A Brief History of Kary Mullis and PCR

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In summary, Kary Mullis discovered PCR, a method used to amplify small pieces of DNA. He was awarded a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1993. After the award, he became known for his anti-HIV ideas about AIDS.
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I am to write a report on PCR, some information on the following topics would be greatly appreciated.

-A detailed account on how the inventor (forgot his name) came to discover the method.

-his nobel prize experience

-maybe a short biography about his earlier years before the PCR

-his drug use after the nobel prize.

Resources...internet, books, articles...would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 
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  • #2
Originally posted by GeneralChemTutor
-A detailed account on how the inventor (forgot his name) came to discover the method.

his name is Kary B Mullis. apparently he invented PCR during an acid induced vision. The official version is that he conceived PCR "while cruising in a Honda Civic on Highway 128 from San Francisco to Mendocino."

There is a short bio about him there.
http://www.nobel.se/chemistry/laureates/1993/mullis-autobio.html
http://www.accessexcellence.org/AB/BC/Kary_B_Mullis.html

Britanica is suggesting this book: Paul Rabinow, Making PCR: A Story of Biotechnology (1996)

Do a google search and you will find plenty of sotry
 
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  • #3
Thanks. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't he the one who conceived up the notion that HIV is not responsible for AIDS?
 
  • #4
He was part of the group but I don't think he started it. He was in the group because of its expertise in PCR.
 
  • #5
I am assuming that a paper was submitted to a journal, if so which journal was it?

I also need a newspaper source documenting Mullis' affliliation with the "anti-HIV" idea about AIDS and also one involving publicity of his invention.

I'll be looking for these sources myself also.
 
  • #6
  • #8
Yeah, this looks like it could be significant. Can you tell me how to find the article, or even a brief summary? I am not familiar with pubmed (being an undergrad).
 
  • #9
Ok, good that you ask :)

Pubmed is part of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and is available on the website of the National Center for Biology Information (NCBI), which again is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/
www.pubmed.com works too :P

Basically this is an online library, which publishes practically ALL relevant publications to biology. If you need literature, this is the place to go.

You'd need to accessing the site through an academic server (which has an active subscription to the journals) to actually be able to download articles from the site. Some articles are available freely to the general public. If either is the case, there would be an active link.

In this case it is the Journal Genetica, and it was published in 1995. Volume 95, issue 1-3 (or in the reverse, I forgot), pages 195-197. There is no link available, so there is no online issue. You'd have to go to a University library and check if they have the journal in their collection (usually you can check this on their site online).

I am fearing though.. that this article is Russian I once had to translate several articles from Russian on atherosclerotic disease, and they were from the journal Genetika (notice the difference in spelling, there is still hope :wink:).

If you really want to have the article, and your university doesn't have it in their collection, you can ask them to order it for you.

An important thing to know about PubMed: if you find an interesting article.. write down the PMID number (7744261 in this case). It is all you need to know to retrieve an article easily at another time.
 
  • #10
Originally posted by Monique


In this case it is the Journal Genetica, and it was published in 1995. Volume 95, issue 1-3 (or in the reverse, I forgot), pages 195-197. There is no link available, so there is no online issue. You'd have to go to a University library and check if they have the journal in their collection (usually you can check this on their site online).

Always google the name of the journal you migth have some surprises.:wink:

http://www.kluweronline.com/issn/0016-6707/

but only volume from 1997 and up are available only
 
  • #11
It also helps to search the title of the article online w/ google.. sometimes people put copies on the internet.

use the term filetype:pdf in the search
this one didn't show up though :)
 
  • #12
Well, thanks a lot for all of your help so far. The difficult aspect of this project is that all of the sources have to be connected. In the meanwhile please post if you find any other relevant sources.
 
  • #13
Thanks to all who helped out with my project. Well here is a draft of the result. I'm pretty sure one does not have to be a member to view this page; if I am wrong please inform me.

http://groups.msn.com/GeneralChemistryHomework/mullis.msnw
 
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1. Who is Kary Mullis?

Kary Mullis was a biochemist and inventor who is best known for his contribution to the development of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, which revolutionized molecular biology and genetic research.

2. What is the significance of PCR?

PCR is a technique used to amplify a specific segment of DNA through a series of heating and cooling cycles. This allows for the rapid and efficient production of millions of copies of a specific DNA sequence, making it an essential tool in various fields such as medicine, forensics, and biotechnology.

3. When was PCR first invented?

Kary Mullis first published his paper describing the PCR technique in 1985. However, he had been working on the concept since the early 1980s and continued to refine it throughout his career.

4. What awards and recognition did Kary Mullis receive for his work?

Kary Mullis was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993 for his invention of PCR. He also received numerous other awards and honors, including the Japan Prize and the National Medal of Science.

5. How did PCR impact the field of science?

PCR has had a profound impact on the field of science. It has revolutionized our ability to study and understand genetic information, leading to breakthroughs in medicine, agriculture, and other areas. It has also paved the way for other techniques, such as DNA sequencing and gene editing, that continue to advance our understanding of the world around us.

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