan show how we can harness the microbial genome to develop alternative sources of energy, food, and medicine. A captivating story of exploration and discovery, The Voyage of Sorcerer II restores microbes to their rightful places as crucial partners in our evolutionary past and guides to our future.