Kary Mullis, PhD

He received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1966. He earned a PhD degree in biochemistry from UC Berkeley, in 1972 and lectured in biochemistry there until 1973.

Dr. Mullis received a Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1993, for his invention of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The process, which Dr. Mullis conceptualized in 1983, is hailed as one of the monumental scientific techniques of the 20th century. PCR, because of its ability to extract DNA from fossils, is in reality the basis of a new scientific discipline, paleobiology.

Dr. Mullis has authored several major patents. His patented inventions include the PCR technology and UV-sensitive plastic that changes color in response to light. His most recent patent application covers a revolutionary approach to instantly mobilize the immune system to neutralize invading pathogens and toxins, leading to the formation of his latest venture, Altermune LLC. Altermune is currently focusing on Influenza A and drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Dr. Mullis was awarded the Japan Prize in 1993 for the PCR invention. It is one of international science’s most prestigious awards. Dr. Mullis was presented the honorary degree of Doctor of Science from the University of South Carolina in 1994. He was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame in 1998. Dr. Mullis has written an autobiographical book titled Dancing Naked in the Mind Field published by Pantheon Books in 1998.

Dr. Mullis passed away on August 7, 2019 at age 74 in Newport Beach, California.