Remembering Kary Mullis

Kary Mullis was awarded one half of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, along with Michael Smith. Dr. Mullis was given the Prize for his invention of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR revolutionized medicine by permitting the creation of essentially unlimited copies of strands of DNA. This has been a vital process in everything from microbiology, where bacteria can be more easily identified, to forensic medicine, where crime-scene DNA can be recreated. Dr. Mullis was also known for his free spirit and his controversial views.