Mullis, Kary B(Anks)

(born Dec. 28, 1944, Lenoir, N.C., U.S.) U.S. biochemist. He received his doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley.

In 1983 he invented the polymerase chain reaction, with which scientists can determine the order of nucleotides in a gene, use genetic fingerprinting to identify individuals by their DNA patterns, study evolution, and make medical diagnoses. He did his prizewinning research at Cetus Corp. and later became a freelance consultant. He shared a 1993 Nobel Prize with Michael Smith (b. 1932). He is known for his freewheeling personal style and his iconoclastic opinions and writings, including Dancing Naked in the Mind Field (1998).