Har Gobind Khorana and the Nobel Prize

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Har Gobind Khorana was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1968. He shared the prize with Robert W. Holley and Marshall W. Nirenberg for their pioneering work on the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis.

Key Contributions:

1. Decoding the Genetic Code:
   • Khorana’s research was crucial in deciphering how sequences of nucleotides in DNA encode the sequence of amino acids in proteins. His work demonstrated that the genetic code is composed of triplets of nucleotides (codons), each specifying a particular amino acid.
2. Synthetic DNA:
   • Khorana was instrumental in synthesizing artificial genes. His team successfully created synthetic genes in vitro, which provided critical insights into how genetic information is translated into functional proteins.
3. Understanding Protein Synthesis:
   • Khorana’s work elucidated the mechanism of protein synthesis by showing how the genetic code is translated into proteins. This understanding has had profound implications for molecular biology and genetics.

Recent Examples and Impacts:

• Advances in Biotechnology: The principles established by Khorana’s research are foundational for modern biotechnology. Techniques such as CRISPR gene editing, which relies on understanding genetic codes, owe much to Khorana’s discoveries.
• mRNA Vaccines: The development of mRNA vaccines, such as those used for COVID-19, builds on our understanding of protein synthesis and genetic information, which Khorana’s work helped to elucidate.
• Genomic Medicine: The ability to sequence genomes and understand genetic disorders is deeply rooted in the insights provided by Khorana’s research on the genetic code.

Har Gobind Khorana’s contributions have had a lasting impact on genetics, molecular biology, and biotechnology, shaping our understanding of how genetic information directs the synthesis of proteins and influencing numerous modern scientific and medical advancements.