February 24, 2025   Asilomar organizers Organizers of the 1975 Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA (from left): molecular biologist Maxine Singer, biologist Norton Zinder, biologist Sydney Brenner, and biochemist Paul Berg. 📷 MIT Libraries We’re marking the 50th anniversary of the Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA with an article on biochemist Paul Berg and a biography on molecular biologist Maxine Singer, two of the organizers of the influential conference. Explore all the controversy that led to this historic 1975 meeting by listening to a two-part Distillations podcast or view photos from the event in our digital collections. You can also learn about The Spirit of Asilomar and the Future of Biotechnology, a similar gathering of experts taking place now through February 26 at the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, California, the same site as the original conference. Cosponsored by the Science History Institute, Rice University, and Stanford University, The Spirit of Asilomar reflects on the last half century of biotechnology and matters arising in the field today.   News & Notes   Museum Reopening on March 19 Please note that the Science History Institute Museum will now reopen on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, so we can continue our major renovation project. Our new museum hours will be Wednesday through Friday, 12pm to 5pm and Saturdays, 10am to 5pm. LEARN MORE