Drawing of PCR by Kary Mullis
date: label: date made
content: 1992-05-15
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Kary Mullis drew this diagram of the polymerase chain reaction process during an interview for a video history conducted on May 15, 1992, by former National Museum of American History curator Ray Kondratas. The video history is available at the Smithsonian Archives under record number SIA RU009577. Mullis invented the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 1983 as a method to copy specific portions of DNA. He won the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his invention.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The drawing’s purple and red horizontal lines represent strands of DNA being copied. The letters “dNTPs” at the top of the page refer to deoxyribonucleotides, the individual units of DNA that are assembled into the longer continuous chain. A supply of dNTPs (which come in four types: dATP, dCTP, dGTP, and dTTP) are necessary for PCR to occur.
label: Description (Brief)
content: To learn more about PCR see object 1993.0166.01, Mr. Cycle.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: web subject
content: Nobel Prize
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Biological Sciences
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content: Biotechnology and Genetics
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content: Science & Mathematics
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1994.3125.01
label: nonaccession number
content: 1994.3125
label: catalog number
content: 1994.3125.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: drawing
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 81.3 cm x 68.5 cm; 32 in x 26 15/16 in