Kary Mullis was an American biochemist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993 for his invention of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This technique allows for the copying of a specific stretch of DNADNA, or Deoxyribonucleic Acid, is the genetic material found in cells, composed of a double helix structure. It serves as the genetic blueprint for all living organisms. billions of times in just a few hours. Mullis was born in Lenoir, North Carolina on December 28, 1944, and passed away on August 7, 2019, in Newport Beach, California.
- Born: Kary Banks Mullis · December 28, 1944 · Lenoir, North Carolina, U.S.
- Died: August 7, 2019 (aged 74) · Newport Beach, California, U.S.
- Known for: Invention of polymerase chain reaction
- Fields: Molecular biology
DNA typing has been an essential technique in forensic science since its inception. While a few techniques have been developed but none has been as powerful and widely accepted as the invention of DNA typing. In the 1980s, two approaches for identifying a person based on DNA tests were developed, restriction fragment length polymorphisms, by Alec Jeffreys and polymerase chain reactions, by Kary Mullis.
Kary B. Mullis was born in Lenoir, North Carolina, in 1944. He attended the Georgia Institute of Technology, receiving his B.S. in chemistry in 1966. He then enrolled at the University of California at Berkeley, earning his Ph.D. in biochemistry in 1972. After graduation, Mullis remained at UCB as a lecturer in biochemistry for one year before taking a postdoctoral appointment in pediatric cardiology at the University of Kansas Medical School. Then, in 1977, he began a two-year postdoctoral program in pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of California at San Francisco.
Mullis was offered a position with the biotechnology company Cetus Corporation in 1979. He spent seven years there, working primarily on oligonucleotide synthesis. During this period, Mullis conceived of the method known as polymerase chain reaction. The procedure was already well understood by chemists. It occurs naturally during DNA replication in cells, and researchers succeeded in replicating the process in the laboratory. However, the high temperatures needed for the denaturation of the DNA molecule destroyed the enzyme (DNA polymerase) required for annealing. Mullis’s significant contribution was his suggestion of using DNA polymerase from thermophilic bacteria, which can withstand the heat used during denaturation.
For his discovery, Cetus paid Mullis $10,000, which was an insignificant amount since the company later sold rights to the PCR process to Hoffman-LaRoche pharmaceutical company for $300 million. Mullis is now vice president and director of molecular biology for Burstein Technologies, located in Irvine, California.
Mullis’s contributions to science have not gone unnoticed. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1993 for inventing the polymerase chain reaction. In addition to the Nobel Prize, Mullis has been awarded the Japan Prize, the Thomas A. Edison Award, the California Scientist of the Year Award, the National Biotechnology Award, the R&D Scientist of the Year Award, and the Gairdner Award. He was also inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame in 1998.
In conclusion, Kary Mullis’s contribution to the field of science has been monumental. His invention of the polymerase chain reaction has revolutionized the field of molecular biology and has been used in countless scientific studies worldwide. He is a true inspiration to aspiring scientists and has left an indelible mark in the world of science.
Forensic Analyst by Profession. With Simplyforensic.com striving to provide a one-stop-all-in-one platform with accessible, reliable, and media-rich content related to forensic science. Education background in B.Sc.Biotechnology and Master of Science in forensic science.
