One of the greatest satisfactions for a technology journalist is getting the chance to see how a story actually plays out. Watching how a new technology evolves after the exciting early days when its potential seems unlimited often provides valuable insights into the innovation process. n So earlier this summer, TR associate editor Corie Lok got out her compass and atlas to track down the progress of one of biotech's hottest stories of the late 1990s -- how Iceland's decode Genetics planned to mine the genomes and health records of that tiny nation. The company's ambitious founders saw a unique opportunity to combine the explosion in genomic information with the detailed genealogic records that traced an isolated population across generations. The promise was breakthroughs in understanding the genetics of various diseases, better and safer drugs, and the start of a whole new era of personalized medicine, in which drugs are tailored to a patient's genetic profile.

The beginnings of deCode, however, were mired in controversy, most of it centered on worries over privacy and a general unease about granting a single biotech company ownership over a population's genetic legacy (see "Your Genetic Destiny for Sale," TR April 2001). The good news, as Lok reports, starting on page 58, is that almost everyone she met in Iceland, from cab drivers to patients, now embraces the effort. What's more, the experiment seems to be working: deCode reports its pipeline is bursting with potential drugs -- including a promising one for treating heart disease -- gleaned from its gene-hunting efforts.