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			Kary Mullis Born Dec 28 1944 Process for Amplifying Nucleic Acid Sequences Polymerase Chain Reacton Patent Number(s) 4,683,202 Inducted 1998 The polymerase chain reaction, which was devised by Kary Mullis, has revolutionized DNA technology. PCR amplifies specific DNA sequences from very small amounts of complex genetic material. The amplification produces an almost unlimited number of highly purified DNA molecules suitable for analysis or manipulation. PCR has allowed screening for genetic and infectious diseases. Analysis of DNAs from different populations, including DNA from extinct species, has allowed the reconstruction of phylogenetic trees including primates and humans. PCR is essential to forensics and paternity testing. Invention Impact It has had a major impact on molecular biology, medicine, forensics, molecular paleontology, and many related fields. Inventor Bio Mullis was born in Lenoir, N. Carolina and grew up in Columbia, S. Carolina. He received a B.S. from Georgia Tech and a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. While working for Cetus Corporation, he invented PCR, which immediately spread to laboratories around the world where DNA chemistry was performed. PCR technology has grown into a several billion dollar a year industry. For his work, Mullis received the Japan Prize and the Nobel Prize for chemistry, both in 1993.