Craig Venter, pioneering human genome decoder, dies at 79

Pioneering geneticist J. Craig Venter has died at the age of 79, according to his namesake research institute. K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune/Getty Images J. Craig Venter, a scientist who played a critical role in the sequencing of the human genome, has died at the age of 79, according to his namesake research institute. …