ELON COLLEGE – Kary Mullis, a native of Lenior who won the 1993 Nobel Prize in chemistry, will speak March 11 at Elon College.
The speech, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7:30 p.m. in McCrary Theatre in the Faith Rockefeller Model Center for the Arts.
Mullis invented polymerase chain reaction, a chemical procedure that allows scientists to multiply millions – even billions – of copies of a DNA molecule in a very short period of time. PCR technology has revolutionized genetics research, especially forensic medicine. It was an idea he developed while cruising in a Honda Civic along a California highway in the 1970s.
Mullis’ reputation for being irreverent and an intellectual maverick is evident in his 1998 autobiography, “Dancing Naked in the Mine Field.” The accomplished surfer chronicles his adventures from wooing countless women, possibly being abducted by aliens and consulting with O.J. Simpson’s defense team. He believes that HIV doesn’t cause AIDS and there isn’t a hole in the ozone layer. He also says the country should be spending money to defend ourselves against an asteroid hit.
He grew up in South Carolina, received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Georgia Tech and a doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley. Recently inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, Mullis currently consults and lectures worldwide.
Media Note: Dr. Mullis will speak with media representatives at 2 p.m. March 11 in the library of the Dalton L. McMichael Sr. Science Center on the Elon College campus.
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