Who is the Father of Genetic Engineering? Paul Berg

Father of Genetic Engineering, Paul Berg, was born on June 30, 1926, in New York, USA. He was born to Sarah Brodsky, a homemaker, and Harry Berg, who was a garments manufacturer. He has been a significant contributor to genetic science involving nucleic acids, especially recombinant DNA.

He was the first person to start genetic engineering and was an active member of the Board of Sponsors for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

Table of Contents

• Father of Genetic Engineering
• Father of Genetic Engineering: Biography
• Educational Background of Paul Berg
• Contributions of Paul Berg
• Rewards and Recognition of Paul Berg

Father of Genetic Engineering - Paul Berg

Paul Berg was anointed as the father of genetic engineering for his great works and contributions to genetics. He was also one of the initiators of setting up approaches for carrying out recombinant DNA experiments.

The father of genetic engineering began genetic manipulation and developed genetic engineering. He was an ingenious scientist and cared for the influence of science on society. Students can look at the table below to know in brief about his life. 

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Father of Genetic Engineering: Biography

Father of Genetic Engineering, Paul Berg, was the elder of three brothers. They lived with other Jewish immigrant families in Brooklyn. The family spoke Yiddish, which was their mother tongue. His contributions to biochemistry and the invention of recombinant DNA made him a renowned scientist. 

He was good in his studies from his early school days and grew up in Brooklyn along with his other siblings. His parents were not well educated but were determined to provide quality education to their children. Paul Berg, Father of Genetic Engineering, was married to Mildred Levy in 1947 A.D. and had 1 child. 

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Educational Background of Paul Berg

The Father of Genetic Engineering was an active learner in his childhood. He also was in an outstanding group of students with a high I.Q. level and a great gist to learn. Below given is a brief regarding the father of genetic engineering’s education.

• The father of genetic engineering had his primary education separately among the class of gifted pupils due to his high I.Q. levels. 
•  The father of genetic engineering studied high school at Abraham Lincoln High School, Brooklyn, in 1943. 
• The father of genetic engineering did his bachelor of science at Pennsylvania State University at State College in 1948. 
• The father of genetic engineering in 1952, completed his Phd from Case Western Reserve University in biochemistry.

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Contributions of Paul Berg

The father of genetic engineering has made major contributions and research in the field of biochemistry. Below are some of his major contributions that carved his way to be honoured with a Nobel prize. 

• The father of genetic engineering started gene splicing of recombinant DNA. 
• The father of genetic engineering was the first scientist to create a molecule consisting of DNA from two separate species.
• The father of genetic engineering was the first to present that folic acid and B12 cofactors had functions in the study of intermediary metabolism.
• The father of genetic engineering’s recombinant DNA invention further resulted in the creation of a bacteria that produced substances used in medicines.

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Rewards and Recognition of Paul Berg

The father of genetic engineering did a lot of research, published writings and made a new DNA with two different species of DNA before being titled the father of genetic engineering. Below given are some of the honours he received in his life.

• The father of genetic engineering was awarded one-half of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry with his peers Walter Gilbert and Frederick Sanger in 1980. 
• In 1966, the father of genetic engineering was selected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In the same year, he became a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences.
• In 1983, the father of genetic engineering was awarded a national medal in science by Ronald Reagan.
• In 1989, the father of genetic engineering got the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.
•  Paul Berg, the father of genetic engineering, was selected as a Foreign Member of the Royal Society (ForMemRS) in 1992 
• In 2005, the father of genetic engineering was honoured with the Biotechnology Heritage Award by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and the Chemical Heritage Foundation.
•  In 2006, the father of genetic engineering got Wonder Fest's Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization.

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