DNA pioneer dies at 89
Arthur Kornberg (left) and his son Roger both won Nobel prizes
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Saturday, 27, Oct 2007 12:06
Nobel laureate and DNA pioneer Arthur Kornberg has died of respiratory failure at the age of 89.
Dr Kornberg was awarded the Nobel prize for medicine in 1959 for discovering the chemical mechanism that enables the construction of DNA within a cell.
Stanford University School of Medicine dean Philip Pizzo paid tribute to the professor saying: "Dr Kornberg was one of the most distinguished and remarkable scientists in American medicine.
"His towering contributions have continued virtually up until the time of his death. Without doubt, his legacy will certainly live on for many, many generations to come."
Dr Kornberg devoted his life to the study of enzymes, which act as the body's catalysts, and discovered new molecules through his research. His findings led to an improved understanding of genetic engineering and advanced medical treatment.
He is survived by three sons and eight grandchildren. One of his children Roger Kornberg won the Nobel prize for chemistry in 2006 for his work on enzymes.
The father-and-son pair are only the sixth group of family members to have both won Nobel prizes.
During his long career, the scientist was awarded numerous prizes such as the
national medal of science in 1979 and the Cosmos Club award in 1995. He has served as the president of the American Society of Biological Chemistry and has honorary degrees from 12 universities.