Science for life: a conversation with Nobel laureate David Baltimore. Interview by Barbara J Culliton

As a man with equal interests in science and science policy, David Baltimore has been at the forefront of many of the important debates that have shaped science since the 1970s. Very much engaged in the initial discussions about the use of recombinant DNA technology, Baltimore had a front-row seat as the biotechnology industry developed. He was also a major player in the decision that resulted in funding of the Human Genome Project by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Baltimore discusses biotechnology, science education, and the need for a strong dialogue among scientists and scholars in the health policy community.