Har Gobind Khorana

Har Gobind Khorana (1922–2011) was an Indian-American biochemist renowned for his pivotal research in the field of DNA and RNA, specifically his work elucidating the genetic code and its role in protein synthesis. His pioneering efforts earned him the 1968 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, shared with Marshall W. Nirenberg and Robert W. Holley.

Har Gobind Khorana

Early Life and Education

• Khorana was born on January 9, 1922, in Raipur, a small village in Punjab, a region then in British India (now part of Pakistan). His father, a Patwari (a village agricultural taxation clerk), emphasized the importance of education. Despite the limited resources, Khorana attended D.A.V. High School in Multan (now in Pakistan).
• Subsequently, he received a scholarship to study at Punjab University in Lahore, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in 1943 and his Master's degree in 1945, both in Chemistry. Khorana then received a Government of India Fellowship, enabling him to travel to the UK to complete his Ph.D. at the University of Liverpool in 1948^[1].

Career and Research

• Following his Ph.D., Khorana conducted postdoctoral research at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule in Zurich with Professor Vladimir Prelog. In 1952, he moved to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, where he initiated his work on nucleic acids during a time when the structures of DNA and RNA were not yet known.
• In 1960, Khorana joined the Institute for Enzyme Research at the University of Wisconsin. It was here, alongside his colleagues, where he accomplished his most notable work – the elucidation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis. This work laid the foundation for much of modern genetics and was a key part of earning the 1968 Nobel Prize^[2].
• In 1970, Khorana moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he expanded his research interests to the study of the biochemistry of the retina. His team achieved another breakthrough in 1976 by synthesizing the first artificial gene in a living cell. He officially retired from MIT in 2007 but continued to conduct research^[3].

Awards and Recognition

Khorana's contributions to the field of genetics and biochemistry have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Lasker Award (1968) and the National Medal of Science (1987). The most notable was the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1968, shared with Marshall W. Nirenberg and Robert W. Holley for their work on the interpretation of the genetic code and its role in protein synthesis^[4].

Personal Life and Legacy

• Khorana married Swiss national Esther Elizabeth Sibler in 1952, who was a significant support throughout his career. They had three children. Khorana passed away on November 9, 2011, in Concord, Massachusetts.
• His life and work have inspired generations of scientists worldwide. His commitment to research has shaped the fields of genetics and biochemistry, significantly advancing our understanding of the fundamental processes of life^[5].

See also

• Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• Genetic code
• Protein synthesis
• Nucleic acid

References

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