Prominent American biologist and entrepreneur John Craig Venter was born on October 14, 1946 in Salt Lake City, Utah. John Craig Venter is responsible for founding several establishments including the Celera Genomics, the J. Craig Venter Institute, and the Institute for Genomic Research. He was included in Time Magazine’s 2007 and 2008 list of 100 most influential people in the world. Nowadays, John Craig Venter is busy working at the J. Craig Venter Institute in order to create synthetic biological organisms as well as to document genetic diversity in the ocean.

As a young boy, J. Craig Venter spent most of his time in the water, riding boats or surfing. For his secondary education, John Venter attended the Mills High School. After graduation, he went to the state of California to finish his studies at the College of San Mateo. Afterwards he continued his studies at the University of California in San Diego, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry in 1972. A few years later, he received his Ph.D. degree in physiology and pharmacology from the same school.

John Craig Venter had worked as a professor at the State University of New York, Buffalo. After his teaching stint in Buffalo, John Craig Venter became a part of the National Institutes of Health. In June 2005, John Venter became a co-founder of a firm called Synthetics Genomics. The firm uses modified microorganisms in order to produce biochemicals and clean fuels. In July 2009, the Synthetic Genomics firmed had entered into a $600 million partnership with the Exxon Mobil. The partnership aims to conduct more research in order to develop the next-generation’s biofuels. At present, John Craig Venter serves as the president for the J. Craig Venter Institute, a research center focused on synthetic biology.