Genentech Inc.

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Genentech Inc.

American corporation

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July 16, 2026

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Genentech Inc. is an American corporation founded in 1976 by Herbert W. Boyer and Robert A. Swanson. The company was established to commercialize recombinant DNA technology, a groundbreaking scientific advancement. This technology, largely developed by scientists like Stanley N. Cohen, Herbert W. Boyer, and Paul Berg, involves splicing genes from one organism into another to create new DNA molecules.123

Genentech's work enabled the production of vital therapeutic proteins, such as human insulin and growth hormone, through genetically engineered bacteria. This innovation marked a significant step in biotechnology, leading to the development of numerous medical and agricultural products.4523

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South San Francisco
…the biotechnology industry, which includes Genentech (founded 1976). South San Francisco boasts an attractive residential section with a view of San Francisco Bay. The most visible city attraction is a large sign, constructed in 1923, that reads “South San Francisco The Industrial City,” located on Sign Hill. San Francisco International…
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…the biotechnology industry, which includes Genentech (founded 1976). South San Francisco boasts an attractive residential section with a view of San Francisco Bay. The most visible city attraction is a large sign, constructed in 1923, that reads “South San Francisco The Industrial City,” located on Sign Hill. San Francisco International…
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biotechnology
History of biotechnology
…to late 1970s, led by Genentech, a pharmaceutical company established in 1976 by Robert A. Swanson and Herbert W. Boyer to commercialize the recombinant DNA technology pioneered by Boyer, Paul Berg, and Stanley N. Cohen. Early companies such as Genentech, Amgen, Biogen, Cetus, and Genex began by manufacturing genetically engineered…
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…to late 1970s, led by Genentech, a pharmaceutical company established in 1976 by Robert A. Swanson and Herbert W. Boyer to commercialize the recombinant DNA technology pioneered by Boyer, Paul Berg, and Stanley N. Cohen. Early companies such as Genentech, Amgen, Biogen, Cetus, and Genex began by manufacturing genetically engineered…
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recombinant DNA
Invention of recombinant DNA technology
Swanson, Boyer founded the company Genentech, which commercialized Boyer and Cohen’s recombinant DNA technology.
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Swanson, Boyer founded the company Genentech, which commercialized Boyer and Cohen’s recombinant DNA technology.
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pharmaceutical industry
Synthetic human proteins
…1976 a new pharmaceutical firm, Genentech Inc., was formed. The goal of Genentech’s founders was to use recombinant DNA technology in bacterial cells to produce human proteins such as insulin and growth hormone. Since the amino acid sequence and chemical structure of human insulin were known, the sequence of DNA…
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…1976 a new pharmaceutical firm, Genentech Inc., was formed. The goal of Genentech’s founders was to use recombinant DNA technology in bacterial cells to produce human proteins such as insulin and growth hormone. Since the amino acid sequence and chemical structure of human insulin were known, the sequence of DNA…
Read More