Kary Mullis' Eureka Moment

Inspiration at the wheel led to the discovery of PCR, for which he was awarded the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Full interview at
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1993/mullis-interview.html

well

well it was you know as

typical have really interesting
development in that

I was looking for something else and and
you know it was that

it was a like PCR with the

the possible the the outcome other
solution

to hypothetical problem that did not
exist and I was working on

trying to sequence single base-pair

you know then whether call snips today
single nucleotide polymorphism

with because those were medically
important now is trying

to do it with oligonucleotides because
Iran

a lab that made them and we had

really improve the efficiency with which
we made them earn

the three or four years prior said

we're making we can make mine faster
than the company's

cedars I word for could use them had
seven people working for me

and I was thinking on you have to cut
step down to like about three kids now

we get the salon omitted devices

on tonight arm into increase the demand

for all you can eat I'm so sorry think
you know what else can you do with them

and that it's possible to make if

a rapid clinical and safer single

his polymorphism like sickle cell anemia

was a good example people there that

back then maybe you going ok Lanigan you
take a sample maybe three weeks later

you know which is monitor agonizing

other you be nice to have been one shift
hospital

in you and that let you know and I

I thought oligonucleotides maybe with
the answer there were that

I was really home add as

other chemists I still make him and

I really didn't have an appreciation for
happy huge dance

human genome compared to say five
thousand base pair

plasma that I was using isn't serb model
system

and and I was was thinking this method

require couple organically times wanna
miss Serbia control what they would be

pointed

right toward each other just like in PCR
reaction and

and then I and I was thinking I mean it
really love

pics sexe nucleotide triphosphates

mind there's a couple technical problems
trying to solve in 10 min

a the whales in and decide to solve it
was to

use to like run a sort of sham reaction

first with the oligonucleotides in place
in the sample

and then and then I had my break
actresses and suffering and again

and because he was going to use a it is

not for two not the idea and for the
fight

duplicating the signal but then I
realized the side effect to that was

going to be the house pointed

double the the signal if

there were enough like the exit Euclid
has available are trying to get readers

if there are any come in with the same

that you are driving a man was right he
does not have this in your head you

thinking about

constantly in and it just realized that
there is a way the

you don't think in the lab as much you
know I do you think

I was spending my weekends opinion this
in a little cabin

and I Drive up every Friday night income
a concern

and that's really all the nice things
but to a half hours

and e sorry your

uydess got some new to me and you can't
do anything else

to think as this when I did most to my
thinking

usually his the day-to-day life in a
laboratory

doesn't allow alive now

with all these letters in your inbox and
use your phone ringing in his own these

people have to deal with and 70 have

really that kind I'm

I'll

of