Kary Mullis

Kary Banks Mullis (December 28, 1944 – August 7, 2019) was an American biochemist. In recognition of his role in the invention of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, he shared the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Michael Smith and was awarded the Japan Prize in the same year. PCR became a central technique in biochemistry and molecular biology, described by The New York Times as "highly original and significant, virtually dividing biology into the two epochs of before PCR and after PCR."Mullis also downplayed humans' role in climate change and expressed doubts that HIV is the sole cause of AIDS. He also expressed a belief in the paranormal. Mullis' work in advocating for topics completely unrelated to his Nobel Prize has been cited as an example of the trend known as the 'Nobel disease'.