Matthew Paul Berg

Molecular biologist who in 1972 created the first recombinant DNA molecules, and, in doing so, created the field of genetic engineering.

Berg, in 1972, combined DNA from the cancer-causing monkey virus SV40 with that of the virus lambda to create the first recombinant DNA molecules. However, upon realizing the dangers of his experiment, terminated it before it could be taken any further. He immediately, in what is now called the "Berg Letter," proposed a one year moratorium on recombinant DNA research, in order for safety concerns to be worked out. Berg made one of the most fundamental technical contributions to the field of genetics in the twentieth century: he developed a technique for splicing together deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) the substance that carries the genetic information in living cells and viruses from generation to generation--from different types of organisms. His achievement gave scientists a priceless tool for studying the structure of viral chromosomes and the biochemical basis of human genetic diseases. It also let researchers turn simple organisms into chemical factories that churn out valuable medical drugs. In 1980 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for pioneering this procedure, now referred to as recombinant DNA technology (RDT).

In 1991, Berg accepted a position as the head of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Human Genome Project.