Kary Mullis

Kary Banks Mullis (1944–2019) was an American biochemist best known for inventing the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a technique that rapidly amplifies DNA and transformed molecular biology and medicine. For this work he received the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Mullis also wrote for general audiences, including the memoir *Dancing Naked in the Mind Field*, which reflects on his scientific career and unconventional outlook. Born in the United States, he worked in research settings where his ideas about DNA analysis took shape, and his name remains closely associated with PCR’s widespread impact on genetics, diagnostics, and forensic science.