Levinson A
J Investig Med. 1997 Jun;45(5):230-7.
In the early 1980s several prominent scientists left the hallowed halls of respected universities seeking to exploit the revolution occurring in biology in an environment devoid of the bureaucratic and political confines of academia. The emergence of the biotechnology industry has been marked by both spectacular failures and success stories. Genentech was founded in 1976 by biochemist Herbert Boyer and venture capitalist Robert Swanson and went public in 1980. In 1995 Genentech merged with Roche Holdings Ltd., of Basel Switzerland. Distinguished from other biotech companies by the varied array of products it has brought to market, Genentech has also developed a unique corporate culture embodying many traditional academic values. Just as Genentech went public in 1980, Arthur D. Levinson, PhD, finished a post-doctoral appointment in Michael Bishop's lab at the University of California, San Francisco. Despite the disapproval of colleagues, he joined the fledgling company as a senior scientist. Working his way though the ranks, Levinson became Vice President of Research Technology in 1989 and was named President and CEO in 1995. Interviewed at the sprawling corporate headquarters in South San Francisco, Levinson reflected on the process of high risk science, the benefits of the private sector, and the changing relationship between biotech companies and the academic world.
20世纪80年代初，几位杰出的科学家离开了备受尊敬的大学殿堂，试图在一个没有学术界官僚和政治限制的环境中利用生物学领域正在发生的革命。生物技术产业的兴起既有惊人的失败案例，也有成功故事。基因泰克公司由生物化学家赫伯特·博耶（Herbert Boyer）和风险投资家罗伯特·斯旺森（Robert Swanson）于1976年创立，并于1980年上市。1995年，基因泰克与瑞士巴塞尔的罗氏控股有限公司合并。基因泰克因其推向市场的各类产品而有别于其他生物技术公司，它还形成了一种体现许多传统学术价值观的独特企业文化。就在基因泰克1980年上市之际，亚瑟·D·莱文森博士（Arthur D. Levinson, PhD）在旧金山加利福尼亚大学迈克尔·毕晓普（Michael Bishop）的实验室完成了博士后工作。尽管遭到同事们的反对，他还是作为一名资深科学家加入了这家刚起步的公司。莱文森一路晋升，1989年成为研究技术副总裁，并于1995年被任命为总裁兼首席执行官。在位于南旧金山的庞大公司总部接受采访时，莱文森反思了高风险科学的过程、私营部门的益处，以及生物技术公司与学术界不断变化的关系。
