The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded to Har Gobind Khorana in 1968 acknowledged his fundamental research into the genetic code. By demonstrating how nucleotides in nucleic acids dictate the synthesis of proteins, he provided the mechanism for interpreting genetic information. This breakthrough established the foundation for modern molecular biology and contemporary gene synthesis techniques used globally today.
Early Education and Academic Training
Born in 1922 in Raipur, Punjab, during the British Raj, Khorana spent his formative years in a village with limited resources. He attended D.A.V. High School in Multan before moving to Government College and the University of the Punjab in Lahore, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1943 and a Master of Science in 1945. He later pursued doctoral studies at the University of Liverpool, receiving his PhD in 1948, followed by a postdoctoral position under Vladimir Prelog at ETH Zurich.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →The Genetic Code and Protein Synthesis
While serving as a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Khorana conducted experiments using RNA with repeating units to identify how specific sequences code for amino acids. His work revealed that UCU codes for serine and CUC codes for leucine, while identifying UAG, UAA, and UGA as stop codons. This research earned him the 1968 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which he shared with Marshall W. Nirenberg and Robert W. Holley.
Synthetic Gene Pioneering
Khorana shifted his focus toward synthetic genetics, becoming the first scientist to chemically synthesize oligonucleotides. In 1972, he successfully completed the total synthesis of a functional gene outside of a living organism. By utilizing polymerase and ligase enzymes to link DNA fragments, he established methods that prefigured the invention of polymerase chain reaction. His techniques for custom-designed artificial genes are now foundational to cloning, sequencing, and engineering.
Later Research and Legacy
After joining the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1970 as the Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Biology and Chemistry, Khorana investigated the biochemistry of bacteriorhodopsin and rhodopsin. He maintained a diverse academic career, holding positions at the University of Cambridge, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He died in Concord in 2011, having received numerous honors including the National Medal of Science in 1987 and the Canada Gairdner International Award in 1980.
Fast facts
- Born: 1922, Raipur
- Died: 2011, Concord
- Citizenship: India, British Raj, United States
- Nobel Prize: Physiology or Medicine, 1968
- Field: Molecular biology
- National Medal of Science: 1987
- Major Employer: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- PhD Institution: University of Liverpool
Questions readers ask
What was the core discovery for which Khorana received the Nobel Prize?
He deciphered the mechanisms of the genetic code by showing how RNA sequences control the synthesis of proteins.
What was his contribution to synthetic genetics?
He was the first scientist to chemically synthesize oligonucleotides and complete the total synthesis of a functional gene in 1972.
.jpg)
