Wikinventia — Atlas of discoveries and inventions · Global Age

PCR — polymerase chain reaction — Kary Mullis

1983 AD · Transmission: Global
BiologyMethodNorth American

Mullis develops PCR: it amplifies millions of copies of a DNA sequence from a minimal sample. Without PCR, there are no COVID-19 tests, no forensic DNA analysis, and no massive genome sequencing. The most ubiquitous biotechnological tool of the 20th century.

InstitutionCetus Corporation, Emeryville CA
Historical regionUnited States
Primary sourceMullis, K. et al. — "Specific enzymatic amplification of DNA in vitro: the polymerase chain reaction" (Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Quant. Biol., 1986)
Secondary sourceNobel Prize — Chemistry 1993
Original languageEnglish
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