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Paul Berg

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For other people named Paul Berg, see Paul Berg (disambiguation).
Paul Berg
Berg in 1980
Born(1926-06-30)June 30, 1926
New York City, U.S.
DiedFebruary 15, 2023(2023-02-15) (aged 96)
Stanford, California, U.S.
Education
Known forRecombinant DNA
Spouse
Mildred Levy
​
(m. 1947)​
Children1[3]
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsBiochemistry
Institutions

Paul Berg (June 30, 1926 – February 15, 2023) was an American biochemist and professor at Stanford University.

He was the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1980, along with Walter Gilbert and Frederick Sanger. The award recognized their contributions to basic research involving nucleic acids, especially recombinant DNA.

Berg received his undergraduate education at Penn State University, where he majored in biochemistry. He received his PhD in biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University in 1952. Berg worked as a professor at Washington University School of Medicine and Stanford University School of Medicine, in addition to serving as the director of the Beckman Center for Molecular and Genetic Medicine.

In addition to the Nobel Prize, Berg was presented with the National Medal of Science in 1983 and the National Library of Medicine Medal in 1986. Berg was a member of the Board of Sponsors for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.[4]

Early life and education

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Berg was born in Brooklyn, New York City. He was the son of a Russian Jewish immigrant couple,[5] Sarah Brodsky, a homemaker, and Harry Berg, a clothing manufacturer.[6] Berg graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1943,[7] received his Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from Penn State University in 1948 and PhD in biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University in 1952. He was a member of the Jewish fraternity, ΒΣΡ.[8]

Research and career

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Academic posts

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After completing his graduate studies, Berg spent two years (1952–1954) as a postdoctoral fellow with the American Cancer Society, working at the Institute of Cytophysiology in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the Washington University School of Medicine, and spent additional time in 1954 as a scholar in cancer research with the department of microbiology at the Washington University School of Medicine.[9] He worked with Arthur Kornberg, while at Washington University.[6] Berg was also tenured as a research fellow at Clare Hall, Cambridge.[2][10] He was a professor at Washington University School of Medicine from 1955 until 1959. After 1959, Berg moved to Stanford University, where he taught biochemistry from 1959 until 2000 and served as director of the Beckman Center for Molecular and Genetic Medicine from 1985 until 2000.[9] In 2000 he retired from his administrative and teaching posts, continuing to be active in research.[11]

Research interests

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Berg's postgraduate studies involved the use of radioisotope tracers to study intermediary metabolism. This resulted in the understanding of how foodstuffs are converted to cellular materials, through the use of isotopic carbons or heavy nitrogen atoms. Paul Berg's doctorate paper is now known as the conversion of formic acid, formaldehyde and methanol to fully reduced states of methyl groups in methionine. He was also one of the first to demonstrate that folic acid and B12 cofactors had roles in the processes mentioned.

Berg is arguably most famous for his pioneering work involving gene splicing of recombinant DNA.[12] Berg was the first scientist to create a molecule containing DNA from two different species by inserting DNA from another species into a molecule. This gene-splicing technique was a fundamental step in the development of modern genetic engineering. After developing the technique, Berg used it for his studies of viral chromosomes.[13]

Berg was a professor emeritus at Stanford.[9] As of 2000, he stopped doing active research, to focus on other interests, including involvement in public policy for biomedical issues involving recombinant DNA and embryonic stem cells and publishing a book about geneticist George Beadle.[14]

Berg was a member of the Board of Sponsors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.[4] He was also an organizer of the Asilomar conference on recombinant DNA in 1975. The previous year, Berg and other scientists had called for a voluntary moratorium on certain recombinant DNA research until they could evaluate the risks. That influential conference did evaluate the potential hazards and set guidelines for biotechnology research. It can be seen as an early application of the precautionary principle.

Awards and honors

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Queen Beatrix meets Nobel laureates in 1983, Mildred Levy and Paul Berg are second couple from the left

Nobel Prize

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Berg was awarded one-half of the 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, with the other half being shared by Walter Gilbert and Frederick Sanger.[9][15][16] Berg was recognized for "his fundamental studies of the biochemistry of nucleic acids, with particular regard to recombinant DNA", while Sanger and Gilbert were honored for "their contributions concerning the determination of base sequences in nucleic acids."[17]

Other awards and honors

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He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1966.[18][19] In 1983, Ronald Reagan presented Berg with the National Medal of Science. That same year, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society.[20] In 1989, he received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.[21] He was elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Society (ForMemRS) in 1992.[22] In 2005 he was awarded the Biotechnology Heritage Award by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and the Chemical Heritage Foundation.[23][24] In 2006 he received Wonderfest's Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization.[25]

Death

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Berg died on February 15, 2023, at the age of 96.[5][26]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Paul Berg + Stanford Biochemistry Department". berg-emeritusprofessor.stanford.edu. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Research Focus – Clare Hall". University of Cambridge. Archived from the original on March 13, 2018. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  3. ^ Oakes, Elizabeth H. (2007). Encyclopedia of World Scientists. New York: Facts on File. ISBN 978-1438118826.
  4. ^ a b "Guide to the Paul Berg Papers". oac.cdlib.org. Archived from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  5. ^ a b Moskal, Emily (February 17, 2023). "Nobel Prize winner and recombinant DNA pioneer Paul Berg dies". Stanford University School of Medicine. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "HowStuffWorks 'Paul Berg'". Science.howstuffworks.com. October 21, 2008. Archived from the original on May 20, 2016. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
  7. ^ Hargittai, I. (2002). The Road to Stockholm: Nobel Prizes, Science, and Scientists. Oxford University Press. p. 121. ISBN 978-0-19-850912-7. Retrieved April 21, 2022. Arthur Kornberg (M59), Jerome Karle (C85), and Paul Berg (C80) all went to the Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn.
  8. ^ About – Beta Sigma Beta at Penn State, retrieved February 24, 2023
  9. ^ a b c d "Curriculum Vitae - Paul Berg". Nobel Foundation. February 7, 2005. Archived from the original on February 7, 2005. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  10. ^ Singer, Maxine; Berg, Pam (1990). Genes and genomes. Mill Valley, Ca.: University Science Books. p. xxviii. ISBN 0935702172.
  11. ^ Carey, Jr., Charles W. (2006). American scientists. New York, NY: Facts on File. ISBN 978-0816054992.
  12. ^ "Paul Berg". Science History Institute. Archived from the original on February 21, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  13. ^ "Award Ceremony Speech". The Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on January 23, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
  14. ^ "CAP – Paul Berg". Stanford University. Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
  15. ^ "Autobiography - Paul Berg". Nobel Foundation. March 4, 2006. Archived from the original on March 4, 2006. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  16. ^ Berg interview Archived April 18, 2005, at the Wayback Machine from the Nobel Prize website
  17. ^ "The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1980". The Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original on March 5, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
  18. ^ "Book of Members, 1780–2010: Chapter B" (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  19. ^ "Paul Berg". nasonline.org. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  20. ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  21. ^ "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
  22. ^ "Professor Paul Berg ForMemRS". London: Royal Society. Archived from the original on November 12, 2015.
  23. ^ "Biotechnology Heritage Award". Science History Institute. May 31, 2016. Archived from the original on May 4, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  24. ^ Gussman, Neil (April 13, 2005). "Paul Berg to Receive 2005 Biotechnology Heritage Award". PR Newswire. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  25. ^ "Sagan Prize Recipients". wonderfest.org. 2011. Archived from the original on August 12, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  26. ^ "Paul Berg, pioneer in gene splicing who led way for biotech, dies at 96". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
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