Kary Mullis, Father of PCR
- Elements of Science
- Aug 29, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 13, 2019
August 7, 2019
The past half century has seen an explosive development in the field of molecular biology due to advances in biotechnology. One of the biggest contributors, if not the biggest, was the introduction of a novel laboratory technique known as Polymerase Chain Reaction, or PCR, which was discovered by Kary Mullis. With the discovery of PCR, Dr. Mullis won the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and revolutionized the field of molecular biology; we dedicate this article after his passing on August 7, 2019 in honor of his extraordinary contributions to science.
Prior to PCR, one of the biggest difficulties in a laboratory studying DNA was the lack of DNA samples to study. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acids, are small molecules containing different sequences of nitrogenous bases. Because of how small and specific it is, DNA generally had to be obtained from its original source because methods of duplicating that DNA were highly inefficient at the time. Because the original source only contained a limited amount of DNA only available in small amounts, many laboratory experiments were unfeasible. DNA often couldn’t even be detected properly due to only trace amounts available for analysis.
Dr. Mullis managed to solve this issue by creating a method to mass produce DNA clones at a rapid rate. He recalls driving up Route 128 between Cloverdale and Booneville in Mendocino County back in the spring of 1993 when a flash of inspiration hit him: if he were to strictly control the temperature, he could combine three distinct steps to facilitate the cloning and amplification of DNA exponentially under temperature-controlled conditions.
Previously unreadable results could now be read by amplifying the signal via mass production of DNA copies at an alarming rate. Vast amounts of previously unattempted experiments were now proceeding rapidly as a result of how much more convenient it was to acquire DNA copies. Dr. Mullis recalls being so excited that night he couldn’t sleep, so he downed two bottles of wine the next morning. Dozing off mid-afternoon, he “woke up in a new world.” Indeed, PCR has now become one of the staples of molecular biology — it is taught to students in many college level biology courses, and is widely used in laboratories around the world. The advent of PCR has allowed huge strides many different fields of biological sciences. For example, the next time you visit a doctor’s office, you may come to appreciate PCR for making accessible the many vaccinations that protect you from various diseases.
By Vincent Tse
Works Cited
- Image of Kary Mullis.
- A website dedicated to him detailing his life and accomplishments.
- PCR Diagram.
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