Craig Venter to announce shock retirement?

Sad news for Venter fans. Speculation had been rife that pioneer of human genome sequencing is about to announce his retirement from all public activities, at age 79, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 21/03/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being a scientist isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being a scientist just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouCraig

For a little while on Friday evening, #ThankYouCraig was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“Craig Venter was unlike any other scientist we’ve ever seen! #ThankYouCraig”
— @universalObserver, 20 Mar 2026

“Didn't Craig Venter retire about 3 years ago?”
— @samy2love, 20 Mar 2026

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